I’m flying into Istanbul next week and need to get to Ümraniye, where some friends of mine live. It’ll be my first time in Istanbul, and I have no idea how the public transportation system works. Back home, I’m used to simple routes, but I’ve heard that Istanbul is a whole different story. Without some preparation, it’s easy to get lost. Apparently, the city is divided into two parts, with the airport on one side and Atasehir on the other, which makes things even more complicated. Has anyone traveled this route before? Which is more convenient, public transportation or a taxi?

I’d also like to know if there’s a direct route, or if I’ll have to transfer. Atasehir is on the Asian side. I don't understand how that relates to the airport, which is on the European side. Are there public transportation options that cross the Bosphorus? If not, do I have to take the bridge? How much extra time would that add?

This year, I flew to visit a friend in Atasehir via Istanbul. It’s a long way, and you can’t just get there; you have to use different modes of transportation. However, there’s plenty of information about this online, so planning ahead is totally possible. I looked up transportation options from Istanbul International Airport on a helpful website. The website covered all transportation options from the airport, including Havaist bus routes and metro stations. I took the metro from IST to Geyrettepe Station, transferred, and crossed the bridge to the Asian side to reach Atasehir. Overall, the trip takes about an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the time of day. A taxi is faster but can get stuck in traffic during rush hour, which makes it much more expensive than the metro. Are you flying with a lot of luggage?