Travel Info

BY AIR:

There are 2 international airports in Istanbul:

    1. Istanbul Ataturk Airport

    2. Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport

1. Ataturk Airport is the biggest airport and it is also the closest airport to the university. Most of the international flights use the Ataturk Airport. Therefore we suggest visitors fly to the Ataturk Airport. For airport guide and information on shuttles and transportation, the following is the website of the Ataturk Airport: http://www.ataturkairport.com/eng/index.php.

TRANSPORTATION

Atatürk Airport is located in Yeşilköy, in the European side of Istanbul. Airport’s distance is 28 km to downtown.

Taxis:

From the Ataturk Airport to the venue, the taxi will cost approximately $40 and arrival time is about 40 minutes, depending on the traffic. The taxi should use either of the two following routes.

    1. Follow the E5 freeway in direction to Asia. Take the last exit before the Bosphorus bridge to Besiktas. This exit connects to Barbaros Boulevard. Bahcesehir University is located at the end of the Barbaros Boulevard on the left.

    2. Follow the coast road until Bahcesehir University. Generally, taximeter opening price: 2.50 TL. Increase per Km: 1,40 TL.

Generally, taximeter opening price: 2.50 TL. Increase per Km: 1,40 TL.

Metro:

The completed lines allow you to travel easily and inexpensively between Atatürk Airport (www.ataturkairport.com/eng/index.php), the Büyük Otogar (main bus terminal), and the main tourist area at Sultanahmet Square. More...

Follow the signs to Metro or Hafif metro/Light rail system, go down the escalator (or elevator), through the sliding glass doors, turn right and follow the signs along the broad underground concourse to the Havalimani (Airport) Metro station on the left at the end. This concourse beneath the parking garage connects the Domestic and International terminals.

Airport - Esenler Terminal

    • Week Days 06:00 - 00:15

    • Saturdays 06:10 - 00:15

    • Sundays 06:25 - 00:15

Click here for more information about Transportation www.iett.gov.tr

Shuttles:

From the Ataturk Airport there are shuttles every half hours (between 4:00 am and 1:00 am) to Taksim Square (down town). The cost of the shuttle is $8 and arrival time is about 40 minutes. Taksim Square is very close to the university. One can use public transportation or taxi to get to Besiktas district where the venue is located. From Taksim Square to Besiktas district the public transportation costs about $1 and travel time is about 10 minutes. By taxi it will take approximately 5-7 minutes and the price will be approximately $5.

The information on the shuttle from Ataturk Airport to Taksim Square and departure hours can be found in www.havas.net/en/shuttle-parking/istanbul-ataturk-airport.

MORE SHUTTLES:

KOZYATAGI SHUTTLE SERVICE INFORMATION

Shuttle Departure Location: Derya Sokak.Mogulkoc Business Center No:7/A Sahrayicedit - Kozyatagi/ISTANBUL

Shuttle Route:

Airport - Kozyatagi: Airport, Kavacik Bridge, Havas Kozyatagi Office.

Kozyatagi - Airport : Havas Kozyatagi Office, Airport, Kavacik Bridge.

Drop Off Points: From Airport to Kozyatagi: Kavacik Bridge.

Duration of Trip: Approximately 1 Hour (depends on the traffic)

TAKSIM SHUTTLE SERVICE INFORMATION

Shuttle Departure Location: Taksim, next to Metropolitan Art Gallery (20 mt. from THY office)

Shuttle Route: Ataturk Airport, Bakirkoy SeaBus Pier, Coastal Road, Aksaray, Tepebasi, Taksim.

Drop Off Points: Bakirkoy SeaBus Pier, Aksaray ve Tepebasi.

Duration of Trip: Approximately 40 minutes (depends on the traffic)

BAKIRKOY SHUTTLE SERVICE INFORMATION

Shuttle Departure Location: Bakirkoy SeaBus Pier

Shuttle Departure Times

Airport: Shuttles depart from the Airport 20 minutes before arrival times of SeaBuses in order to meet every SeaBus coming from Bostanci to Bakirkoy.

Bakirkoy : There is a shuttle for each SeaBus coming from Bostanci to Bakirkoy.

Shuttle Route: Ataturk Airport, Yesilyurt Crossroad, Galeria Shopping Mall, Bakirkoy SeaBus Pier.

Drop Off Points: Passengers are dropped off at Galleria Shopping Mall on the way from the Airport to Bakirkoy.

Duration Trip: Approximately 15 minutes (Depends on the traffic)

A faster way to Taksim Square is by express city bus 96T, stopping at Yenikapi, Aksaray and Taksim.

Click here for departure times and other details...

Car Rental:

For those who would like to rent a car from the airport, the following is the list of the car rental companies at the airport.

2. The Sabiha Gokcen Airport is on the other side of the city with respect to the university. Some of the international flights use this airport. From the airport, transportation is available to the area of the university. The following is the web site of Sabiha Gokcen Airport: www.sgairport.com/havaalani/eng/start.asp.

How to get to the university (Besiktas district) from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport

By taxi: From Sabiha Gokcen Airport the taxi will cost approximately $100 since the airport is on the other side of the city with respect to the university. The taxi should take the TEM highway first. Then it should take the E5 freeway. After crossing the Bosphorus bridge it should turn to Barbaros Boulevard.

By shuttle: From Sabiha Gokcen Airport shuttle is available to Taksim Square (down town) at certain hours. Shuttle departure hours can be found at www.havas.net/en/shuttle-parking/istanbul-sabiha-gokcen-airport/. Taksim Square is very close to the university. One can use public transportation or taxi to get to Besiktas district. From Taksim Square to Besiktas district where the venue is located, the public transportation costs about $1 and travel time is about 10 minutes. By taxi it will take approximately 5-7 minutes and the price will be approximately $5.

BY BUS:

Istanbul is well connected to every part of Turkey. It has two intercity bus terminals. Istanbul's large Main Bus Terminal (Büyük Otogar) serves all of Turkey, plus Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and the Balkans, and central Europe. Thousands of modern, luxurious buses connect Turkish cities and towns daily. This is how most Turks travel. Bus companies have ticket offices at the station and the larger ones have offices around town, especially in areas like Taksim, Sultanahmed and Besiktas. Departures are frequent, and you don't need advance reservations on most routes. Bus Station Tel: (+90-212) 658 05 05, 658 10 10, 333 37 63, 310 63 63. Here are sample routes, fares and travel times from Istanbul to many cities. www.turkeytravelplanner.com/trans/Bus/index.html.

The Harem Otogar on the eastern shore of the Bosphorus north of Haydarpaşa Station, serving Anatolian Turkey and the Middle East.

BY TRAIN:

There are trains to Istanbul from the following destinations.

    • From Europe; Kishinev (Mol), Budapest (Hun), Beograd (Ser), Bucharest (Rom), Athens, Thessalonica (Gre) and Sofia (Bul);

    • From Middle East; Tehran, Tebriz (Irn), Aleppo (Syr) and Baghdad (Irq). Baghdad line is temporarily closed.

There are connections from Cologne to Istanbul on the "Istanbul Express", which also carries cars from several other European cities. There is a weekly sleeper from Moscow. InterRail tickets are available in the European part of Turkey as far as Istanbul.

Trains from European destinations arriving Sirkeci Train Station on European side. Sirkeci İnformation Tel: (+90-212) 527 0050/51. Reservations Tel: (+90-212) 520 6575.

Trains from Middle East destinations arriving Haydarpasa Train Station on Asian side. Haydarpasa İnformation Tel: (+90-216) 336 0475/2063. Reservations Tel: (+90-216) 336 4470, 337 8724.

For more information, see www.letsgoistanbul.com/tren.htm, www.tcdd.gov.tr/tcdding/index.htm.

BY SHIP & FERRY:

Cruise ships from other countries (Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Ukraine) dock in Turkey at Istanbul, Kusadasi and other ports. Foreign cruise ships and international ferries dock at the Yolcu Salonu in Karaköy at the northern end of the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn, right in the center of the city at the southern tip of Beyoğlu.

Wherever cruise ship docks, you can walk, ride the Zeytinburnu-Kabataş tram, or take a taxi to most of the most important Istanbul sights. To get to Taksim Square, take the tram from the Karaköy stop northeast to Kabataş, then the Füniküler to Taksim. You'll need to buy a tram token (jeton) to enter the tram platform.

BANKING & CURRENCY

The currency of Turkey is the new Turkish Lira (TL) as of 1 January 2005. 1TL equals to 100 new Kurus (KR). Banknotes come in 1TL, 5TL, 10TL, 20TL, 50TL & 100TL and coins come in 1, 5KR, 10KR, 25KR and 50KR and 1TL.

Currency exchange facilities are available in all banks, hotels and airports. 24 hour cash machines providing banking services by different banks are located at suitable points throughout the airport terminals, bus, train stations, malls, etc.

US dollars and Euro's are also widely accepted. Credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and shops, the most widely used being MasterCard & Visa. Please kindly note that American Express, Diners Club and JCB Cards are not commonly accepted.

BUSINESS HOURS

Banks are generally open from 09:30 – 16:00 hours Monday – Friday. General office hours are 09:00 – 17:00 Monday – Friday. Post offices operate within these hours, however stamps often available from hotels.

ELECTRICITY

Turkey operates on 220 volts, 50 Hz, with round-prong European-style plugs that fit into recessed wall sockets/points. Check your appliances before leaving home to see what you'll need to plug in when you travel in Turkey. Many appliances such as laptop computers and digital cameras with their own power adapters can be plugged into either 120-volt or 220-volt sockets/points and will adapt to the voltage automatically. But you will need a plug adaptor that can fit into the recessed wall socket/point. Read the technical stuff on your power adapter to see

"INPUT: A.C. 100-240V". If it reads that way, it can operate on either 120 or 220 voltage. If it says something like "INPUT: 100-125V", then it can't run on Turkey 's 220 volts and you'll need to bring a voltage converter.

SHOPPING

Shops are usually open between 8:30 - 19:00 and usually closed on Sunday. Turkey, as a result of its geographical location, is a treasure-house of hand-made products. These range from carpets and kilims, to gold and silver jewelry, ceramics, leather and suede clothing, ornaments fashioned from alabaster, onyx, copper, and meerschaum. When purchasing carpets, jewelry or leather products, it is advisable to consult your guide or do your shopping at a reputable store rather than in the street from vendors.

TAX REFUND

All goods and services in Turkey are applicable to 18% Value Added Tax. You can receive a tax refund for the goods you purchased in Turkey. Refunds will be made to travelers who do not reside in Turkey. All goods are included in the refunds with the exclusion of services rendered and the minimum amount of purchase that qualifies for refund is 5TL. Retailers that qualify for tax refunds must be "AUTHORIZED FOR REFUND". These retailers must display a permit received from their respective tax office. The retailer will make four copies of the receipt for your refund, three of which will be received by the purchaser. If photocopies of the receipt are received the retailer must sign and stamp the copies to validate them. If you prefer the refund to be made by check, a Tax-free Shopping Check for the amount to be refunded to the customer must be given along with the receipt. For the purchaser to benefit from this exemption s/he must leave the country within three months with the goods purchased showing them to Turkish customs officials along with the appropriate receipts and or check.

There are four ways to receive your refund:

    • If the retailer gives you a check, it can he cashed at a bank in the customs area at the airport.

    • If customer sends a copy of the receipt to the retailer showing that the goods have left the country within one month, the retailer will send a bank transfer to the purchaser's bank or credit card within ten days upon receiving the receipt.

    • If the certified receipt and check are brought back to the retailer on a subsequent visit within one-month of the date of customs certification, the refund can be made directly to the purchaser.

    • The refund may be made by the organization of those companies that are authorized to make tax refunds.

WEATHER

The summer months in Istanbul are generally hot and quite humid. The winters can be cold and wet, although not as extreme as other areas of the country. The sea temperature is creep up to 30 degrees in June, July and August, with very little rain. Spring and autumn are popular times to visit because of the comfortable climate, good for lots of walking and sightseeing, with highs between 15 – 25 degrees C, in April, May, September and October. By the winter, the dry cold air mass from the Black Sea and cold damp front from the Balkans bring a chilly season with daytime highs of between 10 – 15 degrees C, and nights much colder. Although rarely falling to freezing point, there is the occasional light snow in the city.

Useful Web Sites:

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality www.ibb.gov.tr/sites/ks/en-us/Pages/Home.aspx

Turkish Culture and Tourism Office www.tourismturkey.org/ or www.tourismturkey.org/ShowCities.aspx?ImgSession=y&Citi=Istanbul

Governorship of Istanbul http://english.istanbul.gov.tr/

Things to do in Istanbul http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293974-Activities-Istanbul.html

Istanbul Photos http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g293974-w5-Istanbul.html

Istanbul in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul

Istanbul in Wikitravel http://wikitravel.org/en/Istanbul

Info on Istanbul http://www.sgairport.com/havaalani/eng/seyahat/sehirB.asp

Info on Istanbul http://www.istanbulextralarge.com/

Info on Istanbul http://www.visiting-turkey.com/istanbul

Info on Istanbul http://www.istanbul.info.tr/

Info on Istanbul http://www.istanbulhistoricalplaces.com/

Info on Istanbul http://www.enjoyturkey.com/info/sights/istanbul.htm