Each country has its own peculiarities regarding transportation by city or intercity routes. So, in Turkey's favorite travel destination, taxi is considered one of the most popular modes of transport. In Istanbul, it is especially popular, as evidenced by the number of yellow cars on the streets. Let us consider in more detail the features of the order, fares, and the quality of Istanbul taxis.
Everywhere - Taxi
According to official figures, in Istanbul there are about 15 thousand taxi drivers officially registered. On average, there is one car per thousand inhabitants, which is a lot compared to other world capitals. Yellow cars can be found in absolutely any area of the city, regardless of the distance from its central part. As a rule, a taxi arrives literally a minute after a call. If there is no way to call by phone, then you can go outside and catch a car. There are often situations in Istanbul streets, when, moving next to a pedestrian or in the oncoming lane, a car can signal or blink its headlights, as if inviting to sit down and get to its destination.
Tariffs
It is worth noting that for taxi services in Istanbul, payment is made according to the meter, as there are no fixed prices, as in some Russian cities. If, for example, in Perevalsk, the dispatcher calculates the route in advance and gives out the cost immediately, then here only the meter will “tell” you the price on arrival.
Each officially registered car has its own unique number, is painted in bright yellow (sometimes orange) color and is equipped with a counter. To date, the night regime has already been canceled in the Turkish capital, although previously it worked from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. Now there is a common tariff for everyone, according to which the cost of landing is 3.2 lira, and one kilometer - 2 lira. Sometimes a taxi driver in Istanbul may “accidentally” forget to turn on the meter and then present an impressive amount for payment to passengers. In this situation, you should immediately ask the taxi driver to click on the counter, in order to then avoid misunderstandings. Also, when landing, pay attention to the number 3.2 on the counter. If it is larger, you can safely get out of the car, as the driver is trying to trick you.
Fare
Taxi prices in Istanbul often change, and it is difficult to calculate in advance how much you will have to spend on the road. The final fare from point A to point B depends on many factors: the route that you will be taken to, traffic jams, etc. As for the latter, especially cunning taxi drivers take advantage of their availability, since more than five minutes of downtime are estimated at 0 , 35 lira.
Approximate expenses can be estimated on special sites where clear tariffs are indicated. On the site, the start and end points of the trip are entered, and the path in kilometers is immediately laid. Here you can use the map or the usual set of routes.
For example, travel from Ataturk Airport to Topkapi Palace will cost about 44 lire, and for a trip to Taksim Square from the same airport you will have to pay 50 lira.
How to order
If you order a transfer, for example, from the airport, then there are special stands from taxi services on the territory where you can see prices and distances, as well as ask to call a car. Here, the services will turn out to be a little more expensive than that of the “bombed” near the airport building, but there will be no fraud.
On the sites of the Istanbul taxi service there are contacts where it makes sense to call if you want to call a car in advance at a suitable time. Also, they often book a transfer to the local company Istanbul Taxi Airport on their official website.
How to pay
As many tourists who have already visited Turkey note, payment in a taxi is made exclusively in cash and in national currency - Turkish lira. If you don’t have that kind of money with you (there are only dollars or euros in your wallet), you need to warn about this before ordering a taxi. It is recommended to give money to your hands already upon arrival, and not at the time of departure, in order to “stimulate” a taxi driver to bring passengers on time. When stopping the machine, the required amount should be displayed on the counter. The counter itself is usually located either under the rear view mirror, or lower in the area of the torpedo. The passage through the highway-bridge called the Bosphorus is also paid for by the client. Experienced tourists are advised to have small lyres with them in order to pay “on an estimate”, since often drivers simply do not have change from a large bill.
Airport Transfer
Two major airports operate in the Turkish capital: one is located in the European part of the city and is called Atatürk, the second is on the Asian side and is called Sabiha Gokcen. The fastest way to get from the airport to the hotel, of course, is to call a taxi. Sabiha - Istanbul is one of the most popular tourist destinations, as Sabiha International Air Harbor is the second busiest after Ataturk. If earlier only low-cost airlines flew here, now the Turkish Airlines company has transferred many of its flights to this harbor. To get to the hotel cheaper, it is better to book a car online or by phone. Taxi drivers standing near the airport request an order of magnitude higher. The distance between Sabiha and Istanbul is only 35 km, so the final cost will be quite acceptable - the average price is 100 Turkish liras.
At the same time, the cost of a taxi in Istanbul from Ataturk Airport will cost half as much - about 50 lire. This price is indicative, a lot depends on the location of the hotel.
International travel
With the help of a Turkish taxi you can easily get to another city or to another country. So, the taxi route Istanbul - Burgas runs from the Turkish capital to the famous resort of Bulgaria. The distance between these two cities is 335 km, by car it can be overcome in about five hours. The fare to Burgas will be approximately 175 euros.
No less popular taxi route Istanbul - St. Vlas (Bulgaria). This is also a popular tourist resort, which is 377 km away from Istanbul. A taxi will reach him in 5 and a half hours, and the average fare will be about 190 euros.
Bulgaria is rich in several other great places for summer holidays, among which are: Sozopol and Sunny Beach. Therefore, international passenger traffic has been established here for a long time. Taxi Istanbul - Sozopol will cost lovers of a personal transfer of 165 euros and above. Cars easily travel to this Bulgarian city from both airports of the Turkish capital.
The price for a taxi Istanbul - Sunny Beach is slightly different. Passengers will need to pay more than 185 euros, it all depends on the departure point.
Tips for passengers
There are times when unscrupulous taxi drivers during your landing can say that the meter is broken, shows incorrectly or is forgotten at home. There are three options:
- The first working option is to sharply go to the exit. Usually, with this intention, the device is instantly repaired and works without problems.
- The second way out of the situation is to pre-negotiate with the taxi driver the amount of the fare.
- And the third is to go and hope for good luck.
The last option, of course, is in the hands of a taxi driver who can carry you through the whole city and then take exorbitant fares for travel. Therefore, it is better not to give in to tricks and thereby save your money, they will still be needed for other needs.
Additional drivers tricks
In order not to enrich the taxi driver at his own expense, you must always look at both the time indicated on the scoreboard and the tariff. If the driver decided to “weld up” a little, then boldly demand to include the correct tariff or to subtract 50 percent at the exit and pay with a displeased facial expression. It is not ruled out that the owner of the car will continue to deceive you and say that the price doubles on the weekend, for tourists the cost is higher, other tariffs on holiday are all fictitious. There is a fixed landing price, minutes of downtime and mileage. Moreover, there is no need to leave a tip to taxi drivers - in this country they are not required for drivers.
Memo to tourists
What should tourists remember who decide to use taxi services in Turkey?
- No need to be distracted by landscapes when you are traveling, for example, in a taxi from Istanbul to the airport, because the driver can turn off the meter unnoticed by you.
- If this is your first time in the city, you should at least look in advance at the Internet and figure out the direction in which you should go.
- If the driver does not know the route and begins to search for it, migrating from street to street, ask to immediately stop the counter - this will save a lot of money.
- Do not be surprised that the ride will be very fast, because some taxi drivers in Turkey forget about traffic rules and rush along the road at an incredible speed.
- Think a hundred times before you catch a taxi with a baby in your arms. Drivers in Istanbul are constantly honking one another, and literally in about 20 minutes the head will crack even in an adult, not to mention small children.
- Consider the fact that often taxis are physically unable to drive close to the entrance to the hotel or hotel. You need to be prepared for the fact that you have to drag a suitcase or hire a porter.
In addition to other recommendations, experienced travelers are advised not to order a hotel taxi, as usually unofficial services are signed for it, which cost much more. In this case, it’s better to take the metro or shuttle bus.