Exploring Istanbul on my own - solo female traveler (wi-fi issues? language barriers? etc)

how difficult it is to get around in Istanbul on one's own

Public transit is easy and the ferries are fun and useful for sightseeing to other neighborhoods. Now that you can tap and pay, with your phone or credit card, public transit is even easier.

I've read that wi-fi is spotty (hence making it difficult to use google maps on the street)

I think you mean cellphone signal for walking directions. Obviously that will depend on your cellphone provider. I used a Turkcell SIM one year and my own Google Fi last year. Both were flawless 98% of the time. The only area where I had trouble was in the tight lanes of the markets behind the Spice Bazaar.

fewer people speak English in Turkey than in the rest of Europe

I found that the front desk staff in hotels and waiters in restaurants in the main tourist areas spoke English. Hotel room cleaners did not speak much, if any, English. But gestures and a smile usually sorted anything out.

Vendors in the markets spoke English. And younger people in Istanbul spoke excellent English.

Some of the older folks working in the tourism sector do not speak English as well as they think they do. I had a memorable conversation with a tourist office staffer (not in Istanbul) who kept answering my "When is X open?" question by telling me how to walk to X. It didn't help me on that occasion, but it never hurts to keep your vocabulary simple.

I don't recall issues with my cellular-data signal, but both Google Maps and CityMapper gave me directions that ignored the existence of the little inclined railway between Taksim Square and Kabatas, routing me on time-consuming buses instead. At the time, the location of the Kabatas terminal was in the wrong place on the map as well.

Istanbul is a very large city, and a lot of trips will involve transfers, so it's smart to allow more time than you think will be needed to get to your destination. There's always something interesting to see, at least.

Given that you are asking the questions, i think you would enjoy it more if on your first day you hired a guide for half a day. You meet a local, get comfortable, ask questions and get accurate answers from a local, maybe ride a tram with her and negoitate with a carpet seller LOL with her. Then comfortable you will enjoy your solo time.

ignored the existence of the little inclined railway

Ah yes, Google Maps would not offer the regular ferry routes for transit to Besiktas and Ortakoy. I had to check the ferry signs or ask the helpful staff until I got to know which ferry left from which dock.

pjmun, I don't know if this will help but I spent a week in Istanbul back in 2007 as a solo female traveler, and that was before cell phones had international plans, Google Maps had just started with the basics, and to access wifi, you had to go to an internet cafe.

At any rate, I did just fine and the only time I got lost was once in Fethiye trying to find a bus stop. In Istanbul I had no problems getting around using paper maps. Sometimes I asked for directions to a place at my hotel, and they were always willing to help.

Plus the Turkish people are so friendly that if you do get lost or confused, stop and ask someone. It's true that not everyone speaks English, but many people in Istanbul do, and will be able to get you in the right direction. You can also use Google Translate if you need to stop and ask someone with no English.

I loved Turkey and still place it in the top 3 of all the countries I've been to. It's a phenomenal country!

I used an eSIM from Airalo and that gave me great coverage.

Excellent advice all the way around. Istanbul is easy to navigate (as long as you aren't driving), and I have always felt safe there as a solo female.

A couple of things to add:

• Be careful with hailing a taxi off the street around Sultanahmet and the heavily touristed areas because a lot of them will scam you. You are better off asking your hotel to arrange a taxi for you. (You are probably okay hailing a taxi from a place like Fener.)

• Most folks speak at least some English. However, I would recommend learning a few Turkish phrases, not because it is that necessary for getting around but because it makes people so happy when you make even the most basic effort to speak Turkish. People really smile and open up.

However, I would recommend learning a few Turkish phrases, not because it is that necessary for getting around but because it makes people so happy when you make even the most basic effort to speak Turkish. People really smile and open up.

That is so true. I spent about 3 months learning some basic Turkish and I was amazed at the reception I got from the locals when I spoke in my (undoubtedly) very bad Turkish. :-) They were thrilled that I spoke even the little I knew, and they really did open up, as Marie said.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your great suggestions! I do have a few follow-up questions. For those of you who used an e-sim (which I have never used), did you just purchase that through apple for your iphone? I'm not quite sure how that all works. In the past, I called T-mobile in advance and paid for an international calling plan. It did work well in most countries but we had problems in Athens and it was a bit of a headache because we couldn't get cell service, we were exhausted, no one we spoke to knew where our hotel was, etc.

As for the suggestion for a private guide for the first day, I am definitely planning on that to help me get a lay of the land so thanks for that Mr. E!

And Mardee, thanks for the reminder. I traveled a ton in my twenties without cell service and often not speaking the language of the country and it all worked out just fine.

Marie, Thanks for the taxi tip around the touristy areas. I will add, if anyone is interested, that a very helpful person who works for Rick Steves tours said he would take a taxi from the airport to my hotel. I know there has been a lot of discussion about Welcome Pickups and he said when he visited Istanbul he had trouble finding his Welcome Pickups driver so now recommends folks take a taxi into town.

Finally, for those of you who suggested learning a few words of Turkish I can't agree more! It makes such a difference when people see you care enough to take the time to learn their language. Plus, I do love learning languages so thank you for that.

Finally CW, thanks for your consistent feedback. I don't know if you recall my post a while back on where to stay in Istanbul and whether to do this tour, but your experience helped me decide to actually sign up (I've never done a tour before) and to stay in Karakoy.

pjmun, I went back and found the post and then re-read my trip report from August. Such good memories!

Your choice of Wings Hotel looks like a good one. You'll be able to see its enormous green sign while you're on the ferries. And Karaköy feels small and manageable, while offering lots of choices in a lively area that felt safe, even when I wandered around after dark.

I hope you take a ferry early in your stay, to get the hang of how easy and fun they are. Something about admiring the neighborhoods I was visiting from the relative calm of the ferries, was relaxing, and at the same time energizing. And they are an inexpensive sightseeing opportunity!

A couple more points...

• Yes, many taxi drivers may try and scam you, but many just don't speak much (or any) English. Some of them have no sense of direction and/or do not know their way around (our taxi driver got lost trying to find our hotel, one of the biggest in the city, and probably visible from the moon). Help both of you stay honest by negotiating the approximate fare BEFORE entering the cab. Use your phone's Calculator app to show numbers. Before you start this process, you should have some rough idea of how much your ride should cost, enter that number on your phone's calculator app and show the driver, say your destination, ask "OK?" and be prepared to haggle.
• Be aware that traffic in central Istanbul is among the worst in the world. Avoid taxis in the old center, use trams instead. If you are in a taxi and it gets really stuck for way too long in gridlocked traffic, be prepared to abandon ship and continue on foot. Tell the driver "stop - I go now" point outside, pay him some/all of what you agreed to (depending on how much progress you made), exit and walk away (after paying).
• Always pay in Turkish Lira. Have cash ready.
• Getting and adding money to a transit card may require invoking the dark arts and much futzing with infernal machines. It can be done. Better news: it may be unnecessary nowadays if you can use a more direct form of payment (others will chime in).

Istanbul is amazing, you will love it. Have fun!

Thanks CW. I will definitely try the ferries early on as they sound like an excellent means of getting around.

it may be unnecessary nowadays if you can use a more direct form of payment

Istanbul's incorporation of tap to pay (phone and credit card) on their transit systems has definitely made one tourist headache unnecessary. As you long as you don't mind paying the higher rates, which are still cheap by comparison to many western European cities.

If you're used to London far capping, which necessitates using the same form of payment during your visit, that's not the case in Istanbul. Fare prices are fixed with no calculated caps. For that you'd need to buy a transit pass and the math didn't make sense for my week-long visit.

Your tour probably will still hand out IstanbulKarts, loaded for any rides you'll take as a group.

David, thanks for all the taxi tips. Yikes. I'll be coming from the airport so I won't have Turkish lira on hand unless I try to change some money at the airport. Is it uncommon to pay with credit card?

CW, when you refer to transit systems, does that include taxis? I was thinking I could just pay by credit card to get to my hotel from the airport.

Hotel to airport- use welcome pickups

eSIM. Download airalo app to your phone and purchase through app.

I never took a regular taxi, but I think many of them do take credit cards. Hopefully David or others will confirm that.

I booked my airport transfer through my hotel. My hotel wanted cash for the transfer, payable to them, not to the driver. There was an ATM immediately outside the hotel, so I got the cash there - after I checked in.

The hotel assured me that I did not need to tip this driver. The hotel owner was quite adamant about this, which was helpful when the driver tried to indicate otherwise.

My transfer was $110, round trip. I met the greeter for the service just outside one of the airport exits. As soon as I arrived, the greeter communicated to a driver to come around.

There was an ATM very near the greeter, which I used, but not for the transfer service.

I'll be coming from the airport so I won't have Turkish lira on hand unless I try to change some money at the airport.

Never "change" money (anywhere, ever, IMHO). It's easy and cheap to pull cash (in Turkish Lira) from an ATM at the airport. Use your Debit/ATM card, linked to your account at home. This is always the cheapest way to get local cash. Just alert your bank/CU in advance, and find out if they charge any fees. The "money changers" always charge fees, usually quite high.

The airport is huge - actually, vast (one of the biggest in the world, and feels like it) - and modern. There are ATMs everywhere. You will be doing some walking there - it'll give you a chance to stretch your legs after the flight.

Is it uncommon to pay with credit card?

No, but don't count on it. You can always ask - and if you hope to do so, ask before you jump in the cab. Also check to see if they are using a meter - they should be but for some strange reasons a lot of the cabs have meters that appear to be turned off, because they are "not working"...In that case, get an estimate from the driver, or choose another cab (you may find that if you try to find another cab with a working meter, the "broken" one in the first cab may miraculously start working...). Be prepared for shenanigans but don't worry too much, keep your wits about you.

The airport is far from the city. Expect a cab to cost in the neighborhood of US$60-80, possibly more - depends on traffic and your destination (that estimate is from 2 years ago, it may have changed since - Turkey has spectacular inflation, with big swings in the exchange rate). Of course, pay in Turkish Lira, not Euros or dollars (some people will ask for payment in Euros, since its more stable; you will probably get a poor exchange rate, so always pay in local currency unless you can not). As a rich foreigner looking for a cab, you should be able to pick and choose, so don't be bullied into paying too much or no meter or other nonsense.

Some cabs (not all) will accept payment by credit card (much more likely at the airport than a cab hailed on the street). You can shop around until you find one who says that's OK (but don't be afraid of getting cash from airport ATMs, you will need cash soon enough, might as well get some at the airport - just use the same common sense precautions about sketchy-looking ATMs that you would at home). ATMs inside the airport should be fine. They are all over the place.

Presumably you know about the scourge of Dynamic Currency Conversion?

Information on Taxis: https://istanbul-international-airport.com/transportation/istanbul-taxis/

Wow another great education on taking taxis and changing money in Istanbul. Thank you all so much for your detailed and very helpful responses. I really appreciate it.

And Mardee, thanks for the reminder. I traveled a ton in my twenties without cell service and often not speaking the language of the country and it all worked out just fine.

Ha ha, isn't it amazing how much we rely on tech now and totally forget that we used to get by just fine without it. :-)

So true Mardee!

It can all sound intimidating with the taxi drivers scamming you etc! But it's really not that hard. I would recommend Welcome pickups from the airport because you don't have to worry about having cash to pay a taxi driver. If you are staying in a hotel, the hotel will call a taxi for you. You could also use Uber in Istanbul. It may be more expensive but again price is fixed! Have a great trip!

pjmum, I remember your earlier post regarding not getting confirmation from the Wings Hotel. Has that all been sorted out now?

We are staying there too, but in late October. I emailed asking about airport transfers and as usual they replied in minutes. Unfortunately they quoted 110 Euro each way which is dreadfully expensive in my opinion.

On the Trip Advisor forum there are quite a few complaints about Welcome Pickups, mainly due to the fact that they only wait for an hour so if your flight is delayed longer you have no transfer and there is no refund, only a credit.

The recommendation there is Istanbul Airport Taxis, www.istanbulairporttaxis.com. I have booked them for our trip and their charge is 40 Euro each way from IST to and from the Wings Hotel. What I like even more is that it isn't prepaid, it is pay in cash to the driver.

CWSocial, can I ask if you can tap your credit card or Apple Pay on the ferries too? I can't be bothered with an Istanbulkart, I'd much rather just use our credit cards.

I did the RS Turkey tour recently as a solo female, added a week in Istanbul, and thoroughly enjoyed both. The SRM food tour was an excellent introduction to areas of Istanbul that are not on the RS Turkey tour. I also took a Culinary Backstreets evening tour, a great way to experience the city at night as a single traveler. It starts not far from where you are staying. Neither tour was simply about eating - both included a lot of local history and insights into everyday life.

Thanks for the additional information Anne Margaret. I will look into it a little further as I had initially ruled it out.

Thanks Deb for the link. I may end up going with that as it may avoid all the headache and will also spend more time looking at the link. As for hearing back from the Wings Hotel, I think the problem was that I was using an old aol account so it must have gone to their spam. When I emailed from my gmail account, I heard back from them so that's got to be the problem. Also, when I called them from my cell phone the call went through but for some reason, I could not call from my landline even though I always use my landline for international calls so I never really figured that one out. I'll be sure to post a review about the Wings Hotel when I get there.

Thank you for the suggestion for that additional night food tour. That sounds wonderful, and yes, as a solo female traveler, it sounds like a great way to see the city by night. I will definitely look into that.

Someone also posted in a different thread that they enjoyed a tour with Istanbul clues in case anyone is interested in other tours. I may book something with them as they do a walking tour of Fener and Balat, two very colorful neighborhoods I had also wanted to explore.

Thanks again everyone!

I'm glad you sorted out the email situation pjmun.

As I said, I've found them incredibly responsive.

The only thing with the hotel I am not happy about is that I was looking forward to dinner at their rooftop restaurant with a glass of wine, but it seems they do not serve alcohol.

They are happy to have us have a glass in our room, but not in the restaurant, which is a bit of a shame and seems somewhat odd. Still I can't change hotels due to that, and it is by far the best priced hotel that gives us everything else that we want.

We too want to wander around the Balat area - so much to do and so little time!

CWSocial, can I ask if you can tap your credit card or Apple Pay on the ferries too?

Yes, I used Google Pay to tap my way onto the ferries. Just place your phone on the glass platen and patiently hold until it signals (a beep? Maybe a green signal?) it's been read.

On the buses, I may not have been patient enough with my phone. I used my credit card to tap on those more quickly.

Thanks so much CWSocial.

For some reason I just can't be bothered with the Istanbulkart, I'd much rather use either my phone/watch or a physical credit card. I know it is slightly more expensive, but considering the cost of everything in Istanbul and a trip from Australia, it really doesn't matter.

Thanks Deb! If I end up doing that tour of Fener and Balat I can also provide some feedback when I review the Wings Hotel.

pjmun, I'll be looking forward to your reviews of it all.

Hello Everyone,
I'm a bit late to this party, but I was in Istanbul (for the third time) last August 2024. Yes tapping a card was everywhere but I was surprised at how much cash I used. Especially for taxis.

I heard more English in Istanbul in 2024 than in 2013 and 2016, but not everywhere. I was able to connect to wi-fi pretty easily everywhere.

I would like to emphasize once more to pay in Turkish lira, not euros. If you are given a bill anywhere in euros, just ask for it in Turkish lira, although I can't blame them for wanting euros.

We found a reliable taxi to or from the airport to be about 90 TL last August.

And maybe see the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent? It is stunning without the huge crowd. And there is a calligraphy museum in Istanbul with the most beautiful, artistic writing. Just know that Turkey is not the US. You'll be doing everything on Turkish time. I love the place!

There are some airport buses going to the city center. There may not be one whose destination is convenient to your hotel, but if there is, it will be a simple, inexpensive solution. Those buses took credit cards as of 202I.

I really hate seeing travelers feel they must commit to very expensive prebooked/limo service that could be three times es the cost of a taxi.

Traffic in Istanbul can be horrendous. Taxis may end up taking convoluted routings to avoid protracted delays in standstill traffic. I know travelers don't like the uncertainty of the cost under those circumstances, and I assume taxi drivers don't like the prospect of suspicious/angry customers, so both sides may prefer a negotiated fare rather than payment by meter. Those negotiated fares will be higher, on average, than the metered rate, because the drivers are not fools. If traffic is bad when you get into the city center, the negotiated rate may turn out to be a nice deal for you.

Hi Jeanne, Thanks for your suggestions! Did you find you took a taxi to most places? It seems some people feel like it's a good mode of transportation while others feel the hassle and congestion makes it a less desirable alternative. In any case, I think to avoid the potential hassle, I'm going to book a transfer with the taxi service Deb provided. Thanks also for the suggestions of places to see. I'm especially interested in visiting the calligraphy museum!

And thank you for your input acraven. I will keep that in mind.

So we’re here right now. Many people speak English. Just took our first ferry today, super easy and Moda is a dream! Plenty of places to have coffee and read. The cafes on the little side streets look divine. We went to one but each looked amazing.

We normally don’t take private transportation outside of Ubers when we travel, but splurged on transportation from SAW. It was 60 USD in cash. We arranged it through our BnB. Worth it, it’s a long trip otherwise, so ask your hotel.

We are using T Mobile International and are having no problems at all except deep inside the Grand Bazaar. Data and reception seem fine here.

Hi Kdatko,
Super helpful details, especially since I'd like to visit Moda and also have T-mobile. I won't worry about getting a SIM card then.

Just one questions, though, what is SAW?

Thanks so much!

SAW is Sabiha Gökçen, Istanbul's second airport. It's not as big as IST but still a pretty busy place with lots of short-haul domestic and regional international flights.

Thanks for the explanation

I would add a vote to airport bus. I was in Istanbul for 3 nights after my cruise in 2023 and used IST airport to fly to Zurich after. The bus is air conditioned, have wifi (although you do need your passport info), and no worries about taxi scams and they take credit card, multiple bus lines run to and from various places in the city (check out airport buses schedules and different lines to find one near your hotel). I used Istanbulkart extensively and it was so easy to use. The trams are very easy to use although I haven't used it on ferries. One thing if you need to take taxi, I heard using BiTaski app for hailing taxis is good, and you pay like Uber. I downloaded the app but never needed it since the public transit is so easy to use.

Thanks Seininya. Nice to know there are so many great options.

I would add a vote to airport bus.

This is of course an option, but given the location of your hotel (Wings, in Karakoy) it is probably not the most efficient option and will likely involve at least one or two transfers via tram or metro (and a bit of a long walk if it's metro). I personally avoid complicated logistics on arrival. The airport bus works well for people who stay near Taksim as one of the buses terminates there. You can use CityMapper to plot out options that include Havaist airport buses.

Thanks CL. Yes, I think I will either opt for a private transfer or taxi upon arrival and then maybe use public transport after that. I’m sure I’ll be pretty exhausted and will just want the quickest route to my hotel upon arrival.