Istanbul’s taxi drivers have a bad reputation for trying to pad fares, refusing to pick up passengers and other bad behavior, especially when it comes to foreign visitors. A separate underground rail system, the Marmaray, connects with the metro at Yenikapı and goes under the Bosphorus in a tunnel to the Asian side. Most visitors probably won’t need to use any lines other than the M2 between Hacıosman and Yenikapı, which passes through the business and shopping districts around Levent, Taksim Square and Şişhane in Beyoğlu, and across the Golden Horn. Istanbul’s ever-expanding metro lines extend for more than 80 miles, connecting up new parts of the city as it grows. From the Eyüp stop of the T1, a cable car goes up to the popular Pierre Loti café and viewing area. Two funicular lines, one between Karaköy and Tünel Square and the other between Kabataş and Taksim Square, connect the T1 tram with the pedestrianized shopping and entertainment area around İstiklal Caddesi, saving a steep uphill hike. There’s also a tram (T5) alongside the Golden Horn that stops in the colorful neighborhoods of Fener, Balat and Eyüp, and a tram (T3) that winds through the Kadıköy district on Istanbul’s Asian side. Of Istanbul’s four modern tram lines, the one likely of most use to visitors is the T1, which starts near the Kabataş ferry terminal and runs across the Galata Bridge and past the sights of Sultanahmet. But this megacity is also crisscrossed by a large array of reasonably well-integrated transport options.Įven better news for visitors is that most major sights, historic neighborhoods and other key attractions are located within a relatively compact central area of the city that’s navigable with a combination of walking and rides on the tram, metro or ferry, all of which are straightforward to use. Sprawling over more than 2000 sq miles and heaving with upwards of 15 million residents, Istanbul is massive – and often mired in traffic.

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