Travel in Turkey

[Stevechips]

Booked a flight to SAW in December, can anyone recommend the best way to get into Istanbul centre, either train/metro, private taxi, or bus. If train/metro how easy is it , do you have to change anywhere, any idea how much a ticket would be?? Many thanks

[TAC]

https://www.metro.istanbul/en/YolcuHizm ... Haritalari

[TAC]

How do you pay for the metro in Istanbul?
The best way is to buy an “Istanbul Card” which is sold in major metro & tram stations. Then you can add money to your Istanbul Card in many electronic devices that are in every stop of metro, tram, boat stations by paying cash. With the Istanbul Card all Istanbul public transport is supported.

[caz11]

Walk out of terminal,cross road and bus stop there into Istanbul.Very cheap.

[MVP]

It's a long way though....

[TRNCMaths]

Booked a flight to SAW in December, can anyone recommend the best way to get into Istanbul centre ... If train/metro how easy is it , do you have to change anywhere, any idea how much a ticket would be?

There is indeed a metro. As with the buses (https://shorturl.at/etJW5) from Sabiha, suggested by caz11 in msg2, the metro is also very cheap. As you might expect though, the metro departs a little more often than the Havabus.

If the purpose of your visit is for sightseeing, then I advise you to take the metro until the end of the M4 line (https://shorturl.at/sBDGU) which takes you to the ferries in Kadıköy ... on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. If you only have, say, a backpack with you, then my advice would be to have a look around Kadıköy, before taking one of the said ferries across the Bosphorus to either Karaköy or Eminönü. During the day-time, these ferries depart every 20 minutes or so. By the way, if you wanted to take the metro all the way to the European side, then you could change from the M4 metro line at the station before Kadıköy, but this certainly wouldn't be as relaxing as taking the ferry across.

If you have luggage, then the Havabus option is probably best. Also, after midnight both the Havabus and the metro stop running. So be prepared to take a taxi then.