Taking a taxi in Istanbul is a bit of an adventure. Aggressive drivers, untrustworthy meters, and language barriers are all part of the experience. If you end up in a taxi at any point during your visit, these 9 Istanbul taxi tips can help save you time, money, and frustration.

1. Official Istanbul taxis are bright yellow and have a “Taksi” sign on top. Don’t use any other kind of taxi when you are visiting Istanbul.

2. All Istanbul taxis have meters. Ask the driver to turn the meter on before you get in the taxi and definitely before they start driving. Otherwise they might not use it and will charge you whatever they want to when you arrive at your destination.

3. Don’t try to agree on a price up front instead of using a meter. No “deal” they will offer you will be better than the price from the meter. This is partly because Istanbul taxi drivers will often lie to you about the distance from one place to another in order to get more money from you.

4. Taxi fares are the same during the day and night. This didn’t used to be the case, and some drivers will try to convince you that there are still higher rates in the evening. Don’t let them.

5. Watch the meter for the entire duration of the taxi ride, as some drivers will try to tamper with it when you’re not paying attention.

6. If you cross the bridges while in an Instanbul taxi, you will have to pay the toll. This is true even if you cross a bridge in the no-toll direction.

7. Try to follow your route on a map. Some drivers will take you on a very circuitous route in order to run up the fare on the meter.

8. Make sure to count your change and look at it carefully to verify that it is the correct currency. Some drivers will try to pass off old lira on inattentive passengers.

9. The last Istanbul taxi tip is to wear your seatbelt at all times while in the taxi. Drivers are often aggressive and minor accidents are common.