Move around Istanbul
Istanbul is huge, it's one of the largest cities in Europe with almost 16 millions residents. The streets are crowded and tangling which makes it hard to navigate. And unfortunately, the public transportation infrastructure is not that tourist friendly. We got you covered though, read these few lines to get yourself ready and it will be a piece of cake :)
Uber is a great option to move around the city
When you order a Uber in Istanbul, you get a taxi. And now you're probably thinking: "but wait, why not simply ordering a cab then?" - very good question indeed 🧐 Booking it through Uber will make it "safer" for you - of course not all taxis will try to cheat you in Istanbul, but some greedy drivers often take tourist around the city doing few extra kilometers to make a little bit more money. By taking it with Uber, you get a price estimate upfront and you get to pay with your credit card. There's an option on the app to pay with cash; if you do so, pay attention to the bills you're giving, and if possible say it outloud so there's no confusion. Lastly, a lot of drivers won't speak English, so having the destination on their app will make the whole transaction easier. A ride cost a minimum of 20 TL (fixed price). Looking at the Uber app, on a sunday night around 7pm, I get a range of 80 to 120 TL for a 20 minute ride (around 5-8 euros).
Public transportation in Istanbul
Istanbul offers different means of transportation: metros, ferries, tramways, buses and "metro-buses". To use them, we recommend you to buy an IstanbulKart (aka. Akbil) from a vending machine. You will most probably find some in bigger stations. It's a card you will credit with money which you will use to pay for transportation. We've made a video to explain how to top up the card. Please take a moment to watch it as the machine can be a little intimidating for foreigners 😆 (sorry it's in French, it dates back to when David was blogging about the city). Once arrived at your destination, do not forget to use the orange terminals to get back some of the credit. It is better to take one Akbil per person, rather than one for the whole group, financially speaking. On the covid side of things, all restrictions have been lifted, make sure to bring a mask to take buses/metros/etc. Google Maps works fine to get an itinerary.