Istanbul Kart - worth it?

Can we buy single-trips for ferry rides?

Yes. I was in Istanbul for a week (my trip report) in August. I did not buy the IstanbulKart. I used Google Pay for single trips on trams and on the ferries. I used my tap-to-pay credit card for the buses, where I couldn't get my phone to work.

Each ride is cheaper with the IstanbulKart than with credit card/Google or Apple Pay. For the number of rides I expected to take, the savings were not worth the cost of the IstanbulKart; but even more, not worth deciding how much money to add to the IstanbulKart.

Using Google Pay and my tap credit card, transit fares in August were:

50 TL / $1.48 for ferries
30 TL / $0.89 for trams and city buses

With the IstanbulKart, I think fares would have been:
30 TL / $0.88 for ferries
15 or 20 TL / $0.44 or $0.59 for trams and buses

At the time, the IstanbulKart cost was 70 or 80 TL / less than $2.50, before you add money for any fares. So, with 4 or 5 ferry rides, you would recoup the cost of the card.

For the 10 or 11 rides that I took in a week, the IstanbulKart wasn't worth doing the math, buying the card, guessing the amount, and potentially having funds left on the card that might offset any savings.

I've heard you can use the IstanbulKart to pay for the public toilets. I was never far enough from the free and clean facilities of a break at a cafe or a restaurant to need to use public facilities.

Thanks a ton for your reply!! That is very helpful.

So there is also a flat cost that you have to pay before you even load any funds!

We will just use our credit cards then!

P.S. Also, loved your trip report!

Yes, correct about the upfront cost. My hotel manager said it was 100TL. Websites say 70TL and one said 80TL. If it wasn't 100TL then, it probably will be soon.

Credit card was so easy! Though, on Istanbul transit, I would refer to it not as "tap to pay" but "hold briefly to pay." ;-)

Thanks for the question Jennie. I am following, and trying to decide whether to upload Google Pay or Apple Pay into my iPhone.

BTW, I am flying into IST on 10/19 and I wanted to try the new subway from the airport to the city. I know that most RSE forum travelers are more practical (time is money) and take the coach bus or hotel shuttle but I like to see the public transit services.

Also, many thanks to CWsocial for the timely information!

I'm with you, jprice13, that taking local transit is part of the fun. Especially the ferries in Istanbul... a sightseeing cruise and transit in one! And cheaper, I presume, than the made for tourist cruises. Although those go out further.

As for credit card vs paying with phone, that's probably a matter of preference of which you would rather be pulling out, sometimes in crowded spaces.

And if you can get your phone to work on the buses, I'd love to hear it. I never wanted to hold up the line to keep trying.

CWsocial,

Off-topic, but is it worth to pick up some Turkish liras before our arrival? It seems to be a common refrain that ATMs in Istanbul charge exorbitant fees, with the exception of several banks that don't, except that they do, so what gives? In your report, you also mentioned this problem. Given that Charles Schwab refunded your fees, I am guessing you decided to accept the ATM withdrawal charges? (We are in Canada, where we have a banking oligopoly - no one will ever refund us anything here!)

I wouldn't bother getting lira ahead - the currency is very dynamic and by the time you get there things will have changed (for better or worse - who knows!). There are ATMs at the airport, if you need cash to tip a driver. Istanbulkart was worth it for me, but at the time I visited the tap/pay option was not an option so I got the card, which was I think 100 lira (FWIW, the at current exchange rate, 100 lira is just under $3 US dollars).

As for the subway, as referenced in another comment, depending on the location of your hotel it may or may not be an efficient way to get from the airport. In certain areas a bus is more efficient, in others a shuttle is the way to go. CityMapper is a great tool to help figure out how to get from IST to your accommodations. In my case a private shuttle after a 20 hour travel day was my choice, YMMV.

you decided to accept the ATM withdrawal charges?

Correct. Knowing that Schwab would refund my fees, I took the easy way out, using the ATM that was steps outside my hotel door. The exact amount of the fee was clearly spelled out (English was an option) during the progression of the transaction.

At the airport, there wasn't a choice of a bank ATM and I was concerned about needing cash to tip my driver, so I accepted the fee there, as well. (Turned out, I didn't need to tip my driver.)

I think that some of the bank ATMs that I listed in my trip report do not charge fees, but I would advise further research to find an ATM, perhaps near your hotel, and confirm its fees.

As you are researching, keep in mind that the typical fee is 8%. And you shouldn't need a lot of cash. My fees came to less than $8, and a good chunk of that was cash that the hotel insisted on for laundry.

In your report, you also mentioned this problem.

I went back to my pre-trip research. The IS Bankasi ATM I used outside my hotel was not on my "no fee" list. So, my complaining that they charged an unexpected fee was incorrect. (I've edited my trip report.) I may have confused it with AK Bank, which I used with no fee in 2022, but now shows that they do charge a fee.

My highest confidence is in ING and HSBC, because they are not Turkish banks. And in PTT, based on forum reports. But I didn't try any of these myself.

To your point about "what gives?" .... I've read articles that say that some of the banks may charge fees for some cards in some locations. And some have changed their fees. So you have to decide how much research you want to do and how many ATM locations you want to try.

During my 8 days this trip, I spent very little cash - 2800 Turkish Lira / $82. Of that, 800 was for laundry. On the 2800, Schwab refunded the $7.23 in fees for 3 ATM withdrawals.

You shouldn't need a lot of cash.

Thank you, CWsocial and CL, for generously sharing this information with all of us. This is really very helpful, and you have made things a lot easier - for us and for other travelers too, we are sure.

Thanks to you, Istanbul should be a breeze!

Glad to help. Enjoy your travels!

The tram card can be used for the tram , metro , ferry even for shopping in some places . If you are staying longer to get rid of the traffic it is recommended

If you want to get rid of the traffic , you should have a card to use the tram to make your trip faster