Eminönü transfer and taxi by the Spice Bazaar

Eminönü is the busy commercial waterfront of the old city, now part of the Fatih district. Its main square is overlooked by the New Mosque and by the Spice Bazaar, Mısır Çarşısı, built in the seventeenth century as part of the mosque's complex.

Several ferry lines leave from the Eminönü waterfront for the Asian side and the Bosphorus, the T1 tram stops here, and the Galata Bridge crosses to Karaköy. Sirkeci lies just to the southeast, the shopping streets of Tahtakale and Mahmutpaşa just inland.

The Spice Bazaar was built with revenue from the Ottoman province of Egypt, which is where its Turkish name comes from. Today spice traders share the arcades with sweet shops, cheese sellers and souvenir stalls.

In daytime the streets behind the Spice Bazaar are among the most crowded in Istanbul, full of handcarts, delivery vans and shoppers. Several market lanes are effectively pedestrian, and the waterfront square is no place to stop a van.

Hotels in Eminönü and Sirkeci usually have a street a car can reach, but give the driver the exact address so he can take the right approach before the crowds slow him down. Where the door is out of reach, he stops at the nearest legal point and carries bags with you.

Walk out of arrivals and you will see your name on a printed sign: the driver waits right at the exit door you use, at IST or at SAW. We watch the flight, so you are never charged for a delay.

Heading to a flight, Eminönü to Istanbul Airport measures about 49 km and 47 minutes on empty roads, and Eminönü to Sabiha Gökçen about 46 km and 38 minutes. Old City traffic is unpredictable, so build in a real margin.

If you are taking a Bosphorus ferry on your last morning and flying in the afternoon, we can collect you from the hotel after you return; just give the pick-up time and the hotel address when you book.

Pay the driver at the end in euros, pounds or lira, or by Visa or Mastercard on the terminal in the car, contactless too. There is no deposit and no online charge.

Child seats and boosters are free with the children's ages. A pushchair or folding wheelchair rides along at no cost if the vehicle has room.

Booking needs your date, landing time and hotel address. Not ready with the details? Ask on WhatsApp with only the destination and complete the booking when you know more.