Changes

* '''The free walking option'''

While most people would find it more comfortable to take a bus to the outskirts and then start hitchiking from there hitchhiker [[User:Theo]] has, after hitchhiking out of Istanbul 10ish times , found that it is actually faster to just find a good piece of highway somewhere close to you stay, get ON the highway and put your thumb up. You are unlikely to wait more than 3 minute before a car stops and the police is very unlikely to give you any trouble.

From Taksim: Walk down Cumhüriyet Caddesi for about 40-50 minutes. It's a big avenue without any real possibility to get lost but if you do manage to get lost you can ask for Cevahir shopping centerwhich is about 100 meters from where you'll start hitching.

After the 40-50 minute walk (about the time when you pass Cevahir shopping center on your right side) you'll see the highway. This is th spot where the Mercidiköy bridge viaduct starts and about 70-80 % of the traffic is bound for the Asian side. When you get to the highway (which is actually about 10 meters over you as it is on a viaduct) you'll see a the Mercidiköy busstation bustation to your left. Turn left and then climb onto the highway on one of the ,walk 20 meters until you see a small paths footpath leading up to the highway, climb up, thumb up, and smile at your audience (often about 50-60 people) who are waiting for the Metrobus to come.

ItDONT take the first ride. Wait for someone who's a huge area for cars going atleast past the main intersection in Atesehir (say that you want to stop right opposite go direction Gebze/Izmit on the autoyol). Even though almost no traffic is going far from here it is important that your first ride is gonna take you to Mercidiköy metro-busstationthe O4 highway.

Put Ask to get dropped of at the highway and wait for your thumb up and DONT take the first next ride. Wait for someone whoYOu may have to repeat it one more time but as the waiting times are so rıdicilously short it's going atleast past the main intersection in Atesehir (say that you want to go direction Gebze/Izmit still faster than spending 2 hours on the autoyol). (Almost no traffic is going further than Gebze from here but get a ride 10-20 km and then find a new one from where the last one dropped you off. As you are unlikely to wait more thn 3-5 minutes its actually very quickly donetrain :).