Turkey Transportation
How to Get to Turkey
International Flights
The busiest international airport in Turkey is Ataturk International Airport, which is about 23 kilometers (14 miles) west of Istanbul. The International Terminal and the Domestic Terminal are just around the corner. There are direct flights to Turkey from major cities in the world like Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, London, Paris, Moscow, Berlin, Rome, Melbourne, Tokyo, and Bangkok.How to transfer between Ataturk International Airport and downtown?
Minibus |
If arriving at midnight, the best way is to order a minibus with people of same flight with similar destination. |
Subway |
Take M1 to Zeytinburnu and then transfer to T1 to Sultanahment, very convenient, the cost is within 10TL. |
Bus |
From 4am to 11:30pm, every half an hour there is one bus from airport to Taksim Square with a cost of 11TL. |
Taxi |
Price starts at 3.2TL, then 2TL per kilometer. Taxi in Istanbul is notorious, not recommended. |
International Railways
Visitors can take international railways to enter Turkey. Though Turkey is neighbored with eight countries, they are of no good relationship, which makes the entry process not friendly at all. For example, the visa procedures sometimes can only be paid in Euros and U.S. dollars. Many border entrances do not have ATM machines, so enough cash is necessary.Passenger Ship
In addition to frequent Mediterranean sailings, foreign passenger ships are also available in Trabzon, Samsun, Dikli, Istanbul, Cesme, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Antalya, Alanya, Merjun, Iskandaruan regularly, so do passenger liners sailing from both sides of the Bosphorus.Besides, privately owned steamships perfectly connect the Turkish cities and Greek islands along the Aegean coast. Between these Greek islands and Athens, convenient tools like planes and steamers have a daily round-trip in summer and operate once a week or less in winter.
Ferry
Ferry liners in the ports of Venice, Ankara, Brindisi and Bari can directly get to Turkish cities like Istanbul, Izmir, Cesme, Kusadasi, Marmari IV, and Antalya.How to Get around Turkey
Plane
There are five main domestic airline companies in Turkey, namely Turkey Airlines, Atlasjet Airlines, Pegasus Airlines,SunExpress Airlines, Onurair. They all have very special rate for airline tickets. For some tourist cities, Atlasjet Airlines and Onurair provide free shuttle service.Train and Renting a Train
Turkey's train tickets are quite cheap, almost half of the bus tickets for the same distance. The best trains are of the same quality as Western Europe’s. The trains are equipped with carriages of different functions like sleeping, dining and rest, providing first-class and second-class services. For individuals with tight budgets, scheduling a night trip on train is a practical way to save on accommodation. The railway network basically covers the central and eastern regions, but there is almost no railway in coastal area except a short route between Izmir and Selçuk.In the Aegean coastal area, groups can rent steam trains and choose their destinations. For large groups, trains can be rented anywhere in Turkey.