Istanbul is one of most favorite touristic destinations in Asia and Europe. Travelers can find a lot of spectacular landmarks, amazing well-preserved buildings and beautiful landscapes throughout its territory. It is not complicated to get there because there are many ways to get there: by air, by bus, by ferry and by train. But how is the public transportation in the city? Is it affordable and comfortable?
Getting around Istanbul is quite easy and convenient because the city is modern and it offers plenty of transport facilities for tourists. There are two airports in the city that provide international and domestic flights, two rail stations with fast trains and several bus stations. In addition, travelers can take a ferry in order to explore the spectacular sea landscapes in the principal touristic zone in Istanbul that is called Bosphorus.
The ferry navigates through some important areas such as Eminönü, Bogaziçi and Kavaklar, just to mention a few. If travelers are looking for a luxurious trip, the Bosphorus boat offers private tours during the entire year. There are several small boats with a capacity of 60 people. The trips are available from May to September. They start doing the trips at 11:00 AM until 8:00 PM.
Fortunately, getting around the city center of Istanbul is also easy because visitors can visit the area by foot. In fact, the two most beautiful and touristic areas are Beyoglu and Sultanahmet, and travelers can get there by foot. However, if visitors dont want to walk, they can take other methods of transportation. We are talking about the public buses, the taxi companies and the tram.
As a modern city in Europe and Asia, Istanbul includes an efficient public transportation system. It is affordable and fast and it was created to regulate the traffic problem of the metropolis. That is why the city acquired more reinforcements in the infrastructure of the Metro and tram lines. (Bypasses, new routes, underpasses, new tunnels, etc.) The results of these changes are visible now in the city where citizens and foreigners can enjoy visiting the city.
In order to visit other areas such as the Bosphorus shore, Bebek, Arnavutköy and the Asian Shore, travelers can use the public buses. But you would have to get a transport card that is called Akbil. Also known as a smart card the Akbil is, basically, an electronic travel card and it can be used whenever you want in almost all the types of transportation of the city. Nonetheless, if you prefer to take minibuses or dolmus, you will need to pay an additional fee.