You are asking this about a city of fifteen million people and two million cars.
There is free parking on some streets, there is short-term attended meter parking on some other streets, and there are parking lots, and multi-storey garages.
rates could be from 5TL for two hours up to 40TL for the day depending which part of the city and which parking lot.
Many hotels will provide free parking (except in the Taksim area)
Edited: 11 years agothe turkish word is "oto park".
Parking in Istanbul is a bit of a nightmare. People park on the street at every available corner, whether legal or illegal. Istanbul has a lot of parking lots, usually unused lots where there is an attendant. Due to lack of space in nearly all of these they expect you to leave your keys and many people in Istanbul do. Valet parking is also very common, many restaurants and bars park your car for you in more modern parts of the city for a fee, even small establishments do that.
In residential areas people just park their cars on the street without paying anything and without parking restrictions, even if there are restrictions they are not enforced by parking wardens.
There are multi-storey car parks with proper entry and exit systems with tickets but not enough spaces. If you see coin operated parking spaces in the streets there is also a parking attendant present who will not allow you to pay and display yourself and takes the money from you. You will be well advised to obey these guys and hand your money to them as they are not called the 'Parking Mafia' for no reason, if you want to find your car as you left it, lol. The parking attendants are in practice the only people you should be afraid of if you park your car somewhere and not parking wardens or traffic police.
The modern malls all have excellent parking lots underground with hundreds if not thousands of spaces and many people use these for their parking even if they are not going to the mall, they usually charge a flat fee.
In Sultanahmet, the few times I went there with my car it was a nightmare to park, I left my car in a small parking lot behind the Arasta Bazaar downhill and you have to go through a very narrow entrance of an ancient arch, again you have to leave your keys and pray to find your car unscratched and in one piece as these lots are completely packed with not enough space to maneuver the cars. I then started giving my car to the valet attendants of the Four Seasons hotel. Or better I park my car somewhere near Kabatas and take the tram into Sultanahmet.
Good luck!!!!
Edited: 11 years agonever had that issue in Istanbul,but from what I saw,parking is just sort of a laissez faire thing.if you must absolutely have car there,park and then takea cab,tram or metro to go into sultanahmet. the road in front of my hotel was blocked with tour buses and a stream of cars going into sultanahmet. then there are the tour buses already in the tourist areas,
taking up parking places.
Thanks for reply.But I woud like to know is it posible to park my car somewhere in old part of town and leave it there couple of days(for instance in front of some building or in some residential area)? Is there any public parking places in Istanbul where I have good connection with buses and trams to the rest of town?Does parking lot name "oto park"?
As Kozano pointed out in her thread there are parking lots(oto parks)in the Sultanahmet area but for long stay they may work out expense.You have virtually no chance of being able to just leave your car on the street out side a house or where ever for the simple reason that street parking in Sultanahmet is at an absolute premium-on arrival you'll understand!
Outside of that area,for example in Taksim or Eminonu you'll also find car parks,including multi storey where you could park long term but again the cost maybe very high.Further away still you may find long term cheaper but that would be offset by the cost of going to and fro on the buses,trams etc.
Either way you won't find free parking,at least not anywhere where it would be safe to leave a car for a couple of days! Bite the bullet and pay for a safe,secure car park in Sultanahmet.You will have more peace of mind and the car will be close enough that you can go and check it when you want.
Perhaps leave your car in the car park at Kanyon mall and then take public transport (metro, funicular and then tram to Sultanahmet)? It may be a good place to park safely where there is a good public transport service.
It is a long way and would be fairly expensive - but at least your car would be safe and still there when you returned! Plus it is easy to find if you don't know the city (which is vast!).
The old part of town is full of narrow streets, is packed with far too many cars, and is inhabited by crazy drivers. All the places you could park (as far as I can see) are being built on as land is at a premium!
Do you have to bring your car?
Thanks a lot for advise to everyone. I have just found at Ataturk airport parking place.It is written that parking fees are 67 TL for 4 days.It is (not) too much expensive and i will have good underground and trams connections with old part of town.
Did anybody use parking at airport?
Does it safe?
Might I use this parking place even though I will not use airplane-will not fly?
hello fellow traveler.
Istanbul, I just loved the place, its an amazing place and so full of life even when you bus drops you off at 1.30 am and says your hotel is 30 meters down the street on the rhs. 1k later we find a young fellow who walks us another 1k to our hotel.
We had a ball here. And I think one of the reasons we enjoyed it so much was that we used the public transport system.
The answer to your question is NO.
hope you enjoy your stay and find a long term park while you are here.
leigh
a Turkish friend of mine told me he doesn't drive in Istanbul unless he absolutely has to. I have been stuck in traffic in sultanahmet and taksim to see why. it is crazy!
the public transportation is so good and cheap,take advantage of it.