In Istanbul, there are many things to do and many places to see, and there are also many local transportation options for traveling around the city. In this article, we dig into the oldest but still functioning underground transportation vehicle of Istanbul: the Funicular.
A funicular is a cable railway system that connects places along a railway track. The system of the funicular is built within two counterbalanced carriages that are permanently attached to one another with a haulage cable, and it provides a way to loop around the beginning and the endpoints defined. The name comes from the Latin language, where funis mean rope.
Although Istanbul is a massive city with many different local transportations, the funicular lines are not as much as metro lines. There are a few funicular lines, and a few planned to be built in the near future. The funiculars are primarily located in the very center spots of Istanbul. For now, they only exist in the European side of the city. Here are the funicular lines you’ll need while discovering Istanbul.
Taksim - Kabatas (F1) line: This line might be the most popular line of Istanbul’s funicular lines. As you might already know, Taksim is one of the most preferred places by tourists when visiting Istanbul. The F1 line, which consists of Taksim and Kabatas, will allow you to hop on a ferry to cross between the Asian and European sides from Kabatas Pier, enjoy the air of the sea, and the Bosphorus sightseeing and crossing to the Taksim Square in only 3 minutes.
Sishane - Karakoy (F2) line: Sishane - Karakoy funicular line would be the next most popular funicular in Istanbul. Just like the F1 line, you can also enjoy the air of the sea and a Bosphorus tour with the ferry lines in Karakoy. You can pass quickly to Sishane, which is the continuation of Taksim Square and Istiklal Avenue.
These are the main two actively running funicular lines. There is also a funicular line that connects a large shopping mall named Vadistanbul and Seyrantepe (F3 line). Both of the places are not much in the city center.
You can visit many places in the city center of the European side of Istanbul while using the funicular lines. The places you may visit are mentioned above but not limited to them. You can use other local transportation services such as the metro and metrobus to broaden the places you’d like to visit while discovering Istanbul. You can wander around Istiklal Avenue and do some shopping or just sit in local cafes and enjoy the delicious Turkish food and coffee. You may even want to check the cafes where you can request fortune-telling. They are prevalent, especially in the Taksim district with the funicular.
The frequency of the funicular lines depends on the demand. But fortunately, both popular lines of Karakoy - Sishane (F2 line) and Taksim - Kabatas (F1 line) are very frequent. The funicular of both lines passes through every 5 minutes from each way. The F1 funicular line works between 6 AM and 12 AM, while the F2 line works between 7 AM and 11 PM.
Also, keep in mind that you will need a transportation card called Istanbulkart or a one-way pass ticket. Suppose you are visiting Istanbul for more than 3 days. In that case, we suggest you get an Istanbulkart as this card’s fee is way cheaper than one-way tickets in terms of transportation in Istanbul. Keep in mind that the one-way pass ticket costs you around 13 Turkish liras.
As Istanbul is a huge city, so is its local transportation! There are many local transportation opportunities to make your discovery easier in many ways! Let’s check the main transportations in Istanbul:
1. Ferry Lines: Ferries are used mainly for crossing between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
2. Metrobus Line: It is a transportation service that functions 24/7. The Metrobus line of Istanbul is very long, and you can also travel between both sides of Istanbul with the metrobus line.
3. Metro Lines: Istanbul has around 10 different lines, and some are connected with each other.
4. Tram Lines: Trams are very similar to metrobus, but trams always have their own way, just like trains. The European side of Istanbul has 3 different tram lines while the Asian side has only 1 line.
5. Bus Lines: There are hundreds of bus lines in Istanbul, and unfortunately, there is no popular line as all the lines are very much essential. The lines you choose would depend on where you’d like to visit.
6. Marmaray: This is the newest transportation line. There is only one line of Marmaray, but it also goes between both sides.
You can use Istanbulkart for all local transportations. The transportation fee may vary between the transportation options. If you want to explore the whole city of Istanbul, we recommend you to get an Istanbul map where it shows the transportation opportunities and the shortest transportation ways.
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