The pile on board. The red leather seats patched with tape. The uplift of wash as the chugging Clydeside engines, 50 years after they were built, pull you away from (in old money) Asia Minor.

Listen to the cries of white coated waiters cry, "Chi! Chi! Chi!". Buy a tea for God's sake! It's their living! Add plenty of sugar. Buy a Simit; Sesame seeded bread. If it's cold, purchase a salep with cinnamon on top. It has the look and consistency of...eh...but tastes GRRREEEAATTT!

And then, the best bit.

Watch the European side hove into view. Aya Sofia, The Mahvi Cami, the bustle of old Istanbul. And if you can be bothered, do it as the sun rises. From Asia to Europe. The finest commute. Ever.

Kadikoy

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Take the Bosphorus Steamer's ticket to see breathtaking views of the Bosphorous, where two continents cross. You’ll also see wooden houses on the waterfront, historic palaces and two fortresses. The passenger boats looks like Italian vaporettas. Ferry ticket are five euro for a return, and the ferry leaves at 10 in the morning from Sirkeci. Trips take around two hours.

Sirkeci Vapur Iskelesi across Yeni Cami

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No matter how little time you have for visiting Istanbul, you have to take a boat trip along the Bosphorus. All boats zigzag the Bosporus stopping alternately at a European and an Asian port. The best time to take the boat is on a warm summer’s evening so that you get to see the sunset and, if lucky, full moon over the city.

There is a public service ferry that does the full length or privately run boats that also offer shorter routes

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