Istanbul Kart - Istanbul Transportation Map: A Complete Guide

What is and how it works

Istanbul Transport Card Istanbul Card  is a single rechargeable ticket for public transport in Istanbul in the form of a plastic card. It allows you  to save a lot  on travel. Operates on  the metro,  light rail,  bus,  ferry and funicular. One card can be used by several people. Find out more with the Istanbul Travel Guide. 

Once again , I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the card is valid when traveling on  ferries , which are an integral part of Istanbul's urban transport, linking different parts of the city. For tourists, this is also useful because using a transport card, they can  very cheaply  take a ferry from the Eminenu pier to the Princes Islands .

A transport card to pay for travel in almost all modes of transport in Istanbul.

• Acts like a regular transport card , say, like a Troika card in Moscow. When traveling by  metro ,  light rail ,  ferry ,  funicular  , it must be attached to the reader and go through the turnstile. In city buses, as a rule, there are no turnstiles - you just need to attach the card to the reader and go into the bus. When exiting, you do not need to apply the card to the reader again.
• And yet , as it turned out, a transport card in Istanbul can pay for  visiting city toilets , equipped with turnstiles. For example, a toilet in the passage under  the Galata Bridge  or a toilet in the  Hermigan City Park .

The fare on the map in various transport in Istanbul

• Metro - 4.1 TL
• Light rail - 4.1 TL
• Bus - 4.1 TL
• Ferry to the Princes' Islands - 5.2 TL
• Funicular - 4.1 TL

At the change made within  2 hours ,  the system of discounts operates . The fare is reduced by 20-40% depending on the number of transfers: the first trip is the most expensive (4.1 TL), the second one is cheaper (2.88 TL), etc.

The discount is calculated  both when transferring within one type of transport (for example, from a tram to a tram), and when transferring from one type of transport to another (for example, from a tram to a metro).

Specific example : if you change from the light rail at Besiktas station to the funicular to Taksim station (to get to the Istanbul Arbat,  Istiklal Street ), then the funicular ride will cost less.

Strange but true!  For the same reason, it may very well turn out that when traveling to some point of interest,   you will spend a little less  on travel from there than when traveling there . Surprisingly, but it is. I'll give you an explanation!  You take a bus to get to the  Rumeli Hisar Fortress and pay the full fare (first trip). It will take you a maximum of 1 hour to visit the fortress. Then you get on the bus back and at the same time you pay less (second trip), because you  supposedly made a transfer .

Where to buy and how to top up a transport card

• The Istanbul Card  is the easiest to buy and top up at the terminals  at all  metro stops, light rail, ferries, funicular.
• Be aware that terminals are not common at bus stops. For example, if you are driving from  Eminenu  to  Miniaturk Park , make sure that there are enough funds on the card to travel back.

Buying and replenishing a card using the example of terminals at a metro station at Ataturk Airport

Most likely , you will need to buy a card at  Ataturk Airport  immediately upon arrival in Istanbul, unless, of course, you decide to use  a transfer to get to the hotel .

After passing through passport control,  the first thing we do is follow the signs to the entrance to the Ataturk Havalimani metro station. The entrance to the station is located both inside the airport and on the street, next to the entrance to the airport. At the entrance, in front of the turnstiles near the wall, there are  terminals for the sale and replenishment  of the Istanbul Card transport card.

The terminals are usually crowded  - passengers from your and other flights will figure out how to buy and top up a card. Usually, those standing in line do not rush each other, spying on others as they buy a card.

By the way!  For example, in the main tourist area of ​​Sultanahmet, there are much fewer queues at the terminals - there are practically none.

Buying a card

• Step 1 . Select the language using the buttons on the left. You need to select the flag of your country. Sometimes the flag slips past - then try again.
• Step 2 . The menu will offer  three options : buying a ticket for one trip, buying a card and replenishing the card. Click the button  "Purchase card" .
• Step 3 Next, insert banknotes into the bill acceptor. The Istanbul transport card costs 7 TL. The amount of payment that exceeds the cost of the card will be credited to its account. For example, if you pay for a purchase with a banknote of 10 TL, then 4 TL will be credited to your card account.
• Step 4 The machine will give you a card and print a receipt.

Card replenishment

• Step 1 . Take the card and put it to the right of the screen on the reader. You can not hold the card with your hand, it will not fall, as there is a small shoulder for this. 
• Step 2 . Press the  "Top up the card" button  and insert the money into the bill acceptor. The money will immediately be credited to the card account.

Does it make sense to buy a card

If you visit Istanbul on your own , then definitely there is. Tourists actively use local transport, especially often using the light rail. It is extremely wasteful to buy separate one-time travel tickets. This is about 1.5 times more expensive than using the Istanbul transport card.

Savings example

• Single tickets . You are driving from the airport to Sultanahmet. You will have to go first by metro (6 TL), then by light rail (6 TL). Total: 12 TL.
• By transport card  Istanbul Card. The same route: first by metro (4.1 TL), then by light rail (2.88 TL, including a discount for a transfer). Total: 6.98 TL.
• The savings  will be 5.02 TL per trip.