Taxis in Istanbul
Taxis are one of the quickest and cheapest ways of getting around Istanbul. A normal journey should cost between 8 TL (US$ 0.20) and 12 TL (US$ 0.30).
Some taxi drivers in Istanbul are a little wild with their driving, and if you've only travelled around Europe it might be a little worrying. If you would like your driver to slow down, "yavaş gidin" is the phrase you need.
Advice
Although Istanbul is not too 'wild west' when it comes to scams and overcharging, here are some pieces of advice to take into account when taking a taxi in Istanbul.
- If possible, book your taxi from your hotel or restaurant.
- Only take official taxis, they are painted yellow and have Taksi written on them and have digital counters.
- Make sure that the meter is up and running, if they don't put it on, get out of the taxi
- The fare is not fixed, if they try to charge you a fixed rate, it's most likely more than the real price.
- Indicate your destination on a map, many taxi drivers don't speak English
- Make sure you're given the correct change: and if your driver has none, wait for them to get some, many drivers say they don't have small change.
Prices
The base fare in Istanbul taxis is 19.17 TL (US$ 0.60), and the price per km is 12.89 TL (US$ 0.40). If the taxi is waiting for more than 5 minutes, 2.20 TL (US$ 0.10) will be added per minute. The minimum price for a journey is 70 TL (US$ 2).
If the taxi crosses the Bosphorus, the client must pay the toll.
