Yes a taxi will be extremely tempting when you FINALLY step out of customs at the airport! Being hot, overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, along with multiple sales men hungry for you to use their transport makes anyone want to give in and take the EASY route. But how much are you willing to SPEND?!
The first time we arrived in Istanbul we were THOSE people. So, after pushing away a shuttle sales man that literally grabbed my arm, we ignored all advice and jumped in a taxi. Fortunately, our first experience with a taxi travelling from Ataturk airport to our accommodation near Galata Tower went smoothly. However, this is not NORMAL!
Massive queue for customs at SAW airport, Istanbul
Why we will never use a taxi in Istanbul again
The only other (and last ever!!) time that we caught a taxi was from our accommodation near Taksim Square to SAW airport at 3.30am.
The taxi driver spoke little English, got up to speeds of 170kms per hour, and of course there were no seat belts available. Upon arrival to the airport he then ignored the metre and asked for a much higher amount of money, saying something about toll road fees (in very simple English). We refused, and agreed to pay 110 Lira (a little more than what the metre read which was already extremely pricey!).
So, I handed over a 100 Lira note along with a 10 Lira note. Being 4am, I thought I was paying attention but of course also felt almost drunk due to tiredness. So when the driver said I had underpaid and held up a 20 and a 10 Lira note – I WAS CONFUSED! Problem is, Moss trusted the taxi drivers word and assumed I had handed over the wrong amount. But, having only withdrawn cash the night before, I knew that 100 Lira was now missing from my wallet.
What was the result? Well we were fooled by the taxi driver’s magic trick of turning a 100 Lira note into a 20 Lira and had to dig money out of Moss’s wallet. Plus to make matters worse, we caught up with a friend a few weeks later, only to learn that he had the EXTACT same trick done to him.
Tip: If you do HAVE to catch a taxi, then pay the driver by counting the money out loud into their open hands
Cheapest way to travel from Ataturk Airport to Istanbul Central
If you are travelling on a budget and would rather spend 8 Lira per person in order to get to or from Ataturk airport, then we recommend catching the metro/tramway from Ataturk Airport to Istanbul central.
Once you have made your way out from customs, keep an eye out for the METRO/TRAMWAY signs. The signs will instruct you to go down a few floors within the airport. In order to enter the tram platforms you will need to purchase a token. The token is an orange plastic coin, and can be purchased for 4 Lira from a machine as shown in the image below.
Tip: Depending on how far your journey is you will probably need two tokens (orange coins) per person. Therefore to save hunting down a machine later, buy two tokens at the airport.
Tips for using the trams in Istanbul:
– Each tram costs a flat fee of 4 lira per person, no matter how far you are riding it.
– Some stations are located in the middle of the road.
– There are token machines at each station. However you may need to look around for them as the pay stations are sometimes only located on one side of the road.
– Once you have inserted your 4 lira you will be issued an orange plastic coin which will give you entry to the stations platform.
– In order to get from Ataturk Airport to old Istanbul (The Grand Bazaar and Blue Mosque etc) you will need to get three trams costing a total of 8 lira per person.
Tips for using buses in Istanbul:
– Buy your ticket before boarding the bus
– Apparently there is a bus that runs from Taksim to SAW airport, and it would be a lot cheaper than our taxi experience!
Other forms of transport are also available:
– Shuttles are supposedly cheaper than taxis.
– Car service’s such as Blacklane Limos are also another option. For a traveller on a budget, they are fairly pricey, however due to everything being prebooked and prepaid online, they were hassle free and our driver was waiting for us at the arrivals gate.
Blacklane Limos
Disclaimer: We were provided with a discount for the Blacklane Limos car service, however, as always our thoughts on our adventure travel blog our own.