🇪🇺 Erasmus in Istanbul: You’re Here. Now What?

🇪🇺 Erasmus in Istanbul: You’re Here. Now What?

Welcome to Istanbul! 🇹🇷

You made it.

New city. New university. New apartment. New people.

Your Erasmus adventure has officially started.

And here’s the thing: your Erasmus experience is going to be whatever you make of it.

You can spend five months going from class to your apartment and back.

Or you can take a ferry across the Bosphorus at sunset, eat breakfast with people you met yesterday, get lost in a neighborhood you’ve never heard of, learn a few Turkish words, discover your new favorite place, make friends from five different countries — and come home with stories you’ll still be telling years from now.

You’re already here. Now go experience Istanbul. ❤️

🌉 Start Exploring

Istanbul is huge. Don’t try to see everything in one weekend.

Start with the neighborhoods.

Kadıköy & Moda for cafés, food, bars, the seaside and a more local atmosphere.

Beşiktaş for busy streets, student life, food and nightlife.

Cihangir for cafés, restaurants and hanging out.

Karaköy & Galata for streets to wander, shops, cafés and some of Istanbul’s most iconic views.

Üsküdar for the Asian side, waterfront walks and sunsets across the Bosphorus.

And then…

Take a ferry. ⛴️

Seriously.

It might become one of your favorite things to do in Istanbul.

🍴 Eat Everything

One of the easiest ways to discover a city is through its food.

Start with the classics:

🥐 Turkish breakfast
🥨 Simit
🥙 Döner
🍕 Pide
🌶️ Lahmacun
🍢 Kebabs
🥗 Meze
🍮 Baklava
☕ Turkish coffee

But don’t stop at the tourist-famous dishes.

Try a local lokanta. Visit a neighborhood market. Ask a Turkish friend where they actually eat.

And learn a few words:

Merhaba — Hello
Teşekkürler — Thank you
Lütfen — Please
Ne kadar? — How much?
Hesap, lütfen — The bill, please

You don’t need to speak Turkish fluently.

But trying goes a long way.

🤝 Don’t Stay Inside the Erasmus Bubble

This is probably one of the biggest opportunities you have.

Your Erasmus friends are great. You’ll meet people from all over Europe and beyond.

But don’t make your entire Istanbul experience an international bubble.

Meet Turkish students.

Meet people from other countries.

Talk to your neighbors.

Join local activities.

Go somewhere where you don’t know anyone.

Some of your best memories may come from people you never expected to meet.

And if you’re nervous about going somewhere alone?

That’s normal.

A lot of people at events are there for exactly the same reason.

❤️ How Do You Actually Make Friends?

Here’s the secret:

Keep showing up.

The first event might feel awkward.

The second one feels easier.

By the third, you start recognizing people.

Say hello.

Ask someone where they’re from.

Invite someone for coffee.

Join a group.

Make plans instead of saying, “We should hang out sometime.”

Erasmus goes incredibly quickly.

Don’t wait for friendships to magically happen.

🎶 Find Your Thing

Istanbul has something for almost every personality.

🎵 Live music
⛵ Sailing
🥾 Hiking
🏓 Sports
🧘 Yoga
📸 Photography
🍽️ Dining
🗣️ Language exchanges
🎨 Art & culture
🌅 Picnics
🎉 Social events

Try something you’ve never done before.

You might discover a new hobby.

Or a new group of friends.

Or both.

🌊 Do Something Very Istanbul

Some experiences just feel like Istanbul.

Take a ferry with no particular reason.

Watch the sunset from the Asian side.

Drink tea by the water.

Have breakfast that lasts three hours.

Walk through a neighborhood you’ve never visited.

Take a trip to the Princes’ Islands.

Get slightly lost.

And sometimes…

Put your phone away.

You don’t have to document everything.

Some memories are better when you actually experience them.

🧳 And Yes — Explore Türkiye

Istanbul is only the beginning.

When you have time, explore beyond the city.

🏔️ Cappadocia
🌊 Antalya
🏛️ Ephesus & İzmir
🌿 Bursa
🏖️ The Aegean coast
🌲 The Black Sea

But don’t feel like you need to leave Istanbul every weekend.

You came to live in Istanbul, not just use it as your airport between trips.

Give the city time.

🪪 Now, the Boring Stuff

Okay. We can’t avoid everything practical. 😅

If your Erasmus stay requires a residence permit, start with your university’s International or Erasmus Office. They can tell you what applies to your specific program and help you understand the process.

Use the official Turkish residence permit system:

e-İkamet — Residence Permit Application System⁠

Don’t pay random websites or social-media accounts promising to arrange your residence permit. Start with official sources and your university.

🚇 Get Your Istanbulkart

You’re going to use public transport a lot.

Metro. Tram. Bus. Ferry. Marmaray. Metrobüs.

If you’re eligible, look into the student Istanbulkart and current student-pass options.

The official source is:

Istanbulkart⁠

📱 Stay Connected

If you’re coming from Europe, remember that Türkiye is not part of the EU roaming zone.

Check your home operator’s Türkiye roaming prices before using mobile data heavily.

Depending on your stay and phone, a Turkish SIM or eSIM may make sense.

💳 Get Used to Turkish Lira

The currency is the Turkish lira (₺).

Cards are widely accepted, but it’s still useful to carry some cash.

And yes…

You will probably spend your first few weeks converting every coffee into euros.

Eventually, you’ll stop. 😂

🛡️ Stay Smart

Istanbul is a massive city.

Use common sense.

Keep an eye on your belongings in crowded places.

Check prices before ordering.

Be careful with unfamiliar accommodation or payment requests.

If something doesn’t feel right, leave.

For emergencies in Türkiye, call 112.

And don’t be afraid to ask your university, friends or community for help when you need it.

😊 Find Your People

This is where Smileys comes in.

Smileys Community brings together Erasmus students, internationals, travellers, digital nomads and locals through real-life activities in Istanbul.

Not just another group chat.

Actually meeting people.

You can find:

🎉 Social events
🍽️ Dinners
🗣️ Language exchanges
⛵ Sailing
🎶 Music & nightlife
🌳 Picnics
🏓 Sports
🥾 Outdoor activities
☕ Casual meetups

You don’t need to arrive with a group.

Come alone. Meet people.

Join the Smileys Community App⁠

Follow Smileys on Instagram⁠

🇹🇷 You’re Here. Now Make It Count.

Your Erasmus semester will probably feel long when you’re just starting.

Then suddenly…

You’ll be packing your suitcase.

So don’t wait.

Explore.
Try something new.
Meet people.
Learn some Turkish.
Eat everything.
Take the ferry.
Get lost.
Say yes.

Don’t just say:

“I studied in Istanbul.”

Make sure that when you leave, you can say:

“I lived in Istanbul.” ❤️🇹🇷