The Istanbul Card is a card that reduces transportation costs by 20%!
You may wonder how can we see a reduction in the cost of the trip to Istanbul by buying a card that we have to pay a fee for?
Millions of people travel to Istanbul every year, and have difficulty estimating costs related to transportation, tourism and online shopping, to meet this challenge.
The Turkish government has introduced smart tourism cards so that travelers can buy them so that they have a clear and detailed plan for their travel expenses, so we assure you that after reading this article, you will keep your card even after your return from Istanbul.
What is the Istanbul Tourist Card or Istanbul Card ?
The truth is that by buying and shipping a tourist card in Istanbul, you can see a decrease in transportation costs, attractions, online services around the clock, and Internet use in this Turkish city. Given the importance of the Istanbul Card for travelers, we have decided to answer all questions related to buying an Istanbul Card.
The Istanbul Tourist Card is a smart card used to pay public transport fees, this card was introduced in March 2009 and eventually replaced the Akbil electronic ticket, the size of this card resembles a credit card, so it can be easily placed in the wallet, and the recharge amount is paid in advance and can be recharged easily.
Benefits and applications that benefit you with the Istanbul Tourist Card :
Among the facilities provided by the Istanbul Card for travelers:
- Free internet citywide
- Online guide 24 hours a day
- Free service from airport to accommodation
- Free entertainment experience specified for the card
- Free shipping or with special citywide discounts
- Free visit to the attractions and museums specified for the card
How to buy the Istanbul Card ?
There are many ways to obtain this card, you can buy this card in kiosks inside metro stations, buses, airports, newspaper kiosks in the city, and also online from sites selling Istanbul cards, and we will talk about the conditions in each of the mentioned centers, so there is no need to worry.
What is the price of the Istanbul Card ?
As you can see by purchasing this card, you can achieve a significant reduction in costs, and the cost that you have to pay to buy a tourist card in Istanbul is equal to 6 liras, and it should be noted that there is no fee in this card, of course, this means that you can charge the card is as much as you need after purchase.
Ways to charge Istanbul card :
Charging Istanbul Card through ATMs :
One of the ways to charge the tourist card is to use ATMs, you can easily charge your tourist card in Istanbul inside metro stations through these devices, but how?
First, you have to place your Istanbul card in the glass place of the device, which also contains the image of the card. To recharge, you can enter the largest number of banknotes you want and watch the balance of the card and recharge, which is done automatically after placing the banknotes, and the point that you should pay attention about the banknotes that are in a good situation and without any folds and are necessarily in the Turkish lira currency.
Charging the Istanbul Tourist Card in metro kiosks and newspaper shops :
Another way to buy this tourist card is to go to newsstands or the metro and buses and buy a tourist card in Istanbul, you won’t have any difficult process of buying or shipping, you can easily do your business by paying the Turkish lira.
Is it possible to charge the Istanbul Card online ?
Yes, if you want to buy this card online, you can go to the following website http://istanbultouristpass.com.
The way to get the card is that after the purchase process on the site, an email is sent to the buyer containing a link and code to activate the card.
What vehicles can be used with the Istanbul Card ?
For the convenience of the passengers, all public transportation in Istanbul are eligible to use the Istanbul Card, and these means include Metro trains, trams, metrobus, buses, boats, TCS, airports (or Havabas, which is the airport bus), and cruise ships including sightseeing tours and denture.
What is the effect of using the Istanbul Card on transportation in Turkey ?
Through this article, we insisted on helping you reduce the average cost of your trip, especially transportation with the tourist card, now we want to prove that.
In general, the cost of each metro line for the passenger is 2.6 Turkish liras, and with this tourist card this cost decreases by up to 50% on the same day.
For example, when riding the subway, 2.6 liras is deducted from your card at the first gate, but with the difference that for the second time only 1.8 lira is reduced, and if it was in the same day and in a period of time less than two hours from each gate that you pass by using the same card, only 1.4 Turkish liras will be deducted from your card.
In this way, for your fourth and fifth trip on the same day, the cost will be less than one lira.
With all these descriptions, isn’t this an economic solution to get an Istanbul card from for your trip?
Is it possible to use the Istanbul Card as a group ?
Yes, you do not need to buy several cards, because with one card, five people can travel.
After the first passenger pays his fare with this card, he must wait a few seconds and then the next person uses this card again, of course we advise not to use more than three Persons for this card.
Does the Istanbul Card expire ?
Yes, this card is valid for two years from the time it was obtained.
What do you do with your card after the flight ? Bring it back or keep it ?
Now the question is what to do with the Istanbul card after returning from the trip? You could sell your card at the end of the trip, but why would you do that?
If you are one of the people interested in Istanbul, you can keep your card to use on your next trip.
Note that this card is valid for two years, if you do not want to go to this city anymore, you can give it to your friends and acquaintances.
In addition to the Istanbul card, to reduce the cost of your trip to Istanbul, you can also use the Istanbul Museum card and buy it to pay less for tourism and visit the museums of this city.
