Istanbul is one of the most popular cities in Turkey. The traffic in Istanbul can be a hassle in the mornings and afternoons. Therefore, using the public transportation can be an ideal alternative. 
Taxies
The yellow taxies of Istanbul can easily take you to your destination. However, taxies can be expensive if you want to use them everyday. They also might over charge you when they realize you are not a local. So be sure to always ask them to turn on, or restart, the taxi meter. It might also be a good idea to negotiate your own taxi fare, or use applications such as Uber to get a yellow taxi. If you want to use Uber, you should know that the drivers might not accept some destinations during certain times and you'll end up waiting a long time.
Dolmus
Mini buses, or Dolmus, are a convenient way to get around town for a cheap price. These minibuses have their own specific routes which are usually written on the door of the minibus. If you ask the driver where you want to go, they will be more than happy to help you. It's best to have some small change on you when using Dolmus. Also, try avoiding sitting in the front seat! as you might be given some responsibility of collecting the cash from the other passengers.
Bus
A great way to get around town is by buses in Istanbul. Not only they are cheap (costing between 3-4 liras), they are easy to navigate as well. You can simply use Google maps to look up your destination, and it will provide you with the correct bus to take. When on the bus, you should press the red stop button to let the driver know you want to get off in the next bus stop. Otherwise, they might keep going without stopping! Another mobile app that the locals use for navigating the public transportation is called "Moovit". I should add that in order to use the buses in Istanbul you must have an Istanbul card!
Metro
Using metro in Istanbul is a great way to escape the traffic jams on the surface. Just like the buses, you need an Istanbul card to use metro in Istanbul. You can also use Moovit and Google maps to navigate it.
Ferry
You can take boats to move between asian and European side of Istanbul. You have to pay for the boats using your Istanbul card as well.
Tram
On the European side, there are two lines in service, the T1 line from Kabataş allows easy access to Sultanahmet and the T4 line that goes North – West of the city. It runs from 6 am to 11 pm.
The first time I used the public transportation in Istanbul it was a scary experience for me. I didn't know how reliable the guides were! It turns out that they are very reliable. Trust your map or apps, and you'll be safe.
Taxies
The yellow taxies of Istanbul can easily take you to your destination. However, taxies can be expensive if you want to use them everyday. They also might over charge you when they realize you are not a local. So be sure to always ask them to turn on, or restart, the taxi meter. It might also be a good idea to negotiate your own taxi fare, or use applications such as Uber to get a yellow taxi. If you want to use Uber, you should know that the drivers might not accept some destinations during certain times and you'll end up waiting a long time.
Dolmus
Mini buses, or Dolmus, are a convenient way to get around town for a cheap price. These minibuses have their own specific routes which are usually written on the door of the minibus. If you ask the driver where you want to go, they will be more than happy to help you. It's best to have some small change on you when using Dolmus. Also, try avoiding sitting in the front seat! as you might be given some responsibility of collecting the cash from the other passengers.
Bus
A great way to get around town is by buses in Istanbul. Not only they are cheap (costing between 3-4 liras), they are easy to navigate as well. You can simply use Google maps to look up your destination, and it will provide you with the correct bus to take. When on the bus, you should press the red stop button to let the driver know you want to get off in the next bus stop. Otherwise, they might keep going without stopping! Another mobile app that the locals use for navigating the public transportation is called "Moovit". I should add that in order to use the buses in Istanbul you must have an Istanbul card!
Metro
Using metro in Istanbul is a great way to escape the traffic jams on the surface. Just like the buses, you need an Istanbul card to use metro in Istanbul. You can also use Moovit and Google maps to navigate it.
Ferry
You can take boats to move between asian and European side of Istanbul. You have to pay for the boats using your Istanbul card as well.
Tram
On the European side, there are two lines in service, the T1 line from Kabataş allows easy access to Sultanahmet and the T4 line that goes North – West of the city. It runs from 6 am to 11 pm.
The first time I used the public transportation in Istanbul it was a scary experience for me. I didn't know how reliable the guides were! It turns out that they are very reliable. Trust your map or apps, and you'll be safe.