Getting Around

Car Hire

Hiring a car in Istanbul is not advised but is available from Avis (tel: (0212) 297 9610; www.avis.com.tr), Europcar (tel: (0212) 254 7710; www.europcar.com.tr) and Hertz (tel: (0212) 465 5999; www.hertz.com.tr). Drivers must be over 21 years and have held a licence for at least one year.

Public Transport

Istanbul has a modern metro system complemented by private and state-owned buses (tel: (0212) 245 0720; www.iett.gov.tr/en). Trams run through the city centre to the outlying suburbs.

Light railway services operate to Atatürk airport, the main bus station and Aksaray, and HaydarpasŸa and Gebze Banliyö. Information on rail, metro and trams is available from Istanbul Ulasim (tel: (0212) 568 9970; www.istanbululasim.com.tr).

More unusual transport services include funiculars between KabatasŸ and Taksim; the vintage Nostaljik Tramvay, which clatters along Istiklal Caddesi; the Tünel underground, built in 1877, which travels the steep hill between Karaköy and Istiklal Caddesi; and the small circular tramway between Kadiköy and Moda.

Passenger ferries (tel: (0212) 251 5000; www.tdi.com.tr) connect points along the Golden Horn and Bosphorus. Buy tokens at dockside kiosks. The Deniz Otobusu (sea bus) (tel: (0212) 444 4436; www.ido.com.tr/en) offers a quicker but more expensive service. Small privately operated ferries run between Üsküdar and Besiktas.

DolmusŸ minibuses operate fixed routes throughout Istanbul and suburbs and can be flagged down anywhere. Pay the driver when boarding.

Taxis

Taxis can be hailed almost anywhere and at any time in Istanbul. Turks do not normally tip, but drivers often hope for a tip from foreigners. Demand that the meter (taksimetre) is switched on, as it must be by law. Reliable taxi companies include Canlicar Turizm Telsiz Taksi (tel: (0216) 318 1859), Istanbul Transfer (tel: (0212) 516 7701) and Zincirlikuyu Taksi (tel: (0212) 272 3625).

Driving in the City

Istanbul's vast urban sprawl is prone to severe congestion. Navigating its streets is difficult, driving standards are poor, and overall it is neither advisable nor necessary for foreigners to drive in the city.