Navigating Istanbul: A Comprehensive Guide to Public Transportation

The anonymous İstanbulkart is your golden ticket to metro, tram, bus, ferry, Marmaray and even funiculars. Pick one up at the yellow-blue vending machines in every airport arrival hall, ferry pier or metro station—select “İstanbulkart Satış” feed in cash or tap a card and the machine spits out your plastic.

The card itself costs 130₺ and comes empty; load credit instantly on the same screen or with the official mobile app. A standard ride on metro, tram or bus deducts 27₺ with automatic discounts for the first two transfers. If you’re travelling as a duo, grab two separate cards; one card can’t be tapped twice in the same minute on the same gate.

Pro tip: Stash at least 200₺ before a big sightseeing day; top-up machines are scarce on ferry decks and bus islands.

İstanbul Airport (IST): The lightning-new M11 metro gets you from the terminal to Gayrettepe in 30 minutes, switch to the M2 and you’re at Şişhane or Karaköy in under an hour Istanbul Airport. Prefer surface views? Havaist coaches run 24/7; line HAVAIST-10 reaches Karaköy/Taksim in 70–80 minutes for about 275₺ (payable by İstanbulkart or card)

Sabiha Gökçen (SAW): Hop on the M4 metro to Kadıköy, then ferry across—total 65 minutes, all on your İstanbulkart. If luggage outweighs patience, Havabus shuttles run every 30 minutes to Taksim via Karaköy for 130₺.

You can reach many places in Istanbul by metro and other rail systems. Download the rail system map to your phone before your trip. Mark the stops according to your route. Follow the night metro map. Don't feel compelled to take a taxi. The most commonly used rail systems in Istanbul are the metro, tram, and Marmaray. You can use all metro lines for fast and comfortable transportation.

For nostalgic and short tours to explore the surroundings, connect to the tram and funicular lines. You can use Marmaray if you want to make a quick transition between Europe and Asia. Important tip: Marmaray is quite crowded during peak hours in Istanbul. For crossings between Asia and Europe, the ferry is a more comfortable option, offering a stunning view and the pleasure of the Bosphorus experience. Additionally, the journey from Karaköy and Eminönü piers to Kadıköy takes only 20 minutes.

Stay in Karakoy, Pera, Bogazkesen, Füruzaga or Sirkeci to be close to Istanbul's historic districts, hotspots and up-and-coming neighborhoods.

Staying in Urban Quarters in these neighborhoods means being just a 5 - 10 minute walk from the city's iconic streets, Bosphorus line and vibrant squares! If you want to experience all modes of Istanbul, you are in luck. You can easily access public transportation from Urban Quarters apartments.

Here are some of these options:

- T1 tram, which crosses Kabataş, Karaköy and the Golden Horn, provides transportation from Kabataş to the historical peninsula (Gülhane, Sultanahmet, Çemberlitaş, Beyazıt Kapalı Çarşı). 

- The F2 Tunnel Funicular tram takes you from Karaköy to Istiklal Street in 90 seconds.

- Ferries departing from the Şehir Hatları and Dentur piers provide transportation to the Asian side and the Bosphorus line. 

- The Marmaray train, with a stop in Sirkeci, takes you under the Bosphorus to Üsküdar in minutes. 

- The M2 subway from Şişhane metro station, close to Pera, takes you to the most attractive parts of Istanbul - Taksim, Nişantaşı (Osmanbey stop), Levent, Sarıyer (Hacıosman stop).

Ask an İstanbullu how they cross continents and nine times out of ten they’ll say “vapur.” Ferries dodge road gridlock, cost the same as a metro swipe and come with a complimentary sea breeze. Core routes— Kadıköy ↔ Karaköy ↔ Beşiktaş—sail every 15–20 minutes until nearly midnight, with an all-night skeleton loop on weekends.

Sunrise commuters claim the upper deck for Turkish tea and simit, office workers decompress on sunset runs, and photographers love the open-air seats that frame both Hagia Sophia and the Maiden’s Tower in a single blink. Ferries are also stroller- and bike-friendly, making them a secret shortcut between hilly neighbourhoods.

Bonus: you can pay with İstanbulkart at the turnstile and refill at pier kiosks that stay open late.

Simit + seagulls: Buy a fresh simit at the pier; Bosphorus gulls will escort you like VIP jets.

Early decks, empty decks: First-light ferries (07:00-08:00) are half-full and misty-magical.

Sneaker city: Cobblestones defeat dress shoes—pack cushioned trainers.

Breakfast afloat: Grab toast and tea on board; it’s Istanbul’s cheapest Bosphorus brunch.

Lazy-up, scenic-down: Ride the Tünel from Karaköy to Istiklal, then walk back via Galata for postcard angles.

Top-up trick: If machines spit back notes, flip the bill—old bills sometimes mis-scan.

Metro weekends: From 06:00 Friday to 00:00 Sunday, seven metro lines run 24 h; perfect for nightlife hops without taxis.

See you on deck—Urban Quarters will have the kettle on when you’re back.

Istanbul’s steep lanes look daunting on paper, but from Urban Quarters you can craft an entirely pedestrian day. Start your day with a hearty breakfast of simit, honey, kaymak, and Turkish tea around Galata Tower. Then zig-zag uphill past boutique roasters and sip your morning coffee. From there, Istiklal Avenue—an 1.4 km pedestrian spine — leads to Taksim Square, with side alleys hiding meyhanes, vinyl shops and Art-Nouveau arcades.

Too tired to retrace? Pay 27₺ for the vintage red tram back to Tünel and descend by cobbled shortcut to Karaköy’s cocktail bars. In daylight, detour through Galataport’s seaside boardwalk (fully stroller-friendly) or climb the secret Kamondo Stairs for panoramas. After dark, the same loop glows under filament bulbs strung between 19th-century façades—safe, lively and entirely hill-managed thanks to a well-timed funicular ride.