Istanbul has a great public transport network

Local public transport in Istanbul is operated by TMB. In a line network, you have the greatest possible mobility on buses and trams. The TMB is connected to the VBN-Land transport association and thus also offers the opportunity to reach the region and the surrounding area with a uniform tariff area. The Istanbuler Verkehrsbetriebe (TMB) provides public transport services throughout the city of Istanbul. The public transportation TMB keeps the city running 365 days a year. The city has an extensive public transportation network consisting of bus services, trams that provide convenient access to the entire city and the surrounding region. Here you can find everything you need to know about Istanbul's fare zones, ticket prices and purchase options. Find also a Istanbul city map and the line network and of course a timetable, as well as an individual route planner.

Tips for tourists in Istanbul:
There is no closed and clear local transport network in Istanbul. The lines rarely complement each other, the tram and underground network has been gradually expanded in recent years. A metro line is currently being built under the Bosporus, which will directly connect Europe with Asia. So here you will soon be able to travel by subway from Europe to Asia. Local public transport in Istanbul is operated by Istanbul Ulas1im Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Istanbul Ulasimm for short ("Istanbul Verkehr"), which primarily serves the METRO network. IETT and Istanbul Otobüs AS are the other transport companies in Istanbul. Istanbul Ulasim and IETT and form a joint tariff association in which the Istanbul S-Bahn is also integrated.

Istanbul Metrobuses
There are more than 2000 metro buses and buses operated by IETT in Istanbul.

There are three important lines in the timetable:

34 Avcilar-Zincirlikuyu
34A Edirnekap-Sögütlücecme (transcontinental driving over the bridge)
34T Avcilar Topkapi.

The 34 is the district number of the city of Istanbul and also the city's license plate.

Additional Information:
www.iett.gov.tr


Istanbul Metro
Istanbul also has a metro in its public transport system called METRO in Istanbul, Turkey, Metrosu. The following lines have existed since 1989: M1A, M1B, M2, M3 and M4. The metro is operated by the urban public transport company Istanbul Ulasim Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. There are currently 61 underground stations, 46 of which are on the European side of the city. The M1 and M2 lines are particularly interesting for tourists. M1 connects the Aksaray district south of the Golden Horn with Istanbul Airport. A specialty in Istanbul is the Tünel Bahn. It is a kind of subway in mini format, which has a total length of 614 meters and was built in 1875. The line runs from the Beyoglu district down to Karaköy. The Fünikuler is also a tunnel that connects the hill between the Kabatas district and Taksim Square.

More information about the metro:
www.iett.gov.tr



Trams
In Istanbul, three tram lines serve the greater Istanbul area in their timetables. Tram line T1 runs right through historic Istanbul and is particularly recommended for tourists on a 20-kilometer route. Tram line T3 is a museum tram that runs between Kadköy and Moda in the Asian part of Istanbul. The route is approx. 2.6 kilometers long and runs a circuit through the hilly and narrow streets of the district.
 
The Nostaljik Tramvay is also a historic tram that runs 1.6 kilometers in the former Pera Street and today's Istiklal Caddesi in the Beyoglu district between Tünel Square and Taksim Square.

More information about the tram:
www.iett.gov.tr

Funiculars
Fünik pupil Kabata – Taksim
The Tünel Railway between Karaköy and Tünel Square is the third oldest underground railway in the world and is a 574 meter long underground funicular railway. The F1 funicular line runs from Kabatas on the Bosphorus to Taksim Square. This funicular also runs underground and connects the stations, which are about half a kilometer apart, in 110 seconds.


Shipping and ferries in Istanbul
There is brisk ship traffic every day between the two continents. Numerous ferries, car ferries and passenger ships cross the Bosphorus. The main landing stages are Bakrköy, Eminönü, Karaköy and Besikta on the European side and in Beykoz, Kadköy, Kartal, Maltepe and Üsküdar on the Asian side. The ferries are operated by Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri A.S. operated.

Additional Information:
www.ido.com.tr
Further information: www.iett.gov.tr 

TICKETS & 'TARIFFS
The same traffic system applies to the means of transport of the three urban transport companies in Istanbul, i.e. Istanbul Ulasim, IETT and Istanbul Otobüs AS. The Istanbulkart is worth buying for tourists and visitors. This card is the electronic ticket for all public transport in Istanbul. The fare is debited electronically when the ticket is blocked or on the buses using contactless readers.

Anyone who has paid their fare with the Istanbul on one of the readers can then change up to five times within 2 hours and use all means of transport and lines of the Tarfi network. You cannot pay with cash on any means of transport (city bus, tram, metro, light rail, cable cars, suburban trains and ferries). A deposit of 10 TL must be deposited for the Istanbulkart and the card can then be topped up with a maximum of 150 TL.

SALE
You can buy the Istanbulkart at some bus stops as well as at terminals and also at Tünel. In addition, you can get the Istanbulkart at the landing stages, ticket kiosks and service points of the city transport companies.

More information about the Istanbulkart:
skart.iett.gov.tr