Different Boat and Ferries of Istanbul

Let us see the different ferry and boat options in Istanbul together. In this crowded and lively life, the city of Istanbul has developed itself and managed to have exceptional transportation infrastructures. Thanks to these local transportation services, tourists who come to discover Istanbul do not lose their peace of mind while traveling quickly. 

Types of Transport

Local transportation services in Istanbul are very diverse and are designed to meet the needs of everyone, local and foreign, regardless of the time. People from all over the city can quickly and cheaply use a local transportation service to discover Istanbul. Although the use of taxis and private vehicles is also quite common in the city, especially in recent years, people who want to escape from the city's traffic have given more weight to using local transportation services.

It is possible to choose local transportation services by land or by sea for transportation in Istanbul. By transferring between these vehicles, whichever transportation system is closer to the region where you live, you can quickly and easily get to the place you want to arrive. Discovering Istanbul will thus take place in a way that does not make you nervous, even though you are not very familiar with the city.

If you want to make your choice in favor of a land route for transportation in Istanbul, there are options such as metrobus, bus, metro, taxi, and tram. The metro is the fastest among these options due to its rail system and the most preferred by people living in Istanbul. The metro, bus, and tram stops are diverse and very developed, so you can clarify where you want to arrive before you go. Another system you can use to discover Istanbul is sea transportation, and it is the most convenient method for exploring the natural beauties of the city. Thanks to sea transportation, you can explore the Bosphorus, one of the most tourist-attracting areas of Istanbul and witness the unique greenery area. 

Therefore, if you want both fast transportation and a peaceful travel option with a view, you should put the sea route for transportation in Istanbul in the first place. There are options such as sea taxi, steamboat, and ferry for those who want to travel by sea branch of local transport services. Istanbul even names the boat and ferries under service and uses some of the ones discarded as touristic attractions. The name of the boat and ferries may derive from important historical figures, attractions, or even artists!

Seaway Transportation

One of the most popular tourist centers in Istanbul is the Princes’ Islands near the city, easily accessible via boat and ferries. Transportation to the islands has become more accessible than ever today thanks to such options as steamboats and ferries and is carried out almost every hour. In particular, Istanbul's City Line steamboats offer the opportunity to tour the Bosphorus at a low cost by departing from widely used piers such as Eminonu, Karakoy, Kadikoy, Uskudar, Besiktas.

Ferries are one of the most popular means of sea transportation in Istanbul besides steamboats. Ferries also depart from various piers, and they are also vehicles that can be used within the borders of the Marmara Region on intercity trips. Ferries have been operated by an institution called IDO for many years and provide short-term intercity trips by sea. If you want to explore the cities close to Istanbul and use the sea route while doing so, let's look at the detailed information about ferries.

Ferries And Boats

Istanbul Marine Enterprises (IDO) is one of the local transportation services in Istanbul and provides transportation for you to different places you want to explore in the Marmara Region. On Saturdays and weekdays, IDO Ferries provide transportation for Harem-Sirkeci lines between 05:00 in the morning and 11: 00 at night. If you want to take your vehicle with you when crossing from Istanbul to another city such as Bursa or Yalova, the use of a ferry is just for you. Ferries use the Harem-Sirkeci and Eskihisar-Topçular lines for their services, and the latter option is available 24 hours a day on weekdays.

Ferries stop at Eskihisar, Topçular, Yalova, Bandırma, Bursa, Marmara Island, Avşa Island, Çınarcık, Armutlu Holiday Village, Kumla and Esenköy piers in the Marmara Region. Sariyer, Besiktas, Bakırköy, Kabataş, Istinye, Sarıyer, Küçükçekmece, Sirkeci, Avcılar and Büyükçekmece are the piers where you can take the ferry on the European side of Istanbul. If you want to take the ferry from the Anatolian side, you can use the Harem, Kadıköy, Bostancı, Maltepe, Pendik, Kartal, Beykoz, Burgazada, Kınalıada, Heybeliada, Büyükada, and Tuzla piers.

Ferry tickets are 14,50 Turkish Liras. Still, if you own an Istanbulcard that you use for transportation within Istanbul, it is 14,50 TL for full tickets, 7,00 TL for students, and 10,50 TL for the social type of Istanbulkart. If you want to use the Harem-Sirkeci ferry line at these prices, you need to pay for the vehicles next to you, except for bicycles. For example, 20,00 TL is taken from motorcycles, 40,00 TL is taken from cars and minivans, and 46,00 TL is taken from minibusses. It is possible to get your ferry tickets from the IDO website, call centers, terminals, and the IDO Mobile application.