I'll be arriving IST @ 12:10 on a Tuesday, departing to VIE at 20:00. We would just like to make it over to Aya Sofya and possibly the Basilica Cistern and not be too rushed. Would we be able to accomplish this with Metro or should we just grab a cab? I remember the Metro from the airport being kind of a pain last time I was there (2012), but it looks like there may have been improvements since then?

Also, does anyone have experience with the luggage storage at IST (reliability, amount of time required to drop off/retrieve)? This stop is part of a 4-segment itinerary on 4 different airlines, so I'm hesitant to check a bag if I can avoid it.

Thanks in advance for any help!