What's the cheapest transport to get from Ataturk International aiport to the Taksim Square area of Istanbul?

Question

I'm flying to Istanbul tomorrow afternoon and would like to know the cheapest way to get from the airport (Ataturk) to the Taksim Square area. I'm sure there are many options and some will be easier or more comfortable but I am on a shoestring budget and sometimes like to do things the hard way as the less wealthy locals might have to.

Answer 1

Municpal bus 96T is probably the cheapest, at 3.00 lira (~$2 USD), but it takes very long (~1.5h at times) and is often packed. Havas bus is faster and costs 10 lira (~$6.50 USD).

If you plan to use public transport a lot, buy the Akbil pass (saves a bit of money and you don't need to dig for coins all the time).

The trip is also possible via metro, but involves changing over twice (Zeytinburnu to tram and a short walk at Karakoy to Tunel). This takes 3 tokens (jetons), and costs 3 x 3 = 9 lira (~5 USD), in 2012.

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Answer 2

There are three public transport options if you are trying to minimise costs.

1. Take the direct bus between Atatürk airport and Taksim square. This bus is a double fare bus and can be slow. In the early hours of the morning, it can be very fast, however. I travelled from Taksim to the airport in about 20 minutes on this bus once.

2. Take the metro to Aksaray and transfer to a bus going to Taksim. This will cost you the same as the direct bus but can be faster as the metro skips much of the traffic. The walk between the metro stop and the bus stop is less than 5 minutes and involves an underpass and then an overpass (which crosses over the tramline). The bus stop is called Yusufpaşa and there are several passing buses which travel to Taksim, passing under the aqueduct and then crossing the Golden Horn via Atatürk bridge.

3. Take the metro to Aksaray and then walk to Taksim square. The walk would take 45 minutes to an hour and there is a hill involved after you cross the bridge. This would be the cheapest since you'd only be paying a single fare.

The tram line between Zeytinburnu and Kabataş is the worst option, especially if you change lines at Zeytinburnu. It travels very slowly (especially between Zeytinburnu and Aksaray) and it does not travel to Taksim, so you will have to walk uphill or pay for a third fare. The best bet with the tram is to change lines at Aksaray, but this involves the same 5 minute walk as going to the bus stop

If you do take the tram, you can get off at the last stop (Kabataş) and, as mentioned, take the funicular up to Taksim at the north end of İstiklâl street. You can also get off the tram earlier at Karaköy, where there is the two-stop Tünel (Istanbul's 100-year-old metro line) that takes you to the south end of İstiklâl, from where it is a pleasant 20-minute walk to Taksim square. Walking from Karaköy up to İstiklâl is also possible and the road goes right past the Galata Tower.