Transport
Transport for speakers staying at the hotel will be arranged.
Instructions on how to get to Bogazici University Campus can be found here.
Campus map:
Albert Long Hall is in the
South Campus
(Click map for larger version)
Local Transportation: The possibilities are bus, boat, taxi
Taxis: Taxis are plentiful in Istanbul and are inexpensive by european standards. In this regard, Istanbul is easy for newcomers. No matter where you happen to get lost or run out of steam, you are likely to find an empty taxi to take you back to familiar surroundings. All taxis use meters; be sure the driver turns the meter on.
To the campus: asking for Etiler and then Bogazici Universty.
From the Campus: Drivers always recognize the major part of the city you want to go to (i.e. Taksim) and need that information in order to take you to some particular address.
Buses: The ticket is for getting on the bus, and it is not linked to your destination.
The ticket ("otobus bileti" or simply "bilet") cannot be purchased on the bus. At sizeable bus stops, such as the ones in Bebek or Rumeli Hisarustu, there is a booth that sells bus tickets so. It is convenient to buy a group of tickets so that, if you need a bus at a small bus stop, you avoid the problem of trying to find a ticket.
The colors of buses are irrelevant. What is relevant is the destination sign on the front of the bus, and sign on the right side (next to the entrance door) which describes its route.
These signs also have route numbers. The bus-stops usually have the location displayed on the sign. With a city map, you can follow where the bus is going by noting these signs.
To campus: Upper Road: You want a bus that says Rumeli Hisarustu on the font. With a bit of experience, you will also be able to make use of buses that say Etiler or Levent.
For the upper road, your destination is one stop before the end of the line.
From campus: Upper Road: From Rumeli Hisarustu virtually all buses go to Taksim, Besiktas or Eminonu. All of them go through Etiler and Levent.
Lower, Coastal Road: This line is for either Taksim or Eminonu via Besiktas.
Boats: The boat dock is at Bebek. This is a very pleasant way to travel, less crowded during rush hour than one would expect, and also a rapid way to get downtown on a weekday morning. Weekdays there are two early morning boats which go to Eminonu. Along the way they stop at Ortakoy and Besiktas. The schedule is posted at the dock, inside the waiting room. You purchase a token from the ticket window at the dock. If the boat comes and ticket windows is closed, then a boat worker will sell you the token. Going south, the final destination is Eminonu. These boats dock at a particular landing. To return from there, study the schedule posted inside the waiting room and look for boats that return to Bebek.
It is advised to use Akbil (Smart Ticket) for buses and boats. You can buy credits for your Akbil from the Akbil office in front of the Bogazici University bus stop.