Bostancı transfer and taxi by the Princes' Islands ferries

Bostancı sits on the Marmara shore between Suadiye and Maltepe. It is mainly residential and an important transport interchange, with Marmaray trains, the M4 and M8 metro lines and ferries to the Princes' Islands.

It is generally seen as the starting point of Bağdat Avenue, the long shopping street that runs west towards Kadıköy. The shore has several fish restaurants, and food places near the pier stay open late into the night.

For visitors planning a day on the islands, Bostancı is a practical base: the pier is a short walk from the hotels near the shore.

The neighbourhood was once a stop on the old road from Istanbul into Anatolia, and the railway station near the shore is now part of the Marmaray line.

The area around the pier and the station is busy, with buses and minibuses pulling in and out. The driver stops at the nearest legal point to your hotel rather than on the main junction.

Along Bağdat Avenue, parking is scarce and the avenue is often slow. Hotels and apartments on the side streets are usually easier to reach than those right on it.

If your accommodation is in Suadiye or Caddebostan, a little to the west, the fare is the same; put the neighbourhood name in the booking with the address.

Most residential streets behind the shore are quiet enough for an easy stop.

At SAW or IST, the driver waits right at the exit door you come out of, holding a printed sign with your name. We track the flight, and you are never charged for a delay.

Going back, Bostancı to Sabiha Gökçen measures about 29 km and 23 minutes in free traffic, and Bostancı to Istanbul Airport about 58 km and 49 minutes. The coastal motorway can be congested at commuting times.

If you have the choice for your return flight, SAW is both closer and cheaper from Bostancı.

From IST the van crosses the strait and then runs south-east along the Asian side; at commuting hours, that second half can take longer than the crossing itself.

Pay the driver at your destination: euros, pounds or lira in cash, or Visa and Mastercard on the terminal in the car, contactless included. Nothing is charged in advance.

All luggage is included; tell us the number of suitcases so we send the right vehicle. Free child seats for Bostancı rides: just give the children's ages.

A return between SAW and Bostancı in the Eco Van is €100. Questions before booking can go to WhatsApp with Bostancı as the destination.

Golf bags, pushchairs and folding wheelchairs are carried free when they fit the vehicle.