A Day in the Islands — Getting There

Saturday — April 24: Part I

We spent today at the Adalar (Princes Islands), but before I get to that, I want to share some images from the public rail transport systems we used this morning (and at other times these past few days).

A short walk from our hotel (five minutes, if that) is the Tünel (tunnel), the historic underground funicular.  Built between 1871-1874, it has the distinction of being (1) the shortest, and (2) the second oldest underground system in the world.  (It has undergone renovation since then, so don’t worry; it’s safe.)  There are only two stations: Beyoğlu, at the top of the hill, and Karaköy, at the other end.

The tünel was built to shuttle people between the financial and trade centers of the time — Galata and Pera (the latter now Beyoğlu).  Two short passenger trains run on parallel tracks and travel the length of the tunnel (1,829 feet [~573 m]) in 1½ minutes. (Click the diagram above for more information as well as historic images of the Tünel on the Funimag website.)

The underground funicular train awaits us at the Beyoğlu station.

The station is decorated with tiles featuring a tulip design.

At 7:45a on a Saturday morning, we're the only passengers.

Decorative tile work at the Karaköy station.

Before we knew it, the funicular was at the bottom of the hill. Using the underground pedestrian tunnel, we crossed over to the city’s modern tram system, locally known as the “tramvay.” The sleek trains cover a wide area and provide a means for traveling around the city quickly and efficiently.  (More information here.)  Our ride was short; just three stops.

After taking the Tünel down from Beyoğlu, we hopped on the
tramvay to get to the ferry terminal in Kabataş.

Karaköy Station is at the end of the Galata Bridge.
(Beyazıt Tower and Süleymaniye Camii in the background)

A quick and efficient means of transport.

By the way, the cost of both these systems is 1.5TL regardless of how far you travel, provided you don’t have to switch lines.  Now that’s what I call a bargain (especially when compared to the Metro in DC)!  You will need a “jeton” (token) to ride these trains (can be purchased at kiosks and vending machines at the stations).  If you have a valid transit card, that will work too.

Next Up: Adalar Vapuru