The meeting will be at Bahçeşehir University's Besiktas South Campus. Please check the location from the maps below.
Besiktas is one of the most central districts of Istanbul located at the European side coast of Bosphorus. University campus is just next to the ship ports.
Since Besiktas is a very central location many options for the accommodation is possible. Hotels at Besiktas, Ortakoy and Taksim could be preferred.
We reccommend ITU Macka Hotel as it is relatively cheap and good quality facility of Istanbul Technical University. Currently 25 standard rooms and a couple of suits and triple rooms are available for the date but we recommend booking as soon as possible. You can use this link for reservation. (Unfortunately it is in Turkish, but you can google translate the page.) Breakfast is included in the price. The hotel is 20 minutes walking distance from the venue. You can also use buses 30A or 30M.
(UPDATE: 19 March 2024) Since Macka Hotel is now fully booked for the dates there are two more options you could check close to the meeting venue.
Istanbul has two airports:
Both of the airports are connected to the center via subway (metro). Network maps can be reached from this link. If you are going to use local transportations like metros, buses and ships it is a good idea to buy a public transportation card. You can buy one from the metro stations. Istanbul City Card for a few days might be a suitable option. This card also has package options like selected museums and Bosphours tour. You can also use your contactless credit cards on the public transport.
Taxi is another option which will cost around 25-30 Euros (as of February 2024). The tolls for Bosphorus bridges, Avrasya Tunnel, or paid motorways is extra.
Credit and debit cards will be accepted in a vast majority of the venues like restaurants, hotels, etc. However they probably won't accept Euros for cash so it is a good idea to keep some liras for street shoping etc. Turkish currency is Turkish Lira (₺). Current rate (January 26) is: 1 Eur = 33 ₺. Istanbul airports have exchange offices.
Istanbul's public transportation card is called as İstanbulkart. Istanbul City Card for a few days might be a suitable option. This card also has package options like selected museums and Bosphours tour. You can also use your contactless credit/debit cards on the public transport.
There are ten transportation types in Istanbul:
For any inquiries for the public transportation and other you can call Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's helpdesk 153.
You can reach the timetables and line information by the following websites:
You can download the following applications to find your way in the city.
Moovit — A private company's comprehensive app includes many cities. You should choose Istanbul & Kocaeli on the app settings. You can easily search and navigate for how-to-go.
Otobüsüm Nerede? — Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's public transportation body İETT's app. Can be used to view the timetable, real-time arrival times, location of the buses, and how-to-go.
Şehir Hatları — Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's conventional vehicle and passenger ferries company Şehir Hatları's app. Can be used to view the timetable and how-to-go.