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Ferryboats are the absolute most
enjoyable way to travel in Istanbul.
Here's how to pay the fare.
Though older and slower than
the speedy modern "sea
bus" catamarans,
traditional ferryboats (feribot, like
the one in the picture to the right)
travel convenient shorter routes up,
down and across the Bosphorus connecting
such districts as Karaköy, Eminönü and Besiktas on
the European shore with Üsküdar, Haydarpasa and Kadiköy on
the Asian side.
The principal ferry docks are in Eminönü and Karaköy (Galata) at
the mouth of the Golden
Horn. (Cruise ships and international
ferries, such as the Black
Sea ferry from Odessa, dock at the Yolcu
Salonu in Karaköy.
More...)
In good weather, find a seat on the
open-air decks, order a glass
of tea, a cup
of coffee, or
a soft drink, and enjoy the spectacular
views of the fascinating
city.
TRADITIONAL (IDO) FERRIES
Older, slender white ferries
operated by the IDO company
depart from the east (Bosphorus)
side of the Galata
Bridge. Here's
a route map.
TURYOL FERRIES
Broader, newer ferries operated by the Turyol ferryboat
cooperative depart from the west (Golden
Horn) side of the Galata
Bridge.
Turyol says that it offers more
frequent, comfortable and convenient service at rates
that equal, or are lower than, the traditional IDO
ferries'. You can use your Akbil electronic
transit pass on Turyol ferries.
BOSPHORUS
FERRY CRUISE
Special daily Touristic
Bosphorus Ferries operated by both
TML and Turyol run from Eminönü up
the Bosphorus several times daily. More...
PRINCES
ISLANDS
Both sea
bus catamarans and ferryboats travel
to the Princes
Islands near Istanbul in
the Sea
of Marmara. More...
SEA OF MARMARA FERRIES
Fast
catamaran ferries glide across
the Sea
of Marmara from Istanbul's
Yenikap Fast
Ferry Terminal to Yalova and Bandirma on the Marmara's southern
shore. The fast ferries are the best
way to get across the Marmara, much
better than fighting the traffic
on the clogged highways east and
west of Istanbul, whether in bus
or car. More...
HOW BENEFICIAL!
In 19th-century Ottoman Istanbul the Sirket-i
Hayriye ("Beneficial
Company," later the Municipal
Routes division of Turkish Maritime
Lines)
was founded to facilitate transportation
in this city of three parts land and
three parts water. In the later 20th
century bridges, buses and trams have
rendered some ferries obsolete.
The ferries are now operated by IDO,
the route
system has shrunk and will shrink
again when
the Marmaray rail
link is completed (2009?) beneath the Bosphorus,
but you'll still find the big white
boats
a convenient—and extremely
pleasant—way to travel
from Europe to Asia and back again.
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