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Getting from the airport to Istanbul

Istanbul has two International airports. The main International airport, Ataturk Airport (Ataturk Havalimani ) is on the European side of Istanbul and very easy to get to and from.
The cheapest way of getting from Ataturk Airport to the city centre is by Metro (The Metro station runs right inside the Ataturk Airport terminal).
If you will be staying in Sultanahment , Beyazit or Laleli then you need to take the Metro to the last stop which is Aksaray.  Actually Aksaray borders on Laleli so if your hotel is here, you just need to exit the Metro and the main exit and your hotel will be within walking distance. Sultanahmet and Beyazit are also within walking distance but with baggage you may be best to continue your journey by Tram. Beyazit is the next stop after Laleli and Sultanahmet  is the stop after Beyazit. The Metro and Tram are cheap and at the time of writing you will pay 1.5 lira for each journey that you make.
The Metro stops are; Aksaray, Emniyet, Ulubatli, Bayrampasa, Sagmalcilar, Kartaltepe, Otogar, Esenler, Terazidere, Davutpasa, Merter, Zeytinburnu, Bakirkoy, Bahcelievler, Atakoy, Yenibosna, DTM CNR-EXPO and the Airport.
If your hotel is in the Taksim area then you will take the Metro from Ataturk Airport to Aksaray and from here you have two options.  The first is to continue your journey by bus.  There are regular buses running through Taksim and the journey will only take about 15 minutes depending upon traffic.  The second option is to transfer from the Metro to the Tram in Aksaray and take the tram to the last stop which is Kabatas. From Kabatas you will take the funicular just one stop up the hill to Taksim Square.
The next and most convenient option to get from the hotel to either Aksaray or Taksim Square is to take the Airport Bus. the service is known as Havas and the buses depart every 30 minutes from Taksim and Ataturk Airport (Both the domestic and International terminals). The current fare to Taksim Square if 10 lira per person. The Journey time is about 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. The Bus travels along the sea road so you can sit in comfort and get a great view.
The last option is Taxi.  There is a waiting stand at the airport and the prices are listed.  If there are more than 3 people then the taxi may work out cheaper.
The second International Airport that serves Istanbul is the Sabiha Gokcen Airport  ( Sabiha Gokcen Havalimani ) which is on the Asian side of Istanbul.  The cut price airlines such as easy Jet and German Wings tend to use this airport.
The Airport service Havas runs from Sabiha Gokcen Airoprt to either Kadikoy which is also on the Asian side or to Taksim Square which is about 50km away.  Because of the distance, taking a taxi to your hotel can be expensive. Sultanahmet is further away than Taksim so do bear this in mind.  Some airlines may offer a free shuttle service to Taksim.