Air: Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, Distance to city: 23 km

Airlines (complete listing of airlines servicing Istanbul)

Bus: The Turkish bus system is comprehensive and you can get about anywhere from anywhere. Fares are low. Simply show up at the bus station (“otogar”) and announce your destination.

Bus/Van Lines (complete listing of bus/van lines servicing Istanbul)

Limousine Services

Ferry: Istanbul offers public transportation by ferry, along the bosphorus.  You can cross the straights quickly and inexpensively wihout having to fight traffic on the often crowded bridges.

Innercity Transportation: Istanbul offers a variety of public transportation, such as public busses, trams, mini-busses, taxi cabs and dolmus. 

Dolmus:

Dolmus literally means "filled up". Dolmus is a large cab, a station wagon, a regular taxi or a minibus hat travels a certain route.  Most major public transportation stations have a dolmus station, where you just take a seat in the dolmus that travels your desired route. The driver will wait until the dolmus is full, before the journey begins. Passengers pay according to the distance traveled and can get in and out whenever and wherever they want to by informing the driver.  It is a very practical means of transport and much cheaper than a taxi. The dolmus fares are determined by municipalities according to distances.

Taxis:

Taxis are numerous all over Turkey and are recognizable by their yellow color and lighted "taxi" signs on top. Each taxi is metered and there are two different rates. After midnight (24:00) till morning (06:00) it will cost 50% more than the daytime fare. Additional expenses like ferryboat or bridge crossing fees are extra to passengers. Tipping is not necessary, however leaving the change or rounding up the fare is customary. Ferry Boats The busy city of Istanbul sits on the shores of Europe and Asia. Many of the inhabitants live on one continent but work, study or socialize on the other. Apart from the two bridges on the Bosphorus, ferry boats are the only means to connect the two continents and are therefore vital. It is different in Izmir where ferry boats provide an easy option with which to cross the Bay of Izmir. The ferry service is reliable and peaceful operating throughout the day and until midnight.

Sea Buses:

With fewer boats than the ferry boat system these fast and smooth services by air conditioned power boats offer very efficient commuting from one point to another across Istanbul's Bosphorus. More expensive than the ferry boats they also offer light snacks and beverages.