How to arrive

The road to Istanbul

Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport (Pic below) is Turkey's largest and busiest and receives traffic from several countries from the Middle East, the USA, Australia and Europe. Turkey’s main carrier Turkish Airlines runs a very efficient service from major European and Asian cities. Another smaller airport, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, some 50km east of the Old City on the Asian side, is becoming increasingly popular with cheap airlines.



Atatürk Airport is about 23km west of Sultanahmet and the best way to get to the city center is by cab which takes about half an hour. A more economical option is to catch the LRT (Light Rail Transit) from the airport to Zeytinburnu, from where you connect with the tram that takes you directly to Sultanahmet. An even cheaper way to get to the city center is by airport bus, which costs around EUR4.5 and takes 35-60 minutes to get to Taksim Square.

You can also get to Istanbul by a number of local bus services that run from other European destinations. The catch here is that most of these services are slower and often more expensive than taking a flight. If you are going to Istanbul from another city in Turkey then taking a bus makes more sense. Coming in by bus you would reach the main bus station, the Otogar from where you can take a cab or some other form of public transport to get to your final destinations.



Getting into Istanbul by train is not a very bright idea for international visitors as trains are not particularly punctual. Driving through Turkey is becoming more popular too. You can bring a car over on a ferry from Italy or Greece; however, you'll find yourself docking in Izmir or Ceseme rather than Istanbul.