Going to Istanbul in October for 6 days. I have been studying up and a few things still puzzle me. !) Getting from airport to downtown. I know that the metro 11 line runs into town to Gayrettepe station where I can switch to M2 or M7 ?? and go to Taksim or Sishane in the new district. All told about an hour. Is this all correct? Is the metro that crowded that it is a problem traveling with a suitcase and a carry on? is it better to get a shuttle?
I am leaning on staying near Sishane or Karikoy. This seems centrally located, good access to trams and metro to get elsewhere, lots of hotels and restaurants around. Does tis seem like a good plan? When I leave, I may have to be at the airport by 6 AM. Is this to early to rely on public transit and get a taxi or shuttle?
Any other good advice would be appreciated.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2986 posts
Yes you can take the metro, but depending on your hotel location it may not be convenient and require a lot of transfers. Also depending on the time of day it could take longer and be very crowded, especially trams. There are a number of options besides metro, including a shuttle bus and private transfer. It takes about an hour by car to get from airport to the historic area, more if you're travelling during rush hour. For that early time to the airport, is that your flight departure time? If so, I'd move hotels on my last night to be much closer to the airport or definitely book a private shuttle. I recommend using CityMapper to plot options - it shows public transit as well as taxi (which would be the equivalent time if you got a private shuttle). You can use it in a web browser or with their app - either way, it gives decent idea of the various choices.
I stayed in both Sultanahmet (on my own) and Karakoy (RS tour), both central and easy to get to sites and transit. Also both busy areas and there was definitely street noise. I had an 18 hour travel day ahead of my arrival, so I booked a private shuttle to get me to town knowing I would be too tired to figure out public transit. I took a short tram ride with my luggage when I changed hotels - it was pretty crowded even in the relatively early morning. I wouldn't have enjoyed it later in the day.