Istanbul is one of the biggest cities in the world and has because of its location not only public transfers on land. You can find taxis, dolmus', busses, sea-busses and ferry boats as well as trams and metros.

We would like to give you some information about our public transfer system. 

Let's start with taxis (in turkish = Taksi). They have a yellow colour and are everywhere to fnd. You might find taxis driving slow and pressing the horn before passing you. This is only to signalize that the taxi is available and they like to invite you to use them. 
After you got into a taxi you should check the taximeter. They should start with around 800.000,-TL which makes approximately 50 US cents. You can easily prove whether you are getting charged right if you look at the taximeter. During the day time the taximeter you will find the word GUNDUZ = Day and during the night time (from midnight to 6am in the morning) you will see the word GECE = Night. 
If you would like to go back to your hotel in Sultanahmet or you would like to visit Sultanahmet we recommend you to take a taxi until the Sultanahmet Square as the way might be difficult to find by the taxi drivers and the costs for the taxiride increase. The Sultanahmet Square has a central location and is easy to find your way from here.

The personal staff in the most hotels can call you a taxi and help you to explain to the taxi driver where you like to go.


Dolmus' are very practical and you can find them all around Turkey. Dolmus means a taxi which is collecting people. They have different colours. Some of them are yellow as taxis, some of them beige or light blue. You can recognise them on their little sign on the top of the car which stands dolmus.
Dolmus' are very inexpensive in Turkey and are mostly used by local people. In the windscreen you can find a sign where the dolmus goes to. After you got on the dolmus you simply tell the driver how many people you are and where you like to go. 
You have to signalize the Dolmus driver with your hand that you would like to go with him. You might come also in a situation where people behind you give you money. You should pass the money to the person in front of you or directly to the driver. 
The important thing to know is the there does not exist a special dolmus station where the Dolmus stops every time. You should let the driver know that you like to get off the Dolmus. They will stop whereever you like him to stop for you.