Monday
14 Sep 2014
10:00
Destination
Kabataş
for
$5
Istanbul is surrounded and divided by water. Because of this you’ll see a bustling activity of floating devices on the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and in the Golden Horn. A whole array of water-borne craft, ranging from privately owned (fishing) boats, over regular ferries (vapur) to a fleet of high-speed catamaran sea buses (deniz otobüsü).
İDO, Istanbul’s Fast Ferry and Sea Bus Company, is the market leader and offers visitors and locals alike probably the most relaxing and quickest way of transportation available in Istanbul. Whether you want to go up and/or down the Bosphorus, travel between the European and Asian shores, or make a short trip to the Princes’ Islands, they have a suitable and cheap solution for all of this.
On the Asian side, the main piers are located in Kadıköy (to Beşiktaş, Eminönü, Karaköy and the Princes’ Islands) and in Üsküdar (towards Beşiktaş, Eminönü and Kabataş).
The interior of the high-speed catamaran ferries or sea buses resemble aircraft cabins, with long rows of comfortable seats and air-conditioning. The main docks are Bostancı and Kadıköy on the Asian side, and Kabataş, Yenikapı and Bakırköy on the European side. As a tourist, chances are you’ll only use this ferry type to reach the Princes’ Islands from the Kabataş pier.
