Using Your Feet in Istanbul
Watch your step and know where you are going
Hello! How are you? I’m delighted you are here.
Most cities have pavement issues like this one with a bollard to keep a car from parking here. If you are talking to someone and not watching where you are going, you’ll break more than a toe. (Do not ask for the story on this. It is too embarrassing. This is visible, right?)
Or construction zones where the sidewalk has crumpled with a building being built nearby. Or was this square to be a tree hole, and they decided it was too close to the drain? Who knows. But I'm sure it will not be repaired until 2045 at the earliest.
Or slanted uneven sidewalks with double bollards, scooters, etc. These things are typical in most cities that are as old as Istanbul. But look down. That sidewalk is undulating, and you'll fall if you don’t watch where you are going. I promise.
My husband’s favorite word on this subject is “Again?!”
But herein lies the real caution. The photo below is an entrance to a store in Kadikoy. Nothing here is built to any semblance of a “code.” Istanbul is OLD. So if you come to Türkiye, wear comfortable shoes and look down to see where you are going at all times. Looking up is a hazard. Wait until you are sitting to look up.
So, how do you get where you are going? If you’ve read my posts on Substack or Instagram, you know I’m a big proponent of the public transportation system here. I think the drivers here are better than those in Italy, but not by much. However, if you can drive in Manhattan and Brooklyn, you can drive here.
But why would you? It takes HOURS to get anywhere by car when you can easily use public transportation, have a much better time, and it costs you a fraction of a rental car. There is a complete intersecting train system called the Metro. There is the coastal subway called the Marmaray, and the Metrobus system consists of fast buses that cross the city. For all other places, there are standard city buses.
You’ve heard about the taxis ripping people off? Hmmm. I have, too, but I’ve never had it happen to me. The last time I took a taxi, I used the Bitaxi app on my phone (it works exactly like Uber) and had no issue — other than the trip taking twice as long because of traffic.
Just use the trains.
The metro is marked like this:
Google Maps shows Istanbul’s system clearly, with all stations marked. Inside, the stations have signs in both Turkish and English to get you to the right station. Know where you are going. The signs will make a huge difference then.
The entryway is like any other subway system across the world. There is a card system—a yellow box on the wall. You will need Turkish lira to purchase a card and to load it. It takes smaller bills, such as a 10 or 20 lira note. They have not increased the amount for the card machines even though the most commonly used note (in 2023) is 200 liras.
Like any other city, you must know where you’re GOING. Google Maps is a MUST here. Get a cheap e-SIM card through Airalo, a mobile app so that you will always have service. From the U.S., we also use T-Mobile as our primary carrier and have no issues.
In the photo, these are directional signage to tell you which exit to take to where you are going. No, these aren’t in English because they are all Turkish names. Again, if you know where you are going, you will recognize it—even if you don’t know exactly what it says—and take the right exit.
The sign below tells me the train heading to the Sabih Gökçen airport comes at both one and seven minutes. The first train is short; the second one is longer. Just like in NYC, you can figure everything out if you think about it. At each yellow box on the floor is where the door will stop to open for you.
And then, if you are riding the train, things happen just like in other big cities, such as NYC. One day, a guitarist was in our train car when the entire car began to sing along.
What is the best thing for getting around in Turkey? Don’t be afraid. Just jump in like you live here. The people here are helpful. They are used to tourists. Yes, you are in a large city, but I have fallen and needed help several times, and people have rushed to help. It’s one of the reasons I like living here. People do not pull out their telephones and take videos (like me). They stop and help.
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