Istanbul’s Atatűrk Airport is 22Km west of the city centre. As it is right and proper for a European capital, there are several bigger airlines flying to Instanbul to and from cities in the UK (e.g. from London/Heathrow), however, there is unfortunately no budget airline serving Istanbul’s main airport from the UK, however Easyjet now operate flights to the city's other Airport, Sabiha Gokcen.
Find further information and the booking services on the websites of the following airlines:
The airport metro runs runs to the city centre at Aksaray (approx €1). The express bus service ‘HAVAS’ leaves half-hourly to Taksim Sqaure northeast of the Beyoğlu (approx €4), or you can use the metro to Aksaray or a tram to Kabataş which also passes through Sultanahmet, Eminőnu and Tophene. Taxis will cost around €15 (30 ytl) - make sure they use the meter!
NOTE: If you plan to spend some time at the airport: food and drink at the airport can cost up to five times more than in the city! It may therefore be wise to take your own food than buy from there if you’re travelling on a budget.
By Train
Believe it or not, you can travel by train from London to Vienna via Paris, Strasbourg and the (real!) Orient Express to Belgrade (Serbia&Montenegro).
From Belgrade take the sleeper train to Istanbul. The whole journey takes around 55 hours at total costs of about £250/300 for the tickets for a return journey . For further information on travel arrangements and information go to http://www.seat61.com/Turkey.htm
Schedule and price lists for the Sofia-Istanbul trains can be gathered from www.tcdd.gov.tr (Turkish Republic State Railways)
Trains from other European countries terminate at Sirkeci Station, linked to Sultanahmet by a short tram ride.
By Bus
There are long-distance bus services provided by Eurolines or Deutsche Touring GmbH serving Istanbul. There is e.g. a direct overnight connection service between London and Duisburg, Essen, Dortmund or Duesseldorf available from around €90. From there take the next bus to Istanbul which costs around €230 for a return journey (departure in the morning, arrival two days later).
For getting to the online booking service of the Eurolines company (also available in English) go to www.touring.de
The international bus station is located at Esenler Otogar, 15Km northwest of the city centre, located on the European side. Courtesy minibuses or taxis will easily get you to the centre. The metro also stops at Otogar.
By Car
A journey by car takes the incredible time of around 40hours (without sleep!) by driving via France, Germany, Croatia and Bulgaria, travelling 2,000miles in total.
Car Hire Companies
Hertz - Ataturk International Airport Tel: +90 (212) 4655999
Alamo - Ataturk International Airport Tel: +90 (212) 465 3546
