How To Reach Istanbul

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Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport is the city's and also Turkey's primary and busiest airport. It is extremely well connected to major cities all over the globe. The national carrier Turkish Airlines connects Istanbul to most of these destinations, along with several other international airlines.

The first 5 numbered motorways, 0. 1 through 0. 5 all connect Istanbul to various cities in Turkey. The motorways are toll roads and the HGS (Jump System) is used to pay for tolls.

Istanbul is fairly well connected to cities in the country via the rail network. A high speed train line also connects Istanbul to the capital city of Ankara. Trains to Istanbul are also available from European destinations. However, these take a lot of time and are now not a popular mode of transport.

There are several bus routes connecting Istanbul to international destinations such as Romania, Bulgaria, Greece in Europe and Syria and Iran in the Middle-east. Domestically, there are several bus services connect Istanbul to nearby cities.

Istanbul is decently connected to nearby European countries via sea. The cruise liners and ferries usually dock at Karakoy port, or downtown.