Hotel Marius · Sirkeci
Football in Istanbul: a visiting fan's guide
Istanbul has three big clubs and three very different grounds. This guide is for visitors: how tickets work, how away supporters usually travel on European nights, and how to reach each stadium from Sirkeci in the old city.
Three clubs, three grounds
Galatasaray play at RAMS Park in Seyrantepe, on the European side north of the centre. Fenerbahçe's Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium is in Kadıköy, on the Asian side. Beşiktaş play at the Tüpraş Stadium, on the Bosphorus shore at Dolmabahçe. Finals and some national-team matches are held at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium on the western edge of the city.
Tickets: away fans buy from their own club
On European nights the away section is sold by the visiting club, so travelling supporters buy their ticket from their own club and do not need a Turkish fan card. Only if you want a seat among home fans — a league match as a neutral, for example — do you need the Passo system: a digital prepaid Passo fan card registered with your passport, with the ticket shown as a QR code in the Passo app. Set it up before you travel if you plan to buy online.
European nights: how away supporters travel
Visiting supporters are usually gathered in the old city — Sultanahmet Square has been used as the pick-up point — and taken to the ground in police-escorted coaches. Leave plenty of time, expect to be searched more than once, and be patient on the way back; take water and a charged phone. Your club publishes the meeting point and times for each match, and they can change.
Getting there on your own
From Sirkeci, rail beats taxis on match days. RAMS Park: Marmaray one stop to Yenikapı, the M2 metro to Sanayi Mahallesi, then the short branch to Seyrantepe — about 45 minutes. Şükrü Saracoğlu: Marmaray under the Bosphorus to Söğütlüçeşme and a ten-minute walk — about 25 minutes. Tüpraş Stadium: the T1 tram to Kabataş, the end of the line — about 25–30 minutes. After the final whistle, allow extra time for the crowds.
Where to stay
Sirkeci puts you a few minutes' walk from where away coaches usually leave, on the Marmaray and T1 lines that serve all three grounds, and in the old city for the days around the match. Hotel Marius is 50 m from Sirkeci station, with a 24-hour front desk for late returns and breakfast included.
Stay at Hotel Marius
Stay with us in Sirkeci. Hotel Marius is a boutique hotel in Sirkeci, in the heart of Istanbul's old city: 50 m from the Marmaray and the tram, rooms cleaned every day, a quiet lobby and a front desk staffed around the clock — a comfortable, safe base to come back to. Breakfast is included, and booking direct costs no extra fee.
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