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Turkish
State Railways (TCDD, DDY) trains
are useful, and even the best way
to travel in Turkey on some routes (especially
the sleeping
car trains).
Here
are the cities
served by trains in Turkey:
(Haydarpasa = Istanbul;
Basmane = Izmir).
Go to each city's page for
information on trains serving that city.
(Here's
a handy map.)
Here's
a detailed
train route map. Here
are the types
of trains.
Foremost
is the Istanbul
- Ankara route, on which there
is now some high-speed
train service. Intercity
trains between Istanbul
(Haydarpasa)
and Ankara,
and between Izmir (Basmane)
and
Ankara,
are relatively fast, comfortable,
and moderately priced, and the train-&-ferry
service between Istanbul and Izmir is
also useful.
You
can even take the train between Istanbul and Sofia,
Bulgaria; Thessaloniki,
Greece; Teheran,
Iran; and Aleppo (Halep,
Halab)
and Damascus,
Syria, although the bus is usually
faster and safer (though not cheaper).
Bus
travel is faster than the train
on most routes, however, and twice
as fast on some routes.
Note there is no train service to
Bodrum, Antalya,
Alanya,
or indeed to any point along the Aegean and Mediterranean
coasts between Izmir and Mersin. Nor is there any service
to the eastern Black
Sea coast.
Please read this
safety notice about sleeping
car travel.
Here's how
to reserve
and buy train tickets in advance.
Note
that you cannot break your
journey and re-use the same ticket. You must
either buy a separate ticket for
each portion of your journey, or
you must buy a monthly
rail pass called a Train
Tour Card. More...
The Turkish
State Railways website used
to be quite useful, but in 2007 they "improved"
it so
that now it is much more difficult
to use. In 2009 they "improved"
it again, making it as difficult to use,
but in new and unfamiliar ways (sigh). More...
For
information on train travel from London and Europe to Turkey,
see the Turkey page of Mark Smith's
excellent railophile website, The
Man in Seat 61.
You
may also enjoy TrainsOfTurkey.com,
a Turkish-train enthusiasts' site.
BEST
TURKISH TRAINS
Istanbul - Ankara:
fast, comfortable and cheap, with
some high-speed
train service. The
trip takes 5 to 9+ hours depending
on the train, and costs TL24
to TL80
per person, one-way. Details
on trains.
Sleeping
Car Trains: most
comfortable, best value.
Istanbul - Edirne:
once traveled by the fabled Orient
Express connecting
Paris and Constantinople, this European
route is now better served
by bus.
Yes, you can take one of several
daily trains between Istanbul and Edirne,
but bus
service is much faster and more
convenient.
Istanbul
- Izmir: the 6
Eylül Ekspresi (September
6th Express) is the best train
on this route, making the 342-km
(212-mile) run between Bandirma and Izmir,
in 5-1/4 hours. It's coordinated
with the
IDO fast
ferry route between Bandirma and Istanbul,
making the total journey time under
eight hours. More...
The afternoon 17 Eylül
Ekspresi does not
have the same close coordination
with the ferries. More...
Ankara
to Izmir Trains
Three good expresses, all at night. More...
Discounts and monthly
passes can save
you money on train
travel costs.
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