Home
Search
Maps of Turkey
Photo Gallery

Where to Go
When to Go
Where to Stay
What It Costs
Turkish Money
Transport
FAQ-Travel Details

Best Itineraries
Guided Tours
Travel Agency
Unusual Trips
Consultations

TTP Forums
Funny Stuff
Shopping
Site Index
Bright Sun

Istanbulkart is an RFID "electronic wallet" card to be used in Istanbul, Turkey. (Similar RFID cards are used in many other cities: Oyster Card in London, Navigo in Paris, Charlie Card in Boston, etc.)

The first and obvious use of the Istanbulkart is as a transit pass: you place the card near a fare point (say, at a Metro or ferryboat turnstile, or when boarding a city bus) and the amount of your fare is deducted from the card.

The Istanbulkart is sold at commercial kiosks (little stands that sell newspapers, snacks, cigarettes, chewing gum, etc.) near major transit stops such as Eminönü, Sultanahmet, Beyazıt/Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar), Taksim Square, etc. (The easiest place to find one is probably Eminönü.) Look for the word Akbil or phrase Akbil Dolum Noktası (Akbil Refill Point) on kiosks—they'll probably have Istanbulkarts to sell and load.

You pay TL10 for the card itself, then you can have any amount of fare credit loaded onto it. I'd suggest TL10 in credit (about six fares) for a single traveler, or TL20 for a couple. Here are the fares.

The Istanbulkart, which is supposed to replace the older Akbil transit pass, benefits from discounted fares. More...

There's lots more coming: the Istanbulkart project envisions that eventually the Istanbulkart will be used to pay for parking fees, taxi fares, admission to museums, cinemas, theaters and other cultural venues, and even for personal identification.

Although at present you must buy your Istanbulkart from a human in a kiosk, you can recharge it with credit at some of the fare machines located near major transit stops and ferry docks.