Our Patients from Abroad and Other Cities

What this page is for

For a woman who doesn't know Istanbul, an appointment in Şişli Fulya splits into three separate tasks: the flight or bus time, where to spend the night, and how to get to the clinic. If the three are left to chance on the same day, the appointment slips. Your coordinator sequences these three around your appointment day. That sequencing does not mean buying a hotel reservation through the clinic. It means directing you to a partner tourism company, comparing options, and putting the address and times in writing.

Patients coming from other cities get the same help. Ankara, İzmir, Trabzon, or Cyprus — it makes no difference: night bus, morning departure, afternoon examination. The plan changes with the type of procedure. A follow-up check and a procedure day are never the same sentence.

What the coordinator does, and does not do

Does. Works out your flight or bus time so it doesn't clash with your appointment time. Asks which of the two airports you're landing at. Passes on pick-up options (airport–hotel or airport–clinic) and accommodation options through a partner tourism company. Writes down the clinic's exact door address, floor, and nearby stops. Whether a same-day return flight is possible after your procedure is tied to your doctor's decision on the day; the coordinator does not make that call alone.

Does not. Does not arrange visas. Does not sell plane tickets. Does not book a hotel room under its own name. Does not organize tour packages. Does not promise "a doctor will meet you at the airport." The doctor is in the examination room; pick-up is handled by the partner company's driver or representative. Passport and residence-permit procedures are not the clinic's business.

Partner tourism companies

Pick-up and accommodation are not run as a "side business" inside the clinic. Partner tourism companies take that part. The company arranges the transfer vehicle, the driver's name sign, hotel options, and the cancellation rules under its own contract. SoftCare connects the patient to that company; it does not guarantee the company's price, room type, or travel time in traffic.

You can also arrange your own hotel and taxi. There is no mandatory package. If you make your own arrangements and simply tell the coordinator your address and appointment time, the clinic side stays just as clear. A partner company is not a requirement — it's a shortcut for a patient seeing Istanbul for the first time.

How your appointment day is set up

The type of procedure is clarified first. A check-up, ultrasound, or smear is one thing; a procedure under anesthesia is another. If anesthesia or sedation is involved, a same-day return flight is not discussed in most files. A patient coming from another city plans to spend the night in Istanbul after the procedure. This rule comes before any request to "fly whenever I want."

Bring your passport and ID with you on the day of your appointment. Patients coming from abroad are asked in advance which language they'll need. The clinic's pages are published in Turkish, English, Arabic, German, Russian, and Spanish; the conversation in the room depends on the interpretation available that day. Interpretation does not replace a medical decision.

Phone and WhatsApp are the first line if your flight is delayed. A delayed flight does not automatically reshuffle your appointment; your coordinator checks that day's openings. If there is no opening, the procedure is moved to another day. That's not a penalty — it's because the room belongs to another patient.

Istanbul's two airports

Istanbul has two international airports. This is where the confusion comes from.

Istanbul Airport (IST) is on the European side, near Arnavutköy. It's geographically closer to SoftCare. Reaching the Şişli metro line is usually faster.

Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) is on the Asian side, in Pendik. Bridge traffic makes the trip longer. It's also reachable by metro, but with more transfers.

Writing "Istanbul Airport" on your ticket isn't enough. IST and SAW are separate airport codes. Landing at the wrong one can push your appointment to the afternoon, or even the next day. Telling your coordinator your flight code (IST or SAW) and landing time comes before any directions.

From Istanbul Airport (IST) to Şişli Fulya

Clinic address: Fulya Mahallesi, Bahçeler Sokak No: 19/1, Şişli. The nearest major hubs are Gayrettepe, Şişli–Mecidiyeköy, and Zincirlikuyu. The last few hundred meters are covered on foot or by a short taxi ride.

Metro (the most commonly given route)

From the airport terminal, follow the M11 metro signs. M11 is the Istanbul Airport – Gayrettepe – Halkalı line. Take the train toward Gayrettepe. Get off at Gayrettepe station. From there, transfer to the M2 line (Yenikapı–Hacıosman). Getting off at Şişli–Mecidiyeköy is the practical stop for Fulya. Walking from Gayrettepe or taking a short taxi is also an option, depending on your luggage and the weather. M11 runs regularly during the day; the metro closes after midnight. A metro route doesn't work for a night landing.

Havaist / airport bus

There are official bus lines from Istanbul Airport to the European side. The Mecidiyeköy, Zincirlikuyu, or Taksim stops are used to reach Şişli. Check the line number and final stop at the ticket counter or the operator's website on the day of travel. For a passenger with luggage, the bus may mean fewer transfers than the metro; traffic adds to the travel time.

Taxi and partner transfer

Official taxi ranks are right outside the terminal. Saying "Şişli, Fulya, Bahçeler Sokak" is enough — saying "Taksim" and then taking another taxi from there wastes both time and money. If you'd like a partner tourism company's transfer, your coordinator passes your flight code to the company; the pick-up sign will have your name on it. The transfer fee is set by the company's own rate.

Duration

The metro route via Gayrettepe takes about half an hour on most days, plus the transfer and the walk from the final stop. The total can exceed an hour depending on your luggage and how long the transfer wait is. A taxi depends on bridge and road conditions in the evening and at night. This page does not quote fixed minutes or fixed fares — schedules change.

From Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) to Şişli Fulya

You'll be crossing from the Asian side to the European side. Morning and evening bridge traffic can double a taxi's travel time.

Metro

The M4 line (Kadıköy–Sabiha Gökçen) stops at the Sabiha Gökçen terminal. Take the train toward Kadıköy. One route is to transfer to the Marmaray at Ayrılık Çeşmesi, then to the M2 at Yenikapı. The other route: take the M4 to the Uzunçayır / metrobus connection, then take the metrobus toward Zincirlikuyu–Gayrettepe. Both routes involve a transfer. Few travelers enjoy transferring with luggage; even so, the metro stays more predictable when traffic is at a standstill.

Havabüs (SG-2) to Taksim

The airport bus from Sabiha Gökçen to Taksim (Havabüs SG-2) is a direct option for the European side. From Taksim, it's one M2 stop (Osmanbey / Şişli–Mecidiyeköy) or a short taxi to Şişli–Fulya. The bus's travel time depends on the bridge; it stretches out in the evening.

İETT E-3 and similar lines

There are airport buses that end at the 4. Levent metro station. From 4. Levent, take the M2 toward Şişli–Mecidiyeköy. Check the line number and schedule from İETT or the airport's announcement on the day of travel.

Taxi and partner transfer

A SAW–Şişli taxi is generally longer and more expensive than an IST–Şişli taxi. A partner company transfer is worth discussing if your landing time is at night or you have a lot of luggage. The plan "I'll land and see how traffic looks" puts an afternoon appointment at risk. For SAW landings, your appointment time is set at least three to four hours after landing — and that window widens further on a day with heavy bridge traffic.

By road or train from another city

The intercity bus terminal (Esenler / Bayrampaşa side) and the Halkalı / Söğütlüçeşme train stations come up almost as often as the airports. From the bus terminal to Şişli, you take the metro and metrobus with a transfer; for a woman getting off a night bus, a partner transfer or an official taxi is a calmer option. High-speed trains arrive at Halkalı or Söğütlüçeşme. From Halkalı, the M11 to Gayrettepe is discussed; from Söğütlüçeşme, a metrobus or Marmaray transfer.

The same rule applies to patients coming from other cities: a morning departure plus an afternoon examination fits into most files; for a procedure under anesthesia, spending the previous night in Istanbul is preferred.

The last kilometer to the clinic

Fulya sits close to the border between Şişli and Beşiktaş. Büyükdere Caddesi, Zincirlikuyu, and Mecidiyeköy can look like walking distance; "five minutes" doesn't hold up on an uphill street with luggage. Enter "Bahçeler Sokak No: 19, Şişli" into your navigation app. "Soft Care Clinic, Fulya" is added so it isn't confused with the diaper brand of a similar name.

Nearby stops: Şişli–Mecidiyeköy (M2 / M7), Gayrettepe (M2 / M11), Osmanbey (M2). Which one to use on a given day is for your coordinator to decide, based on that day's transfers. This page makes no promise of parking; a patient arriving by car should ask on the day about street or nearby parking.

Language, documents, appointment time

For patients coming from abroad, a passport is enough; a woman without Turkish ID is still seen for examination. Depending on the type of procedure, your coordinator may ask for additional documents (prior test results, surgical notes, a medication list) before your flight. If the documents are forgotten on the plane, a photo taken at home isn't enough for every file.

Your appointment time is not set for "right after" landing. For IST, a two-hour buffer is usually enough; for SAW and for landings after 4:00 pm, the buffer widens. If you need to arrive on an empty stomach on the day of your procedure, your in-flight breakfast is discussed separately.