Istanbul otogar

I have been to Edirne 6 months ago. This is a mini review of this wonderful city. look at message number 25.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/europe-eastern-europe-the-caucasus/turkey/30-days-in-istanbul?page=3#post_21524868

You will enjoy the city. happy traveling

Thanks all for your input. As you can see Sarikanarya being half Turkish myself my Turkish is really quite good (not LOL)!

I have been told that I can get lost inside a phone booth, but it is physically impossible to get lost on the Metro leaving the airport. There is only one line going in and it is the same one going out so mistakes are physically impossible. There are token dispensers at the turnstiles which will take notes up to 20TL and give you back a pocketful of useful coins (toilets are not free in Turkey). There will be a map of the stops inside the trains cars and Otogar will be clearly shown and all stops announced before reaching the staiton. When you exit the Metro at the otogar, if you look even remotely like a tourist (and everyone does), a tout will greet you and ask where you are headed. These guys know the bus routes and schedules for every bus line going in and out of the station, so if you simply Edirne you'll be on the next available bus and heading out of Istanbul in record time.

Lots of travelers ignore these touts, but for a few Lira, they can really speed up the process, especially if you have no prior arrangements or a preferred bus line.

Just checked in here....

Metro Turizm say their buses leave from Bayrampasa, but actually they go from the Essenler Otogar (the 'Otogar' stop on the city Metro map) or, sometimes, just over a ramp that's on a slightly lower level.
Just rock up to Metro's main office at Essenler - in plenty of time, of course - and they'll either direct you to a shuttle or, more likely, the bus will pull up to a bay at the rear of that office.

The Metro Turizm offices have a distinctive cyan blue band of colour, with a thin red line below, and white writing. There are two of them, almost next door to each other, and they are in the centre of the 'ring'of bus offices - you can find them easily by walking out through the middle doors of the otogar building.
Buses returning to Istanbul go straight to their 'Bayrampasa' stop - then there are shuttles to take you up to the main office, or to Aksaray if you wish.

Thanks mothercourage for your information. I read a while back that another tourist wrote Metro Turizm will not let you sit with a companion of the opposite sex if you are not married. Is that true? The person who wrote it never confirmed back.

I have travelled to Turkey many times before so I understand a sole female will end up with a female seated next to her but what if I want to travel with a male friend? Are we going to be separated when seated? The travellers comment sounded rather strange, especially for tourists.

Sorry and just to clarify in my situation I will be the tourist, my male friend the local.

No that is not true.If you are travel companions then of course you can sit together....this isn't Afganistan!The misunderstanding here is that bus companies will not accept a booking from an unknown male to sit next to a female(as you know on web sites they always show different colours for seats booked by men and women),as a solo woman you would be seated alone or next to another woman,never a man.But when you are friends travelling and booking seats together there is no problem.

Thanks Sarikanarya - it sounded weird and I've never seen it before myself when travelling. It was a while back that the person posted it and you actually asked them to clarify but they didn't so I just thought I'd double check. I hope you are well.

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