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A yellow taxi on a narrow, busy Istanbul street lined with shops and signs.
Layover guideIstanbul · IST

Ride-hailing in Istanbul

iTaksi is the city council's own app, it dispatches taxis registered to the system, and the only pickup points the airport publishes are the taxi ranks.

PattayaPatrol / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
All of Istanbul

iTaksi is run by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), not a private operator. It dispatches vehicles registered to the system, which can be tracked remotely.

Payment can be made by credit card, İstanbulkart or cash, and the method can be changed during the trip with the driver's approval. Vehicles carry an emergency button, GPS tracking and a security camera that can be integrated with İBB's public transport control and management centre. Recordings from the in-car camera stay in the vehicle.

iGA's transport page publishes no separate app pickup zone. The pickup points it lists are the taxi ranks on the arrivals floor at exit gates 9 and 13, and the stands at the Plaza-section exit doors.

The FCDO is blunt about the alternative: accepting lifts from drivers of unofficial taxis is highly risky. Find a registered taxi, note the registration number before you get in, and make sure the fare is metered.

  1. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB): iTaksi · checked 2026-08-17
  2. iGA Istanbul Airport: taxis and other urban transport · checked 2026-08-17
  3. UK FCDO: Turkey travel advice, safety and security · checked 2026-08-17

The rest of Istanbul

The whole guide
Getting out of the airportMetered taxis run 24 hours from the arrivals floor, the airport metro station is inside the terminal, and the city publishes every fare on the line.Local laws that catch crew outCarry photo ID at all times, keep opinions about Turkey off your phone, and treat antiquities and cheap spirits as the two quiet ways to ruin a trip.Staying connectedA handset brought from abroad works on a Turkish network for 120 days from your date of entry, then the regulator cuts it off unless the device is registered.WeatherMild marine climate: warm dry summers (~25C), cool wet winters (~7C) with occasional snow; December is the wettest month.Eating near the crew hotelsWaterfront street food at Eminonu/Karakoy and Ortakoy, late-night eats around Taksim, and Kadikoy across the water; lokantas are the cheap fixed-price feed.What to buyGrand Bazaar for jewelry, carpets and leather (haggle, always), Spice Bazaar for edibles; VAT refund at Tax Free shops, claimed at IST or SAW before departure.TippingNot obligatory but appreciated; around 10-15% in restaurants, round up taxis, and tip in cash since cards usually cannot carry the tip.