Istanbul Travel Answers

Take the tram to Kabastas, then the metro to Taksim
or
the tram to Dolmabache Palace and fenicular to Taksim square
The following link gives details of travel passes
turkeytravelplanner.com/go/I...

Taksim and Beyoglu are next to each other. Taksim is the square and Istiklal caddesi and the surrounding is called Beyoglu. If you want to reach there, you have a couple of options. You can take the tram from Sultanahmet, then get out at Karaköy and then take Tünel upto the end of Istiklal caddesi. Your other option is to take the tram to the last stop Kabatas and then take the funicular upto Taksim square. You can get tokens from the token machines located in every station. There are also token booths. You can also get an Istanbul Kart and use it in all transportation vehicles. Check my Istanbul page for more details.

Thanks DavidJo and Muratkorman. The thing I'm most confused about is the value of the tokens that you purchase for the tram etc. Do you buy for each single journey and if purchasing from a machine do you have rto sleect your destination?
If I want to include the Galata Tower on the same day as Taksim and Beyoglu does this complicate things? Pardon my ignorance but I'm also not sure what a 'funicular' is? Thanks in advance ...

A funicular is a short rail vehicle that ascends up a hill at a sharp angle. Istanbul has two of them, which seve the Beyoglu and Taksim areas, both of which are located on top of a hill. To get from Sultanahmet, you take the tram to the far side of the bridge, get off, walk a short distance, and then tke the funicular to the top of the hill. In Beyoglu, there is a trolley that takes you from one end of the neighborhood to the other. Taksim is at the far end of Beyoglu.

The best way to get to the Galata Tower is to take the funicular to the top of the hill and then walk down to the tower, which is located partway down the hill.

The best way to explain Beyoglu and Taksim is Beyoglu is the district, Taksim is the suburb. Galata is also a suburb. Locally we call them neighbourhoods. Istanbul is soooooo easy to get around so don't stress. The tram is now 3TL (turkish lira) per trip (about $1.70), regardless of how far you go. So if you get on the tram in Sultanahmet it will be 3TL per person for the token, when you get off in Kabatas and get on the funicular (an underground tram that goes uphill) it is also 3TL per person. BUT as one reader previously mentioned get yourself an Istanbulkart. The trip is discounted to about 2TL per tram per person. Ask your hotel for the istanbulkart (some will organise them for you) or you can buy them at local kiosks throughout Istanbul. You add credit to it and swipe it at the turnstyles of tramstations to access the tram. one card is enough for up to 5 people. I think you need to pay a refundable 10TL to get the card.

Getting from Taksim to Galata is also easy and completely doable in one day. Follow the tramline on Istiklal. At the end of Istiklal as you near the Tunel area Istiklal street and the tramline will vere right but if you keep heading straight your will start to walk down a hill. This is Galip Dede St. walk down it and eventually you come to the Galata tower.