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scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I hear that the new Metro is now running from Istanbul Airport down towards Sultanahmet. Any comments from users ? How is it? Does it connect with the tram line to Eminonu ?

Mike_2003 · Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 344 Location: Bucharest, Romania

I've only used it between the airport and Bakirkoy but found it very convenient. Check out this link for a map:

Istanbul Metro

It's nice to see another option for getting into the city other than feeding those greedy airport taxi drivers...

Mike

yaramaz · Posted: Tue May 25, 2004 4:44 am Post subject:

You can take the metro to Aksaray, then cross the road to the tramline, which is the Yusufpasa stop. It'll take you down to Eminonu quite happily and smoothly.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I will do that when in "Konstantiniye" aka Stambul. I have ten hours between planes. Usually I take the sleeper from Sirkeci to my chateau in the Balkans, but this time I am using Turk Hava Yollari. I did not fancy ten hours at the airport nor did I like the idea of shelling out for two taxi rides.

Good to see that something is being done aout improving public transport in Istanbul. Strange how a start was made in Ottoman times to build an underground railway, but all they did was build "tunel". They built this before there was an underground in Paris or Berlin, but in true Ottoman fashion they could not continue with modernisation !

It seems from that excellent website that the Metro connects with the "tramvay" at Zeytinburnu and then again at Aksaray/Yusufpasa. Cool !

yaramaz · Posted: Tue May 25, 2004 7:04 am Post subject:

I've never tried the Zeytinburnu connection but apparently it connects... not sure with what though.

Directions if you need them:

At Aksaray, walk out of the station and down into the underground passageway/market in front of you to the right. Pass through it and exit on the left hand side. From there turn right and go pass the street vendors and kebabpcis etc until you reach the tramway (you'll see the overpass). I had a hard time finding the tramway the first time I travelled into the city this way... not very well marked. It'll cost 1 mill tl per ride.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

The "tramvay" runs from Eminonu to the terminus at Zeytinburnu. Will check this out on my visit and report back. I note to that the "Otogar" or Bus station for European destinations is on the same Metro line. Never use the bus myself, preferring the choo-choo.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

I can't help as usually I'm too desparate to get into Taksim, so I shell out for the taxi

DingirEnki · Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 10

Coming from someone who used to live in Sirinevler and so used that end of the tram/metro quite often...

The metro and tram connect very easily at Zeytinburnu. You just have to get off and cross a bridge that's built between the two terminals and you're there (all of about a 20 meter walk.) The Aksaray/Havaalani line is the better line because it has AC and is a bit faster. It's debatable which line is faster to get to Sultanahmet (changing in Zeytinburnu or Aksaray). It's VERY convenient to get to the airport since it runs right into the airport parking lot itself.