My first morning in Istanbul I spent in a taxi that covered... about two hundred meters in ten minutes. My driver shrugged philosophically, turned on the radio, and hinted we'd be here a while. Outside, the entire city was stuck - Mercedes taxis and old ladies with shopping bags wading through the same thick soup. I learned one rule since: in Istanbul you don't drive on the road, you park on the road. You travel underground, on rails, and on water instead. I collected everything you actually need so you don't repeat my mistakes and don't pay for a "short forty-kilometer detour."
01Metro and tram: what goes where
The Istanbul metro isn't a nice extra - it's your main friend. Clean, on schedule, roughly 6 a.m. to midnight (some weekend lines run 24/7). Tourists mainly use two lines.
- M1 - the red line, from the airport and the main bus station (Otoygar) toward the center. Handy if you just landed and don't want to become a taxi driver's story.
- M2 - the green line, your workhorse: from Taksim down through Şişli, Levent (shopping!) to Yenikapı, where you switch to Marmaray and more.
- F1 - the short funicular from Taksim down toward the T1 tram. Think of it as an elevator between two worlds.
- T1 - the blue tram (its own religion, more below).
- Interchanges are marked on the map - watch for the "transfer" stations where you jump between Marmaray, funiculars and the metro.
02Istanbulkart: one card for everything
Without an Istanbulkart you're a pretty person in Istanbul who can't actually move. It's the one contactless card for buses, trams, metro, metrobus, funiculars and ferries. Taxis and some private minibuses won't take it, but everything else will.
- Buy it at metro station vending machines or shops like Migros, Bim, Sok. The card itself costs around 130 lira (a deposit, roughly).
- Top it up and each ride deducts a fare. A standard metro/tram ride on the card is about 27 lira (≈70-75 rubles).
- Top-ups at the same machines (English available, cash and card), also in-app.
- Zone pricing on the metrobus and Marmaray: from 27 lira (short hop) to ~60 lira (the whole Marmaray).
- Transfer discounts for tourists are gone - honest system: every gate entry, every payment.
03Tram T1: all the old city on one line
T1 is the postcard Istanbul in a single tram: it runs past Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia), the Grand Bazaar, Eminönü, Karaköy and on to Kabataş. Most of the map's prettiest spots sit right along it, so the tram doubles as a personal guided tour of the old center.
- Inseparable heavy crush - expect to ride like a Moscow trolley veteran.
- Pay by Istanbulkart only (or pricier single-use cards).
- From Taksim hop the F1 funicular to reach the tram - literally one stop.
- The nostalgic red tram on İstiklal is a separate attraction, not real transport.
04Metrobus: fast, but stand ready
Metrobus travels in its own dedicated lane and keeps moving even in the rush when everything else is praying to the Bosphorus. It links the European and Asian sides and is your backup when the metro stops.
- Fare depends on stations: a short hop from about 19-20 lira, a long haul up to 40.
- Peak hours are a sport for the nervous system - board as if you're already late for something important.
- Its route map is different from the metro - trust the map, not intuition.
- At night, when the metro is asleep, metrobus stands guard.
05Ferry to the Asian side: a cheap treat
The most underrated transport of all. The Şehir Hatları ferry from Eminönü to Kadıyük (or from Karakoy, Kababtas) isn't a commute - it's a little show on the Bosphorus you'd easily buy a fancy cruise ticket for.
- Crossing takes 20-25 minutes, all of it with the city floating past the window.
- Price about the same as a standard ride on Istanbulkart — a single fare (~15–27 lira) — practically a real ferry cruise that tourist boats wouldn't hesitate at a thousand lira.
- On the Asian side sits Kadıköy: chill cafés, good food and a completely different, calmer vibe.
- The return ferry at dusk, with city lights - is basically a date with yourself.
06Taxis and apps: how not to leave broke
An official Istanbul yellow taxi can be either your best friend or the plot of a criminal comedy. The meter (as of Jan 2025) moves: ~42 lira flagdrop, ~28 lira per km. But the "shortcut" and the legendary aversion to the shortest route are sport here.
- The best move - book through an app with a fixed-up-front price, not "whatever the meter says."
- Bitaksi is the local service residents use; Uber exists but hooks into licensed taxis (same yellow car, fixed app-price).
- Yandex Go launched in Istanbul, but its route here has been unreliable and some sources say it doesn't work - don't bet on it, check on the spot.
- Pay by card inside the app, not cash in the car - less "no change."
07Pro tricks: rush hours, traffic, nerves
Worst hours: the famous jam in the morning and evening is murderous - if your route tolerates it, set off a bit early or bet on metro and metrobus, which don't respect traffic.
- Rush peaks about 8-10 am and 6-8 pm: at those hours love only the metro and metrobus.
- The city never fully sleeps: metrobus and night buses hold the fort when the metro closes.
- Keep a reserve of balance on your Istanbulkart - the machine at the gate won't wait for your heart.
- In the day sea: hills and stairs are endless, wear decent shoes.
- Traffic is heavier, so plan charging rather than catch every tourist trap.
How much it costs
- Metro / tram / bus with Istanbulkart - ~27 lira one ride (≈70-75 ₽)
- The Istanbulkart itself - ~130 lira deposit
- Metrobus - from ~19 to ~40 lira depending on stops
- Marmray - from 27 to ~60 lira by distance
- Ferry across the Bosphorus - ~15-27 lira, with a view
- Taxi (economy, Jan 2025) - ~40 l/min drop + ~28 lira/km
- Prices are indexed; double-check on-site before you rely on them
What matters
- Buy the Istanbulkart first and load a healthy balance - don't count change at the gate.
- Across the Bosphorus, take the ferry, not the taxi: cheaper and a hundred times prettier.
- Avoid 8-10 am and rush 18-20 pm on the streets: use only metro and metrobus then.
- Taxis only through apps with a fixed price. A meter is a lottery.
- Destinations near each other: the walk is often faster than a ride.
- Keep an offline map - the network does not always reaches the tunnels.