Monday June 27, 2011 at 2:37PM from Sabine K.
Getting there from the airport, Atatürk International

Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport is about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) east of the city. Traveling from the airport to the city center via the Hafif metro or tram light-rail system will take about an hour and cost about four Turkish lira (TL4). As of May 1, a turkish lira was exchanging at a rate of 0.44 Euros and US$0.65.

Exiting the customs area, turn right and walk to the end of the terminal. Look for signs to direct you. Stop along the way to exchange money, as you will need local currency to pay for tokens. You'll need two tokens to travel from Atatürk Airport to Sultanahmet, Eminönü or Kabatas, three to reach Taksim Square. The metro and tram system runs from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

While there are plenty of yellow taxis outside the airport, they are not recommended because of the risk of inflated fares. If you do opt for a taxi, the rates are the same day and night, and the 35- to 75-minute ride from the airport to Taksim Square should cost about TL40.

Airport shuttles called Havas buses operate between the airport and city center. The main Havas city terminals are at Taksim Square and the Kozyatagi Business Center. It takes approximately 40 minutes to get to Taksim Square and costs about TL10. To get to the Kozyatagi area it takes about an hour and costs TL17.

Tags: transfer, metro, tram