Turkish Airlines THY run competitive flights to Istanbul from all over the world, alongside the major national carriers, though in some cases from other continents it may prove worthwhile to take a cheaper flight into Europe and to take a connecting flight from there.
On arrival at lstanbul Ataturk Airport there is a rapidly improving bus service (HAVAS) to take you through Aksaray to Taksim. Or you can use Rail system (M1, T1, F1) to reach Sultanahmet or Taksim from Airport. Also, you may always use your attentive taxi driver, which is not too expensive either.
Getting from the Atatürk International Airport to Sultanahmet or Taksim by public transport is cheap and easy. Take the Metro (M1) service from Airport six stops to Zeytinburnu 1.40YTL (Euro0.65), from where you connect with the tram (T1) that takes you directly to Sultanahmet – about 50 minutes all up. Shuttle buses also operate, including the HAVAŞ airport bus (10YTL - Euro5, 35 minutes to one hour, half-hourly), which goes to Taksim Sq via Aksaray. Sultanahmet travel agencies and hostels book minibuses in the other direction for around 8.5YTL (Euro4) a head. A taxi between the Atatürk International Airport and Sultanahmet or Taksim Sq costs around 30YTL (Euro13), more between midnight and 6am or if there’s heavy traffic.
