USEFUL INFORMATION
Transportation
Istanbul has always been a meeting place and a cross point destination. Located at the crossroads of East and West, Istanbul offers easy air connections. Getting to and from Istanbul has never been easier. With a capacity of far over 25 million travelers per year Istanbul is surprisingly within reach - in fact, it's less than a three-hour flight from most European cities.
Istanbul Airport houses an Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Centre and it provides service in compliance with the EU standards. This centre, established over 700,000 square meter area located between the two parallel runways, offers services to Turkey at international standards and promises hope for the future of Turkish aviation sector. Having become an emerging business line in Turkey, aircraft maintenance and repair sector will have the opportunity to become the leader of the industry worldwide thanks to the centre established.
The Istanbul Airport strengthens Istanbul, the center of a vast geography from the East to the West, with its extremely high capacity, various kinds of facilities and sound infrastructure opportunities. Having a strategic location considering the transfer routes, Istanbul acts as an attractive hub for transit flights between the USA and Europe, as well as the Middle East, Central Asia and North India.
Today, the Istanbul Airport launches flights to a total of 146 destinations at various continents within 3 hours connecting 120+ countries, 60+ capital cities, 250+ international and 50 domestic destinations. When the airport is put into operation in full capacity, the number of flight destinations will exceed 350.
For more information on Istanbul Airport, please click here.
The city is reachable via ship from Italy, Greece, and other Mediterranean countries, and is in addition a major port of call for cruise lines and chartered yachts. Via land, several rail lines connect Turkey to neighboring countries as well as many bus lines which easily and affordably connect Istanbul to other cities across Turkey, Europe and the Middle East. Highways represent another increasingly viable alternative to getting in and out of Istanbul.
Getting Around
Airport Transport to /from City Center
The airport being quite far from the city center, the taxi ride to Taksim or Sultanahmet may cost you a bit; it will be around 300TL for Taksim and 350TL for Sultanahmet.
To find them, get out of the airport and pick one that is in the line. Taxis in Istanbul are yellow or light blue, do not ride in the car of anyone else. Please note that the maximum number of passengers in an Istanbul taxi is 4.
The Havaist shuttles:
These are the shuttles belonging to the municipality of Istanbul. You will find them at the exit of the airport. The shuttles operate almost 24/7. It is the best option to reach the city center. The ticket for Taksim costs 52 TL, payable by credit card or "Istanbulkart” and the ride takes about 100 minutes. You will find the machines just in front of the shuttle stop from which you can buy or reload this public transport card which you can then use for all means of transport in town. The shuttle makes several stops on the way, (4.Levent Metro - Zincirlikuyu Metrobus - Beşiktaş - Taksim), most people stop in Taksim.
Once in Taksim Square you can take a taxi or public transport to get to your hotel. To see all the other Havaist trips and fares: http://www.hava.ist/Home/Index_en
İstanbul's second airport, Sabiha Gökçen, is located in the Anatolian side of the city. From Sabiha Gökçen, there are also several ways to get into the city.
There is the Havataş bus service to Kadıköy and Taksim.
Departure Point in Kadıköy is Kadıköy Rıhtım İETT Bus Stops.
It takes approximately 1.5 hours from/to Taksim to/from Sabiha Gökçen and this period may vary according to the traffic density. Routes are as follow;
Departure: Taksim-Beşiktaş- Bosphorus Bridge -Tem Access Road-Sabiha Gökçen Airport
Return: Sabiha Gökçen Airport -Kavacık-FSM Bridge-1.Levent-Zincirlikuyu Metrobus- Dolapdere-Taksim
Ticket Price: 52.50 TRY
You can take the public bus run by IETT. The E10 line goes to Kadıköy. From there you can take a ferry if you plan to continue to the European side
For more information about Sabiha Gökçen transportation, please click here.
For more information about how to transport within the city, please click here.
Banks & Currency Exchange
The Turkish Lira is the official currency of Turkey. Credit cards are widely used and accepted. Visitors can use their Visa and Master Cards. ATMs can be found all around the country. All of them offer foreign language options and pay out Turkish liras. Foreign exchange offices may be found throughout the country. Operating hours are mostly Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 17:00. In the arrivals section of İstanbul and Sabiha Gökçen Airports, there are 7/24 open exchange offices. Also the exchange offices located in shopping malls and touristic areas are open later and on Saturdays.
Time Zone
Istanbul falls in the Eastern European Time Zone. Eastern European Standard Time (EET) is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).
Electricity & Voltage
Turkey's electrical system operates on 220 volts, 50 Hz, with round-prong European-style plugs that fit into recessed wall sockets.
Weather
The climate of the province is typical Mediterranean: hot and dry in summers and temperate and rainy in winters. Sunshine is guaranteed from April to October and the winters are pleasantly mild. The humidity is a little bit high, about 64%, and the average water temperature is 21.5 °C. Antalya is really a heavenly place where the summer season is about 8-9 months long.