These are practical notes for getting to Istanbul From Amsterdam.
I got to the airport 1 hour before the boarding started. Passing security took 10 minutes (it has never been more than this time). Passport check took 35 minutes. 15 minutes of walking. I was pretty on time and when I got there they were boarding.
So getting to Schipol 1 hour before international flights also work. For domestic flights I think 40 minutes before is enough. Add ten minutes extra in case trains get cancelled or something.
For transport form and to the airport I used Havabus. It costs around 10 euros and if you pay cash it’s cheaper than card (4 euro card fee.) For IST airport havaist works but they accept card only. It’s 1 hour trip to get to city from the airport.
I used public transport mostly. Google maps does not know a lot of things. So to avoid wasting your time use the Moovit website. But there are some things that you can’t just check from the phone. For example a bus stop was removed because of construction and there was no signs and the app didn’t show the new place. So only talking with (multiple) people can help you. I also used ferries. It’s fast and you can enjoy beautiful views.
In this trip I was just walking and talking and seeing the city. So the places I like are for eating:
I liked Galataport overall. Somedays there are cruise ships there and you cannot view the sea. but on other days I could sit on the bank and read, and watch birds. I wish they built more places for viewing the sea and less buildings and blockades.
I also went to Büyükada with public ferry, it’s around 2 hours. I don’t think they are doing a service to this Island. It’s all houses that have thick walls and when you look around you don’t see that you are on a mountain with a sea view you just see the ally, garbage, and buildings. But this island has a lot of potential if they can get rid of all the buildings there. There’s also a bus there but it just goes around the island and returns. I was looking for something that can take me to the top. I tried to get to the top on foot but after going for a long time in hot weather I didn’t enjoy the view so I returned.