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By
Road : Not surprisingly, Istanbul is well connected
to every part of Turkey. Buses are frequent and plentiful,
and the main coach station (otogar) is at Esenler, on
the European side. There are countless independent bus
companies, all of whom have a ticket office at the station
and the larger ones have offices dotted around town,
especially in areas like Taksim, Sultanahmed and Besiktas.
Prices vary slightly regarding quality of the vehicle.
There are also departures from Harem, on the Asian side.
For journeys further afield, there buses to Greece,
Macedonia, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Saudi
Arabia, Syria, Iran, Russia, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria
and Jordan.
Bus Station Tel: (+90-212) 658 05 05, 658 10
10, 333 37 63, 310 63 63. Within the city, public transport
is a good way of getting around. There are minibuses,
buses, taxis, trams (from Aksaray) a new subway (between
Taskim and Levent) and a tiny electric tramcar (Beyoðlu
to Taksim).
By Rail : Not as popular a mode of transport
as buses, with a much smaller network, there are rail
connections from Istanbul to Ankara, Izmir and Eastern
Anatolian cities. Most of the services are slower than
buses, although between the three main cities there
are the mavi tren, mototren or ekspresi, which are fast
and comfortable. Reservations are essential for these
journeys, and there are several classes of seats and
sleepers. International services from Sirkeci (on the
European side) and Haydarpasa (Asian side) stations
include Vienna, Munich, Budapest, Salonica, (via Eskisehir,
Konya, and Gaziantep), Aleppo, (via Tatvan and Van),
Tehran, Moscow and Bucharest. Trains heading west leave
from Sirkeci, and east from Haydarpasa station.
Sirkeci Ýnformation Tel: (+90-212) 527 0050/51.
Reservations Tel: (+90-212) 520 6575
Haydarpasa Ýnformation Tel: (+90-216) 336 0475/2063.
Reservations Tel: (+90-216) 336 4470, 337 8724.
By Boat : Maritime Lines run both the urban and
national transport. Marinas also have connections with
European ports. Urban Maritime Transportation runs ships
which operate between the following destinations within
Istanbul: Kadikoy – Haydarpasa – Karakoy; Eminonu –
Uskudar; Eminonu – Kadikoy; Bridge – Yenikoy; Beykoz
– Kavaklar; Sirkeci - Bostanci, Bridge – Prince’s Islands;
Bridge – Yalova; Kabatas – Cinarcik; Bostanci - Cinarcik.
Boats operate from Istanbul to the following Black Sea
towns: Zonguldak, Sinop, Samsun, Giresun, Trabzon, Rize,
as well as Izmir. Marmara Lines run to Marmara Island,
Bandirma and Mudanya.
Useful contacts:
Port Tel : (+90-212) 245 53 66/249 71 78/249 18
96.
Address: TDY Maritime Lines Agency, Rihtim Cad.
Kadikoy, Istanbul
Head Office Tel: (+90-212) 245 53 66/249 71 78/249
18 96.
Reservation Tel: (+90-212) 249 92 22/293 74 54
Information Tel: (+90-212) 244 25 02/244 02 07
By Air : Ataturk International Airport is 20
km from city centre. The new airport is the biggest
in the country, with the most international flights.
There are direct flights to every European capital,
and many to Asia, USA and the Middle East. The domestic
terminal has flights to every domestic airport in the
country, with several a day to major cities like Ankara
and Izmir. Turkish Airlines (THY) is the national carrier.
Atatürk International Airport :
THY
Head Office: +90 212 663 63 00 71 (5 Lines)
THY Reservations: +90 212 663 63 63
Domestic flights: +90 212 663 63 00
International flights: +90 212 663 63 00
Cargo Reservation: +90-212 663 63 00
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