How to get to Istanbul's outlying spots — Şile and the Princes' Islands (Heybeliada) — by public transport?

From messages by 3 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 83 days ago

TL;DR

You can reach Şile by bus 139 or 139A from Üsküdar (about 1h40 in morning traffic), while Heybeliada (Princes' Islands) is only reachable by ferry — no faster public transport alternative exists.

What the community said

Bus 139 or 139A runs from Üsküdar to the Şile beach area — big white buses, easy to find on Google Maps. One-way trip in morning traffic took about 1h40.

Bus 139/139A from Üsküdar

Returning from Şile around 5pm hit heavy traffic — the way back took longer than the way there. Tip: get off at the nearest metro station instead of riding the bus all the way back.

For the Princes' Islands (Heybeliada), no fast public transport option besides the ferry was found — expect to wait for the boat, but the food on the island makes up for it.

Ferry to Heybeliada