Practical Info

Getting to FG:  Kandilli Campus is reachable by public transportation most easily from Kadikoy (blue dot in the map above, bus line 14R: Kadikoy-Rasathane) and Uskudar (bus line 15R:Uskudar-Rasathane). The bus stops are close to the respective ferry stations. The trip takes around 30-45 minutes depending on the traffic. You have to get off at the stop: “Yalnız Selvi Caddesi”. Bus timetables are available here. From Uskudar there are also Talimhane-Rasathane minibuses (called “dolmuş” in Turkish) that depart in front of the ferry station.

If you stay at the main/South campus of Bogazici University, you may take the Asiyan-Anadolu Hisari-Kucuksu ferry from the Asiyan ferry stop. It is located very close to the Bebek guest house of Bogazici University where we have reserved a few rooms. You should get off at “Anadolu Hisari” which is the first stop. The trip takes about 10 minutes. From Anadolu Hisari you reach Kandilli Campus after a short taxi ride. The taxi stop is next to the ferry station. Most taxi drivers will understand the destination more easily if you tell them “Kandilli Rasathanesi (Observatory)”.  Alternatively you may take the bus 14R (in the Kadikoy direction) from the "Bogazici Universitesi Anadolu Kampusu" bus stop which is in 6 minutes walking distance to the ferry station. You should get off at “Yalnız Selvi Caddesi”. There is a bus every 10-15 minutes. Ferry timetables are available here.

You must use “IstanbulKart” to pay in all types of public transportation (bus, ferry, metro, etc.) except minibuses and taxis where you usually pay with cash. You can purchase the Istanbulkart from subway, tram, ferry, metrobus and funicular stations via the yellow/blue vending machines or ticket-matics, and via kiosks located by the majority of the public bus stops. You may charge them as much as you want from the same vending machines. There is also a mobile app of the Municipality for the Istanbulkart, where you can use and load credits online. The price of the card is roughly 2.5 Euro and 1 ride is about 0.5 Euro.

Taxis in Istanbul are less expensive compared to Europe. Note that cabs run on meter, and typically we do not tip cab drivers. At airports there are 3 types of taxis with different colors. We recommend yellow ones which are the cheapest. Blue and black taxis are for larger groups and they are more expensive. In general it is advised to take taxis from taxi stops instead of those simply passing by in the street.

You can find the Istanbul metro map here. 

Airports:  There are two international airports in Istanbul. The one on the European side is called “Istanbul Airport”  and the one on the Anatolian side is called “Sabiha Gokcen Airport”. They are quite far from the central areas of the city and hence it is convenient to arrive at the one that is on the same side as your hotel. There are two major local airlines: Turkish Airlines (uses both airports) and Pegasus  (uses only Sabiha Gokcen Airport).

Accommodation: There are no hotels in the immediate vicinity of the Kandilli Campus. For those not staying at the Bebek guest house on the South Campus of Bogazici University we suggest to choose a hotel in the Kadikoy area, at a walking distance to the ferry/bus station. The bus station for the 14R bus line is on the street called “Rihtim Caddesi” which is very close to the ferry station. On the map it is indicated as “IETT Otobus Peronlari”. Shuttles from/to the Sabiha Gokcen Airport arrive at the same street as well (on the map this is indicated as “Havabus”). It is also possible to reach Kadikoy from Sabiha Gokcen airport by the metro line M4 which takes about 1 hour. Kadikoy is a lively neighborhood with a variety of restaurants and cafes. Moreover, more touristic areas (such as Sultanahmet or Karakoy) are very easy to reach using ferries.

Hotels in walking distance to Uskudar ferry station could also be considered. The bus stop for the line 15R (indicated on the map as “IETT Uskudar Peron Amirligi”) as well as the Talimhane-Rasathane minibus stop are in front of the ferry station.

Finally, if you prefer less crowded areas you may consider hotels along the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus strait. Cengelkoy and Beylerbeyi districts are recommended in particular for being pretty and close to the Kandilli Campus.

Electricity: Turkey operates on 220 Volts, 50 Hz, with round-prong European-style plugs that fit into recessed wall sockets/points.

Water: Most people don't drink tap water in Istanbul. You can buy 0.5-liter bottles of water for about 0.4 Euro.

Tipping at restaurants: It is optional. Most people tip around 5-10%.

Exchanging money: It is very easy in Istanbul. There are many exchange offices in shopping areas. They do not charge any commission. The spread (i.e., the difference between the buying and selling prices) is around 2%. The spread at the exchange offices at the airport will be slightly worse. You can also of course withdraw TL from ATMs which are everywhere in the city, but they will charge you an ATM fee (a few euros) and their spread will be even worse.

Credit cards:  Almost every restaurant and store will accept Visa and MasterCard. American Express is not as common.

Blackboard vs. projector: In the seminar room that we will use, there are multiple blackboards and a projector screen. It is possible to use the projector and write on the boards at the same time.

Wireless internet: Eduroam is available on the Campus. At certain places on the Campus there is also free wireless internet for guests.

Visa to Türkiye: You may check whether you need a visa to enter Türkiye at the web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye. In case you do, then obtaining one is usually not difficult. It is possible to obtain an e-visa online before departure and this is the recommended route. It remains an option to obtain the visa on arrival at the airport. Once you land in Istanbul, there will be a desk just before passport control. There you pay a visa fee (price depends on nationality) and get a stamp. (Note that there might be exceptions. Please double-check if you are not a US or EU citizen.)

General Visitors Information on Istanbul: More information on Istanbul for a variety of topics can be found in some popular guide books such as: Fodor’s, Frommers, Lonely Planet or TimeOut.