|
Istanbul's Banliyö Treni (suburban
train, from the French banlieue) is
a useful way to make several trips
in the city. In 2013 or 2014, these trains
will be incorporated into the new Marmaray
commuter rail system. More...
You use a jeton (token),
IstanbulKart
fare card or Akbil electronic
transit pass to ride the suburban
trains. Here's more on fares and how
to pay them.
There are two banliyö lines:
SİRKECİ-HALKALI
(European Side)
The line on the European side
of the Bosphorus goes
from Sirkeci
Station around Seraglio Point and
along the Sea
of Marmara shore to the western
suburb of Halkalı, with stops at:
Cankurtaran (4
minutes): closer to many small hotels
in the Cankurtaran and Ahırkapı hotel
districts than the Sultanahmet stop
on the Kabataş-Bağcılar
Tram line.
Kumkapı (7
minutes): a historic neighborhood filled
with seafood restaurants. More...
Yenikapı (9
minutes): main port for İDO fast
catamaran ferries going from
Old
Istanbul to Asian
suburbs, as well
as across the Sea
of Marmara to Yalova and Bandırma on
the south shore.
Yeşilyurt (29 minutes):
the closest station on this banliyö line
to Atatürk
International Airport. It's only
a 10-minute taxi ride from the Yeşilyurt station
to the airport terminals. More...
Florya (37 minutes):
the next station west after Yeşilyurt,
there's
a big swimming beach here,
popular in summer.
Trains depart about every 15 or 20
minutes from 05:45 am until 24:00 (midnight).
(Download
.pdf timetable)
The line on the Asian
shore of the Bosphorus runs
southeast from Haydarpaşa
Station through
the Sea
of Marmara suburbs passing Fenerbahçe
(8 minutes), Suadiye (17 minutes),
Bostancı (20 minutes), Kartal (39 minutes)
and Pendik (46 minutes) to Gebze (75
minutes), not far from Izmit
(Kocaeli).
Trains run about every 15 to 25 minutes
from 05:00 am until 24:00 (midnight).
(Download
.pdf timetable)
At Pendik you can
board a fast (car) ferry for the voyage
across the Gulf of Izmit in 40 minutes
to Yalova,
an alternative to a fast
catamaran passenger ferry from
Old
Istanbul's Yenikapı
dock direct
to Yalova.
If you find yourself on the Asian
shore of the Bosphorus headed
for Yalova, this may make sense.
|
