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| Transportation
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The Atatürk International Airport is the largest and busiest in Turkey. It is located 23 km west of central Istanbul. It has a capacity of 14 million passengers a year and a number of regular services from the Middle East, the USA and Australia land here. The main airline is Turkish Airlines (THY) has flights to all major European and Asian cities. The Airport facilities include two health clinics with a 24 hours service, pharmacies, environmental health services, lost and found offices, banks, post offices, baggage service, restaurants and cafes, tourist information, shops and exchange offices. All major car hire companies have a desk over there.
The Havas service bus which goes to Aksaray and Taksim Square departs from the international and domestic terminals every half hour. The journey takes about 30 minutes. Every hour there are also busses going to the Akmerkez shopping centre in Etiler. Another option is the taxi service which is rather expensive. The new metro system has regular trains going to Esenler, the main bus station.
Sabiha Göksen International Airport on Pendik is located about 50 km east of the Old City on the Asian side. It is becoming more and more popular with cheap airlines. The airport covers a small number of charter flights to central Asia, as well as cargo and military flights. The airport facilities include ATMs, a bank, post offices, duty free shops, gift shops, restaurants and cafés, parking and business facilities. Car rental is provided by “Ates Tur Rent A Car” (www.atestur.com). Busses are usually coinciding with flight times and depart to Kadikov, Bostanci and Kucukyali on the Asian side of the city where other transport is available. Also taxis are offering a 24 hours service.
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| by train
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The national railway network is run by Turkish State Railways (TCDD) which is cheap but not very comfortable. There are two stations in Istanbul, the Sirkeci Station, Ankara Caddesi on the European side and Haydarpasa Station, Haydarpaya Istasyon Caddesi on the Asian side. Both stations include kiosks, restaurants, waiting rooms and ATMs.
From Sirkeci Station trains go to Belgrade, Bucharest, Budapest and Sofia. Trains to Turkish destinations leave from Havdarpasa Station. There are also express trains to Major Turkish cities which can be sometimes very slow and crowded. Trains to Ankara are the Bogazici Express and the Baskent Express (both take about 6 ˝ hours) and the Fatih Express (8 hours).
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| by car
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The road network throughout Turkey is wide with numerous 3 lane highways and dual carriage ways. But the maintenance is mainly poor and sometimes dangerous. Driving in Turkey is not always the safes way due to the high amount of busses and trucks and the road rules that are not yet up to European standards. The road from Europe to Istanbul has been improved by the Istanbul bypass and two Bosporus bridges. Turkish road signs conform to the International Protocol on Road Signs and the codes for the Highway are similar to the ones in Europe. The fastest ways are the multilane highways, called otoyols, which link Istanbul to other major cities in Turkey. In order to drive in Turkey you must be over 18 years and be able to show your registrations documents, passport and international driving license when entering the country. If coming from Europe you have to have a Green Card and appropriate up to date insurance. Driving is on the right side and the speed limit lies at 120 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on main roads and 50 km/h in towns.
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| by bus
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The most convenient travel method in Turkey is the system of intercity coaches, especially for Southern Turkey. The “Uluslararasi Istanbul Otogarior” or the “International Bus Terminal” in Esenler which is located about 10 km outside the city centre, serves all domestic and international lines. Shuttle services depart from Inonu Caddesi and Sirasilveler Caddesi in Taksim. The tickets can be booked right before departure and most of the companies also accept credit cards for payment. Coach companies are for example “Kamil Koç” (www.kamilkoc.com.tr), “Ulusöy” (www.ulusoy.com.tr)and “Varan” (www.varan.com.tr).
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