Taxis In Istanbul

Taxis in Istanbul are one of the fastest and cheapest ways to get around, On the downside, some taxi drivers drive recklessly and it’s common for you to end up getting scared if you’re not used to it. If he drives too fast, you can say “yavaş gidin” to slow him down. Bellow other tips about Taxis in Istanbul!

Is It Easy To Get A Taxi In Istanbul?

Despite the extraordinary increase in the population of Istanbul in the last 50 years, the number of taxis strangely remained the same which became a remarkable problem in the daily life of Istanbulites.

There are more or less 17 thousand taxis serving the city which has a population of 20 million, once was 2 million when the last taxi is permitted by the local government. The case is being questioned by the locals and the media lately however there is no further step is taken. Especially, during the pandemic, people try to avoid public transportation but they hardly manage to hail a taxi, even most of the time getting a cab becomes impossible.

There is more than one mobile application to call a cab but most of them do not answer the calls or are occupied because of the enormous demand. Counting Uber is not operating in the city due to the regulations and banned throughout the country, we can clearly state that getting a taxi in Istanbul is quite a trouble. The city is also famous for the tourist traps in taxis which makes the situation more worrisome.

Popular Taxi Scams

There are many scams that taxi drivers do to rip tourists off. The most popular one is to switch the banknote to a smaller one and insist that the one juggled one is given. So, be careful when paying the money and point out the banknote at first. The other common trick is playing with the meter or not putting it on which is obligatory.

It is not recommended to bargain on the price but accept the meter, you may have an idea about the approximate amount to pay; checking the taxi applications with your mobile. Also, the application will give you information about the route which will prevent you from taking a long way. You should be careful of the currency as well, all the meters show the local currency which is the Turkish Lira but not US Dollars or Euros. The taxis waiting by the tourist spots will increase the chance of getting scammed as these drivers focus on the tourists on purpose rejecting the other passengers.

Public Transportation In Istanbul

Although the public transportation network is developed in town, because of the overpopulated city center, it is not often convenient to use for moving around. The cars are mostly packed and it is not easy to reach all the spots where the attractions are. Taking public transportation such as metro, tram, or buses in the peak hours could be tedious, considering the pandemic, it is obviously not the best way for tourists to visit Istanbul.

 

 

How To Get Around In Istanbul

There are safer and hassle-free ways to get around in Istanbul for sure which will make your visit more relaxed. We, as Guided Istanbul Tours, do not offer our tours with private van service beforehand as you may also walk to the desired sites depending on your hotel’s location. Still, you will definitely need transportation facilities for certain routes.

We strongly recommend booking our private van service for your tours which will ease your tours, make them more comfortable and flexible as well. Particularly for larger groups, it will be much more reasonable as we have different sizes of vans and buses which are all nonsmoking and air-conditioned. You may also get in touch with us regarding any of your transportation needs including airport and intercity transfers.

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