I wrote in an earlier post that a minority of Istanbul’s taxi drivers are not shy of hustling tourists. So I thought it would be helpful to provide my readers with a cab fare list for trips from Sultanahmet or Taksim to the most common Istanbul tourist destinations or the airports. This way you’ll be even better equipped to argue with the taxi driver in case you feel overcharged for the ride.

How to Use This List

The list below is based on taxi rides I took myself and the fare I personally paid for it (last updated on May 3rd 2009). However, please keep in mind that taxi fares aren’t an exact science! I was able to tell them the shortest way, yes even teach them a shortcut here or there. Have said that, they are a good indication and your fare should be more or less the same, give or take a lira or two. If the fare you have to pay is more than 15% off the fare listed here, then you may start questioning your driver.

Current Istanbul Taxi Fares

• The starting or flat rate is TL 2 during the daytime, TL 3 during the nighttime (from midnight to 6 a.m.).
• Every kilometer, TL 1,3 is added to the cab fare during the daytime, TL 1,95 at night.
• Standing still in traffic shouldn’t increase the fare. However, if the taxi stands still for more than three minutes, a waiting fee of TL 0,25 per minute will be added.

Istanbul Taxi Fares Per Destination

I suggest you print out this list and keep it on you during your stay in Istanbul. In case you had to pay much more for a certain ride than stated above, please do let me know by leaving a comment.

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By far the most convenient (but not always the quickest) way to get around in Istanbul is by taxi. They are plentiful, operate day and night, take up to four persons, are compared to the US or Europe fairly cheap, and they can be easily hailed on the street or found at taxi ranks. Unfortunately, a small percentage of the taxi drivers are either lunatics or con-artists. Luckily most are neither. But just in case, you may want to keep on reading and be well prepared before you get into a taxi in Istanbul.

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  Official taxi in Istanbul, Turkey.

  Official Taxis – Only take official taxis. They are bright yellow and have a sign on the roof with the word taksi on it. Furthermore, their taxi plate number (and sometimes company logo) should be clearly visible on the front doors and the roof. And most importantly, all official taxis have digital meters!

• No Meter, No Go – Always insist to switch on the meter! Some of the previously mentioned con-artists may come up with an excuse that the meter is broken or offer to drive for a flat fee. Accept neither, get out of the taxi and look for another one. Even if the taxi driver suddenly changes his mind. Also, if at any point during the ride the meter isn’t running, get out. If the driver protests, muttering the word polis may do wonders.

• Find The Taxi Meter – Whereas in Europe or the US taxi meters are mounted in such a way that they are clearly visible for the passengers, in Istanbul they are more often than not well hidden behind the gearshift. This makes it virtually impossible to see it from the backseat. Locals use the reflection in the front door window to monitor it. Since you’re probably not experienced in reading mirror images, lean over to check the meter at the start of the ride and at certain intervals. This is not considered rude. On the contrary, you’ll gain the taxi driver’s respect for knowing the ropes.

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  An Istanbul taxi meter showing the daytime (gündüz) fare.

  Day & Night Rates – Upon entering the taxi, a flat or starting rate will appear. After that, the rate will increment every 400 meters. Check out the current cab rates and taxi fares between popular Istanbul tourist destinations here. When the taxi is not moving (at traffic lights or while being stuck in traffic), the fare should remain more or less the same! During the day, the word gündüz should appear onscreen at regular intervals. At night (between midnight and 6 am), the word gece will appear. Since the night-rate is 50% higher than the day-rate, make sure the gündüz rate is applied when appropriate! This too is a popular tourist scam.

• Bridge or Highway Toll – In case you take a taxi to cross either of the Bosphorus bridges or drive on the TEM highway, toll (not more than TL 4) has to be paid. The taxi driver will pay that for you, but will add this to the fare.

• No Tipping – Unless the taxi driver helped you load and unload your luggage, he won’t expect a tip. If you’re happy with his performance, you can roundup the fare to the nearest convenient figure. Some taxi drivers may claim to be out of small money, hence try to make a few extra liras. Just stand your ground and make him go change the money somewhere if you feel he’s deceitful.

• Say What? – Most taxi drivers speak very little to no English at all. Having said that, chances are that your knowledge of Turkish is similar to his English skills. It’s therefore not a bad idea to have the exact name and street of your destination written down on a piece of paper.

• Seemingly Lost – Taxi drivers are not too streetwise. And in their defense, Istanbul is a giant city and expecting taxi drivers to know every single street by heart is unfair. It is therefore not unusual that taxi drivers are unfamiliar with the exact location of lesser known places. You may find him ask you, other drivers or pedestrians along the way. If you have a phone number on your destination, he’ll be glad to call them for precise directions.

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  Istanbul taxis may take alternative roads to avoid traffic jams.

  Unsafe Driving – Time is money. It’s a cliché, but it’s still very true for Istanbul’s taxi drivers. They may take alternative (and a tad longer and more expensive) roads when the main roads are congested. That’s perfectly fine and will benefit both parties. What they shouldn’t do though is race through the narrow streets. If at any time you feel unsafe, you tell the driver yavaş gidin (’yavash gidin’ pronounced) or just daha yavaş lütfen. Both mean more or less the same and order him to slow down. If he doesn’t obey your wishes, just get out at the first occasion that arises.

Now don’t get me wrong! I’ve been using taxis in Istanbul for over four years now, and I can count the times I felt unsafe or was hustled on both hands. Taxis in Istanbul are a cheap, reliable and more comfortable than most of the public transportation available.

Of course, if you had any good or bad experiences with Istanbul’s taxis, I’d love to hear your stories!

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Once you’ve made your way out of the airport, there is of course still the matter of getting to your hotel. If your hotel reservation includes a free airport pick-up, you’re all sorted. If not, do keep on reading since you have a few options.

Let me give you a rundown of the cheapest, quickest and laziest ways to downtown Istanbul.

For the sake of this article, let’s assume you booked accommodation in either the historical part of Istanbul (Sultanahmet) or in the modern part of Istanbul (Beyoğlu, Taksim).

Whichever means of transportation you decide to board, first make sure you have some Turkish liras on you. None of them will accept credit cards, and with the exception of the taxi drivers, not even big Turkish lira notes. You’ll find ATMs and an exchange office inside the airport.

Taxi

Taking a taxi to get to your hotel is not only the most obvious choice; it’s also the easiest one. There are plenty of taxis waiting to bring you to your destination. Sometimes taxi drivers are already looking for customers inside the terminal. To be on the safe side, I would not take them up on their offer and rely on the official ones. Once you’re outside the terminal, you’ll see them all nicely lined up, waiting for their turn.

Under normal circumstances, you should arrive at your destination in approximately 30 minutes, which would make a taxi ride also the quickest means of transportation. Unfortunately, open roads are in Istanbul more an exception than a rule. Don’t immediately start accusing your taxi driver of making detours when it takes a bit longer. He doesn’t like traffic jams any more than you do, because he gets paid per kilometer. A trip from the Atatürk Airport to Sultanahmet will set you back for around TL 30, to Taksim you may have to pay TL 35. Since a taxi ride from the Sahiba Gökçen Airport takes approximately 1 hour, hence will be pretty expensive (TL 65), I advise you to use a shuttle service.

Taxi drivers don’t know every hotel in town by heart, so make sure you have a piece of paper with the name of the hotel, the address and the telephone number written on it. In case he is not sure about its location, he will ask for directions on the street or call the hotel reception.

Airport Shuttle

While a taxi is certainly a good choice when travelling with a group of people, when you’re single or only two, you may want to consider an airport shuttle service. There are two airport shuttle services, each handling passengers from and to both the Atatürk and the Sabiha Gökçen Airports. However, the way they operate, their destinations and prices are slightly different.

• The Havaş airport shuttle service uses very comfortable air-conditioned busses. From the Atatürk Airport they go practically non-stop to Taksim and cost only TL 10 per person. The drawback is that they only go to Taksim. Therefore, if your hotel is located in a different area, it may not be worth the trouble. The same goes more or less for their transfers from Sabiha Gökçen Airport, where the bus will take you to either Kadıköy (on the Asian side, from where you can take a short ferry to Sultanahmet) or Taksim (on the European side). A ticket costs TL 10 per person.
  Busses depart every half hour to and from the Atatürk Airport between 4 a.m. and 1 a.m. After 1 a.m. different shuttles operate based on passenger intensity. From Sabiha Gökçen, busses leave after a plane has landed. Between midnight and 6 a.m., ticket fees are increased with 25%.
  You can find the airport shuttle service outside the terminal. Look for the busses or the Havaş sign. Since they also go to different parts of town, ask which one is going to your destination. The bus driver will put your luggage on the bus. Again, to be on the safe side, watch him load it and get on the same bus. There is no need to buy a ticket upfront; the bus driver will collect the money just before departure.
• Alternatively, you may use the Istanbul Airport Shuttle Service. The advantage is that they will pick you up from any airport and take you to the door of your hotel, regardless of the  area it is located in. The disadvantage is that you have to make a reservation through their website prior to your arrival. From the Atatürk Airport, a transfer will set you back for € 7, from Sabiha Gökçen you pay € 10 per person. As an exception to the rule, they prefer to be paid in Euros.

Metro

Public transportation is undoubtedly the cheapest option if you arrived at the Atatürk Airport. Unfortunately, it is also the most adventurous one, and not an option if you landed in the Sahiba Gökçen Airport. Getting on the metro at the Atatürk Airport is pretty straightforward. Buy a token at the ticket office for only 1,5 TL and hop on the metro. But no matter whether you’re heading for Sultanahmet or Taksim, at the Zeytinburnu station you will have to get off and get on the tramway to Kabataş. This switch unfortunately requires dragging your suitcases up and down some stairs as well.

Once on the tramway to Kabataş, those going to Sultanahmet can’t go wrong. Just get off at the respective stop. However, if you are going to Taksim you need to take the funicular (Füniküler) from Kabataş to Taksim Square (Taksim Meydanı).

Keep in mind though that you’ll have to buy a new token for every transfer you make. The metro and tramway systems operate from 6 a.m. till midnight.

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