|
|
|
Istanbuls Transportation System |
|
|
|
|
Written by Webmaster
|
|
Monday, 03 December 2007 |
More info...
By DaveAsmar
 Istanbul is the most populated and the richest city in Turkey with a population of approximately 13 million people which makes it also one of the largest cities in Europe and Asia minor. The city borders reach both Asia and Europe and that makes it the only city that is located on two continents. Istanbul was the capital to Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by Ottomans in 1453. This date is considered in modern history to be the end of Middle Ages. The modern day Istanbul is very different than how it used to be like and witnessed a lot of changes and challenges since the end of the Ottoman Empire during the beginning of 20th Century. Because of its convenient location, Istanbul throughout centuries has never lost its important status as a port of commerce and a cultural and business center. As Turkey's economy has recently started to emerge again in the last few decades, Istanbul has again started showing changes of going back to its glamorous days. Istanbul is 1 of the nine candidates for the upcoming 2012 Olympics and it
also hosts numerous different global conferences and trade shows throughout the year.
Istanbul has a well-established transportation system with bus routes reaching almost anywherein the city, trains from both Asia and Europe making it into downtown, different types of boats and ferries cruising along the coast of Bosphorus, a clean, new and fast subway although it only serves a route with limited stations. Yellow cabs are easy to find almost anywhere in the city and they are a lot cheaper than it would cost at a western country. Taxis all charge according to a standard a meter and it doesnt cost a considerable amount to ride cabs around the city unless the distance is really long. But, some cab drivers are known to turn the ride into a thrill or a race which is not really fun unless you are missing your flight or in any kind of other emergency. Tipping is not necessary at the cabs but you can round up the fee to the next Turkish Lira. You are not supposed to leave any extra cash after that. The speed of traffic, however, is likely to slow down a lot or almost halt at many intersections during the rush hours. The city center, however, has a lot to offer so this may be the ideal time of the day to take a walk around and discover the city.
On most of the popular routes, it is possible to hop into a shared cab which is named by locals as Dolmus. They are slightly bigger than regular taxis and they look like vans that can accommodate a total of 8 people including the driver. These automobiles are also yellow in color. The sign on the top of these autos reads Dolmus instead of Taksi. While some models might accommodate less people, most of them have a seating capacity of up to 8 people and they all charge a flat fee along the route depending on the distance. You can take the city boat or the ferry to ply over the Bosporus strait going all directions from Asia to Europe or the other way around. One of the best options to explore Istanbul is to do so on Bosporus. That is really a sight other than having the advantage of paying nothing more than a regular transportation charge. For a quick trip from the European side, just hop on a ferry to Uskudar and you will be back in an hour or quicker.
If you have plans of riding the ferry, the bus or the subway, it is advisable to purchase akbil which is a pre-paid electronic chip embedded on a plastic similar to a key fob. Akbil allows users to save up to 20% of the total transportation costs during your trips.
You can use the pre-paid credit on Akbil and you will have access to citys entire public transportation network with just a tap on the turnstiles. At all times, there is a direct bus service between the two airports of Istanbul and the Taksim Square. Taksim is the center of the transportation network, with buses, subways and dolmus' coming in from multiple destinations all around the city. Taksim central bus stop and the central subway station is only a few minutes from the infamous Taksim Square.
Important historic sites to visit in the Istanbul include the Hagia Sophia, Leanders Tower, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque and Yerebatan Cistern. Most of these historic sites are located in the old part of the city and long term parking garages are available in this part of the city for those interested in leaving their car for medium to longer periods.
D.Asmar authors articles about Istanbul and management companies. Please visit Istanbul Real Estate Agents for more information Travel Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
|
|
Last Updated ( Monday, 03 December 2007 )
|
|
