Istanbul Airport is huge, beautiful and busy - and the walk from gate to arrivals is long enough that you will want data on the way. Install a JamboSim Turkey eSIM before you fly and you land connected: transfers booked, maps loaded, family updated.
Airport Wi-Fi at IST usually asks for verification, which is awkward without a working number. An eSIM skips all of that.
The M11 metro connects the airport to the city, and Havaist buses run to Taksim and Sultanahmet. Both are easiest to plan with live data.
IST is one enormous terminal, so allow extra time for transfers. Local time is UTC+3 year-round.
BiTaksi is the popular local taxi app
Yes, you connect to a Turkish network as soon as you switch on data after landing.
An eSIM used for data does not require IMEI registration for normal tourist stays.
It works inside the terminal but not on the metro or in a taxi, which is exactly when you need maps.
