It’s been a week since I traveled back from Istanbul, Turkey but I still can’t walk away from the vibe that city has.
This post can help you by providing tips, and how to visit tourist places in Istanbul and also how to visit different cities like Antalya, Capadoccia, Eskisehir, etc in Turkey from Istanbul and vice-versa.
Pre-Travel:
As I am Indian, I had to apply for the Visa to turkey, and the visa process was smooth, one doesn’t need a travel agent to get the visa, just visit the gatewayglobe (VFS) website and you will get enough information/documents you need, etc. to apply for the Turkey Visa and can follow the steps to take an appointment for the VISA application.
I applied for my Visa and got the Visa in 5* working days.
Tip**: Download the offline maps in Google Maps before your travel, trust me offline maps are the ones that will save you later. Also, download the Citymapper app for the commute, it will suggest the local transport options generally with live timing of Metros/Buses/Ferrys in the city. but it works with the internet, so you ultimately be needing offline Google Maps.
Travel Time!!! :
Started my journey from New Delhi, India. The experience with Turkish Airlines was terrific, and I was delighted to see that pets* were also allowed on the airplane, it was almost seven hours of flight time and the service provided by the airline was distinctive and the ambience on the flight was also pretty.
Tip**: If you are taking a Turkish airline, even new users if they register before their flight for the miles&smiles program are eligible for 10 MB of free data during the flight to let you stay connected with your loved ones!!
The heart - The journey:
Now it was time to explore Istanbul, I took a cab service from Istanbul airport, one can get many authorized travel agencies inside the airport to commute, but there were many options available, please check the Citymapper app for local transport options. Generally, the bus service is there from Istanbul airport to the city center.
Commute:
Once you reached your hotel, you can easily commute in Istanbul by taking an Istanbul Karti, do take care Metro Card and Istanbul Card is different, the metro card as the name suggests is only accepted in the Metro station in Istanbul, but the Istanbul card can be used to travel through buses, ferry, and metros. So, the suggestion is to take the Istanbul Card instead of the Metro card.
The Destinations:
- Now you know how to easily travel between places and can prioritize your bucket list by searching on Google Maps for the attractions in the City, but the bonus tip from my side is that if you are commuting from the Asian side of Istanbul to European Side (refer to google for the Asian and European Side) then I suggest you take the Ferry from Kadikoy to Karakoy, the view on this route is amazing and it is also one of the cheapest options!!!
- You can take the experience of the Tunel (underground metro which connects Karakoy and Beyoglu), as the name suggests it is an underground route and the second-oldest extant subterranean urban rail line in the world, after the London Underground (1863). It is thus the oldest surviving underground urban rail line in continental Europe. (Source: Wikipedia)
- Some of the destinations I visited include Taksim Square and nearby clubs (Roxy, Kiki, etc ) near Taksim. The Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Galata Tower. etc. You can prepare your itinerary as many options are available.
Intercity Travel!!!
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If you want to travel to Antalya, Capadoccia, Izmir, Izmit, Konya, Eskisehir, or any other different cities, the best way is to take a high-speed train from Istanbul, one can download the official Turkish railways’ application (E-Bilet TCDD) and can book the ticket, be sure to have a local mobile number to use the app and then you have to type in your details like passport number, name, etc. I just got one local mobile number from the Turkcell official store just after landing in Istanbul.
Note*: Please check for the routes on the E-Bilt TCDD application
Bonus Tip: If no tickets are available for your route, try to check for the tickets again two hours before the journey. But I will not suggest this as it is pure luck. So plan your travel in advance!!! -
This is the option which is somewhat costly and time taking compared to high-speed trains, as this option which I am suggesting are the bus services. One can use applications like Obilet to book the bus from Istanbul to any other city. You can get many options on this application and seats are generally available, but again plan your travel!!
These are some of the tips which I shared for your travel to Turkey. It doesn’t cover all the information and just my experience. Do plan your travel according to legal requirements, check for any other requirements, etc.
The photos are clicked by me, and wherever the sources are used it is mentioned. I hope these tips will help you to plan your travel to Turkey!
Enjoy!!
and I wish I can spend my rest of life there, when I will be old and retired 
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