Below, you will find practical information on your itinerary from the customs at the Atatürk Airport
to Bosphorus University ("Boğaziçi Üniversitesi" in Turkish), where the İMBM is located. The Atatürk Airport
is not the only airport in İstanbul, but we do not have information about the other one (Sabiha Gökçen).
In fact, we do NOT recommend the use of the Sabiha Gökçen Airport, it is too far. The itinerary information
that we provide below is restricted to a very special public transportation line consisting of a combination
of metro lines. It is safe, simple to use, cheap, fairly confortable, the fastest unless you take a taxi late at night,
and allows an agreeable sightseeing experience. For alternatives, and more on life once you are on campus,
please refer to the "How to" page of İMBM.

Towards the metro entrance

Let's start our journey. The starting point is the exit door of the customs area. Make sure you are done with all
your customs area activities, there is no return. As soon as you leave the customs through the sliding doors, walk
to the right. For a few meters, mostly on your left, but also in front of you because of the impatient ones,
you will be seeing people waiting for passengers. There may be few or a lot. When you pass them, keep following
the same direction. The Metro signs should help you. If you are walking in the right direction, you should see
on your right, first the "Meeting Point" ("Buluşma noktası"), then Caffè Nero. After these, you quickly reach
the escalators. There, you "walk" downstairs to the underground of the arrival terminal.

At the end of your descent, you walk to the right, towards the glass doors . When you walk through these,
you will be in a rather spatious hall and you should go to the right. This is the direction of the metro entrance.
On your way you will see, in the middle, some shopping stands, and finally, by the opposite wall, a ticket salespoint.
There, you can buy an İstanbul Kart. Or not... Read below before deciding.

İstanbul Kart

İstanbul Kart, as you can guess, is a useful card. You can use it on all public transportation means, be it buses,
subway, boats accross the Bosphorus, tramway. Some of the "public" buses and boats are owned by private companies,
the card is still usable. You will need, and it will suffice, to buy the anonymous standard card. Its initial cost
is 10 liras, 6 of which form the card fee. Thus, your initial card has 4 liras for traveling. But 4 liras will not
suffice for the trip from the airport to the campus. So, ask for a charge of 5 liras more. You will pay 15 liras (6+9).
The salesperson will do this quickly. Recharges can be made safely all around the city at newspaper stands or
charge machines (a photo is linked to below). As a result, you do not need charge your card much for the first time.
If you wish to be confortable for another day or two, you may want to go up to 20 liras (6+14).

For further information on İstanbul Kart, you can use this link.

The slight problem with the ticket salespoint is well-known: convenience price. The person there will
charge you 8 liras for the card, equivalently, the above arithmetic will become 10=8+2, 15=8+7, etc.
There is a remedy, unless the machine is broken, when you turn the corner and reach the metro entrance.
On your right, before the entrance point you will see recharge machines and the only card sales machine.
This one, being only a machine, has weaker tendency to breach commitments. In any case, no need to worry
if it is broken. Convenience price is not high: 2 liras.

For further use, recharge machines are available at all subway entrances and very practical to use
with explanations in several languages.

A unique metro experience

Past the vending machines, you will have your first experience with your card. Once you walk through
the payment counters (it will cost 2,30 liras), you will take the escalators down to the subway line.
It is M1, or more precisely M1A. Do not worry about the "A", M1B is not an airport metro. In fact, it is
hard to imagine a simpler metro trip than the one you are about to start. There is only one metro line,
you are at the first stop and you will get off at the last stop, namely Yenikapı. Thus, everything
is well-defined. Besides, you will not have difficulty to find seats and there is sufficient place
for your luggage. The trip is safe, but long, about 40 minutes. Sit by the window, and look around.
Nothing for tourists, but plain İstanbul, from crowded streets to industrial areas, from huge shopping
malls to large apartment complexes.

At Yenikapı, you will change to M2. The change will require another passage through payment
counters, and will cost 1,65 liras. Yenikapı is again a first stop. You should not have difficulty
to find a seat of your preference. Definitely sit by the window or stand up by the door, on the right side
of the travel direction if possible. Between Vezneciler and Şişhane you will cross the Golden Horn
with a view towards the Old City and Galata. If you are in luck, the metro will not be crowded and
you can also look to your left, westbound. This second part of the trip will end at the Levent metro stop.
It should take not more than 20 minutes. Be careful not to miss the stop. Levent is not a final stop.

At Levent, you will change to M6, the line Levent-Boğaziçi Üniversitesi. By now, you are an experienced
metro changer in İstanbul. As a reward, this second change costs 1,25 liras. Get off at the last stop
and leave the metro. This final part of your trip should last about 10 minutes. Once you are out, walk to the right
towards the roundabout. You will see the entrance of the South Campus ("Güney Kampüsü" in Turkish).
The remaining part of your trip to the İMBM is detailed here.

Here are some useful maps.

Otel Niza Park

In case you are staying at Otel Niza Park, the above travel information is still valid except that at Levent
there will not be a third change. Just get off the subway, and find your way using the detailed information
at this page. To reach the campus from Otel Niza Park, it will suffice to complete the travel described above.
Needless to say, the metro will cost 2,30 liras. You can also use buses if you prefer cheaper fares, and
want to see the neighborhood. We leave it to you to discover the details.

Changing money

No purchase is possible without money! And you will need some. At the airport, once you walk outside
the customs you will see many bank offices. Their exchange rates will not vary much. Make your choice.
The rates may not be so interesting as those proposed by private exchange bureaux in town. These are
abundant in İstanbul. The closest to İMBM known to us is Villa Döviz. We thank Zaniar Ghadernezhad
for this information. Do not hesitate to share information!