Where to stay in İzmit

İzmit is a municipality and the capital district of Kocaeli Province, Turkey. Its area is 480 km2, and its population is 376,056 (2022).

The first known city hereabouts, from maybe 700 BC, was called Astakos (Ἀστακός), and lay 20 km south, in what is nowadays Başiskele. It was at the tip of the Gulf of Izmit so it was an obvious place to establish a port trading between Anatolia and the Mediterranean. "Astakos" means lobster, so either the fishing was good or it indicated the pincer-like tip of the Sea of Marmara. To the north was the Kingdom of Bithynia bordering the Black Sea: this waged wars to gain Astakos and eventually won a pyrrhic victory.

Getting in

YHT fast trains run six times a day from Ankara and three times from Konya, via Eskişehir and Arifiye. From Izmit they continue west to Gebze and the Istanbul stations of Pendik (for SAW airport), Bostancı and Söğütlüçeşme, and once a day further out to Halkalı. You can also take the Marmaray suburban train from Istanbul to Gebze and change. Five regional trains run daily from Gebze to Izmit (40 min), Arifiye and Adapazarı (another 50 min). Ankara Express runs overnight, leaving Ankara at 22:00 to reach Izmit at 04:30 and central Istanbul at 06:00.

Getting around

The area of most interest is around the clock tower and within walking distance. The rest of town sprawls so you need a dolmuş or taxi. Of the two boulevards between clock tower and commercial district, İnönü Cd is one-way westbound while Cumhuriyet Cd is two-way, so look for transport accordingly. Trams (Akçaray) run on a single line from the bus station in the east through the centre to Seka and the western suburbs.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.