It is possible to walk between most major sights in Istanbul, and central  areas are well served by an expanding system of metro and tram lines. Buses and dolmuçes provide city-wide transport, but take care to avoid travelling by road at rush hour times, when the main roads in and out of the city are congested with traffic.
As the public transport network grows, it becomes ever more confusing to work out the best means of transport for any one journey, but the various forms of transport all link up so you can always get where you want to go somehow. See the map inside the back cover for more information. Each type of transport has an individual ticket system, but there is also a travel pass, AKBIL , which can be useful whatever the length of your stay. Bus passes can be bought more economically by the week. If time is short, take taxis, which are relatively cheap.

ISTANBUL ON FOOT

The development of serai-pedestrianized areas, such as istiklal Caddesi and centra] Sultanahmet, has made it possible to walk with ease around some parts of Istanbul. This can be particularly pleasant in spring and autumn, when the weather is mild. It is also possible to walk around the city's quieter backwaters - like the area around the antiques shops of Cukur-cuma, near Galatasaray, or Eyüp  - without encountering much traffic. For specialist tour companies offering walking tours around the city .
Wherever you walk, bear in mind that traffic only stops at pedestrian crossings controlled by lights, and always make use of pedestrian overpasses and underpasses on main roads.
Istanbul, like any city, has parts that should be avoided. II yon are planning to walk in areas off the usual tourist track seek local advice, take extra care and try not to be walking in unfamiliar streets after dark.

TAXIS
Taxi cabs are ubiquitous in Istanbul, and fares are cheap in relation to other major European cities. Taxis operate day and night, and can be hailed in the street or found at taxi ranks. Hotel and restaurant staff can always phone for a taxi.
Cabs are bright yellow, with the word "taksi" on a sign on the roof. They take up to four passengers. In all licensed taxis the fare is charged according to a meter. The daytime (gündüz) fare is applied between 6am and midnight; the night-time (gece) rate is 50% higher. If you cross the Bosphorus Bridge the bridge toll will be added to the fan at the end of your journey. The driver will not expect a sizeable tip unless he has helped you load luggage. The normal procedure for tipping is just to round up the fare to the nearest convenient figure.
Most taxi drivers do not speak much English, if any. Some drivers may not be familiar with routes to lesser-known sights, so it is a good idea to carry a map. It may also help to have the name of your destination written down.

DOLMUŞES

Dolmuşes are a useful means of transport outside the city centre. These shared taxis with fixed routes are cheaper than regular taxis and more frequent than buses. In Turkish the word dolmuş means "full", and drivers usually wait until every seat is taken before setting off. In the past, dolmuş passengers would travel in huge 1950s Chrysler or Chevrolet cars. Today minibuses or SUVs have
largely replaced h   these enormous, fuel-hungry dinosaurs. Dolmuşes run throughout the day until mid-evening, and later on busy routes, such as those starting from Taksim.
Points of origin and final destinations are displayed in the front windows of all dolmuşes, and passengers can get in and out anywhere en route. The fare depends on the length of your journey. State your destination, then hand your money to the driver or another passenger to pass forward. To stop the vehicle, simply say to the driver "inecek (pronounced eenejek) vaf ("somebody wants to get out").
Dolmuş ranks are marked by a blue sign with a black "D" on a white background. A main centre for dolmuşes is Taksim. Dolmuşes from here cross the Bosphorus Bridge and the bridge tariff is reflected in your fare.

GETTING AROUND BY BUS

Inner-city buses are operated by two companies, both under municipal jurisdiction. I.E.T.T. (Istanbul Omnibus company) buses are red and the environmentally friendly ones (vesil motor) are green and run on natural gas. Ozel Halk (public) buses are orange and cream. Both ply similar routes and depart from the same depots and charge equal fares. There is little difference from a commuter's point of view.
I.E.T.T. buses accept paper tickets which you must purchase before boarding, as well as the electronic AKBİL . Bus tickets can be purchased from main bus departure centres, newsagents, kiosks and private vendors, who are usually found around bus shelters. If you plan to travel extensively by bus to see the city, you can save money by purchasing a weekly pass, available at major bus depots, such as Taksim, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy or Eminönü.
If you cross either of the Bosphorus bridges, expect to pay double fare, or two tickets. You queue and enter at the front of the bus and exit by the middle or rear doors. Push the button above the door or, on the later models, attached to the railings or support poles, to alert the driver that you wish to alight at the next stop. A list of stops is displayed on a board on the side of buses or on a video screen on newer buses. Bus shelters have more details of routes and stops. Most buses run from 6am until 10 or 11pm.
Plan Tours operates a Hop-On-Hop-Off double-decker tourist bus service around all the main sights. Outlying parts of Istanbul can easily be seen by bus, for example, the No. 40 bus from Taksim Square runs beside the Bosphorus as far as Sarıyer.

Getting Around by Metro, Tram and Train

Although Istanbul can seem hectic at times, the public transport system runs remarkably efficiently and punctually, and is open until around 11pm. The underground Metro and the extensive overground tramway system and its branch lines are Metro sign comfortable and affordable. Atatürk Airport and the bus station are accessible by tram. A third Bosphorus Bridge is in the planning stage and excavation has started on the Marmaray Project, which is a subterranean, intercontinental commuter tunnel under the Bosphorus.

THE TRAMWAY

Istanbul's tramway system is clean and modern, and is the fastest way to get around the city. The main line runs from Kabataş, across the Galata Bridge (see inside back cover), up through the main tourist area of Sultanahmet to Aksaray. Feeder lines, sometimes called the Hafif Tramway (light tramway), go above and below ground to the bus station at Esenler and to the World Trade Centre am Atatürk Airport. For the bus station, be sure to alight at th< Otogar stop, not Esenler. Inevitably, trams get packed during the rush hour. The lint is being extended on the Asian side from Kadıköy to Kartal. The tramway and its branch lines are officially known as the Raylı Sistemi (Rail system).
To access the tramway you purchase a token which operates the turnstile (these also accept the AKBİL pass).
Trams travel on the right hand side of the street, so be sure to stand on the correct platform. To board a tram, buy a flat-fare token from the booth (gişe) near the platform, and put it into the receptacle at the top of the platform steps. Trams are frequent, running every 5 minutes between 5am and midnight.

THE METRO

The Metro system has only six stops, but it is a source of pride to the city that it has an underground transport system. The Taksim to IV Levent line opened in 2000 and helps to relieve some of the pressure on traffic moving north of Taksim Square. The Metro is clean, well run and the cars are air conditioned. Journey tokens, purchased on entry, operate the turnstiles. The line mns deep underground and is accessed by many walkways and escalators. Platforms tend to be much longer than the two or three cars used on the route, so wait near the middle of the platform where the trains stop. An extension to the line is under construction from Taksim to Yenikapi and is due to come into service at the end of 2007.

TÜNEL

Inaugurated in 1875, this French-built underground railway climbs steeply uphill for a distance of 500 m (550 yards) from Karaköy to Tünel Square in Beyoğlu, from where you can get the old tram up İstiklâl Caddesi. The Karaköy station is set back from the main road just off the Galata Bridge. The best way to get to it is through the underpass at the end of the bridge. Look out for the exit marked "Tünel". To board it at either station you need to buy a token (jeton) from the booth to operate the turnstile. The Tünel closes at 9pm.
THE NOSTALGIC TRAM
The nostalgic tram (Nostaljik Tramvay) covers a distance of just over 1 km (just under 1 mile) along İstiklâl Caddesi from Tünel to Taksim Square. The trams are the original early 20th-century vehicles, taken out of service in 1966 but revived in 1989 for their historical value. The ticket collectors wear period costume. Tickets can tx." purchased from kiosks at either end of the line.

SUBURBAN TRAINS

Suburban trains (banliyö) run beside the Sea of Marmara between Sirkeci and Halkalı (on the European side), and Haydarpaşa and Gebze (on the Asian side). The service is slow, and stations are generally not close enough to tourist sights to be of much use to visitors. Exceptions are Yedikule (for Yedikule Museum, see pi 15), Ataköy (near Galleria shopping mall) and Yeşilköy (the airport station,). On the Asian side, Bostancı is one of the ferry piers for the Princes' Islands.
A train ticket costs the same flat rate as a bus ticket, and should be retained for the whole journey. Suburban trains start daily at 6am and stop at 11:30pm. For further information on the rail network, see the map inside the back cover.

THE AKBİL TRAVEL PASS

The Akbil is a type of travel pass which can be used on almost all forms of public transport in Istanbul. Short for akıllı bilet, or "intelligent ticket", this metal token can be purchased from main bus stations and other public-transport ticket offices It can be used on the Tramway, ferries and sea buses, and city buses.
When purchasing an AKBIL, you pay for a number of units in advance and also a deposit, which is refundable, for the token itself. More units can be added to the token at any time. The distinctive orange-coloured AKBiL machines are located at the entrances to stations and on buses. To use the AKBiL place the metal token in the socket on the front of the machine, near the display panel. The fare will then be deducted in units.