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Turkey’s high-speed trains (Yüksek Hızlı Tren, or YHT) currently operate daily on these routes but are not limited to Ankara – Eskişehir – Istanbul, Ankara – Konya and Istanbul – Eskişehir – Konya.  The trains feature two classes of service, Economy and Business. In Business, the seats are 2+1, while in the economy they are […]

The Pamukkale Ekspresi is a daytime train that links Denizli(near Pamukkale) to the Istanbul High-Speed Train station at Eskişehir. You can take the 06:45 am High-Speed Train from Istanbul(Pendik) to Eskişehir, arriving at 09:37 am, then change trains to the Pamukkale Ekspresi which departs Eskişehir at 10:00 am, stops at Kütahya (11:35 am) and Afyon (13:26/1:26 pm), and arrives in Denizli at 17:56 (5:56 pm). From Denizli, the Pamukkale Ekspresi departs at 08:00 am, departs Afyon at 12:33 pm, and […]

Below are all the main line trains of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) operating as of May 2018, listed in alphabetical order by city of departure. Click here for trains listed by train name. For the High-Speed Trains connecting Istanbul, Ankara, Eskişehir and Konya, see the High-Speed Trains pages. Here are the train schedules from the Turkish State Railways website. (Click in the upper right-hand corner to go to the English-language schedule page.) […]

Ankara’s main bus terminal, AŞTİ, is a mammoth building southwest of the city center (map), with hundreds of buses roaring in and out every hour on routes to all cities and large towns in Turkey. AŞTİ is an acronym for Ankara Şehirlerarası Terminal İşletmesi (Ankara Intercity Terminal Administration)—so you can see why everyone prefers to call it AŞTİ (AHSH-tee; or Terminal, TEHR-mee-NAHL). Here’s how to buy bus […]

Istanbul – Konya High-Speed​​Train (YHT – Yüksek Hızlı Tren) is the High-Speed ​​Train operated by TCDD Taşımacılık (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları – Turkish Republic State Railways) on the route of Söğütlüçeşme – Konya.

Turkish State Railways offers discounts for children, students, soldiers, seniors (60 and up), and for passengers on round-trips (return trips) on its main lines: Children Children from infants through 6 years old ride free. Kids 7 to 12 pay 50% of the adult fare. Students & Teachers 20% discount for students and teachers, but you may need a Turkish student or teacher […]

Ankara‘s Esenboğa (ESS-enn-boh-ah) Airport is 33 km (21 miles) northeast of the city center (map). It’s served by frequent daily flights to and from Istanbuloperated by Turkish Airlines, AnadoluJet, Atlasjet, Pegasus Airlines, Onur Air and others. More… Other flights connect Ankara with cities and major Turkish airports to the east and south, but there are few international flights to or from Ankara, except by way of Istanbul‘s Atatürk International Airport or Sabiha Gökçen International […]

Alsancak Gar (Alsancak Station), built in the 19th century for trains going to the wealthy suburbs of Bornova, Buca, etc., is now İzmir‘s main terminus for intercity trains such as the Konya Mavi Tren, the nightly sleeper train between İzmir and Konya; the Karesi Ekspresi and İzmir Mavi Tren from Ankara via Eskişehir, Kütahya, Balıkesir and Manisa; the 6 Eylül Ekspresi and 17 Eylül Ekspresi between İzmir and Bandırma (for the fast ferryboat to Istanbul); and the Ege Ekspresi (İzmir-Manisa-Balıkesir) and Uşak Ekspresi (İzmir-Manisa-Uşak). Alsancak station has ticket windows, an […]

The Turkish State Railways website can be difficult to use. It should be easy for the millions of annual foreign visitors to Turkey to get information on the country’s superb high-speed trains, but so far it is not. Here are all of the high-speed train schedules as of 5 April 2018. Translations: YHT Hareket Saatleri = High-Speed Train […]

Each compartment in a Turkish State Railways (TCDD) sleeping car (yataklı vagon) converts to sleep two people. Each compartment has a sink with running hot and cold water for washing face and hands, a tiny towel and bar of soap, mirror, clothes hangers, luggage rack, smallcabinet, window to the outside (with roll-up blind and thick velvet light-blocking curtain), heating, fan or air conditioning, and a waste receptacle. The 220-volt […]

Over a century ago, the Orient Express connected Paris and Constantinople, and luxury trains were the preferred means of travel from Europe through the Balkans to Turkey. In the latter half of the 20th century, train travel was in decline because of competition from international air and bus travel. The last train called the Orient Express—far from luxurious and a mere […]

For the discerning traveler, Turkey’s evolving railway system offers more than just a means of transportation—it’s a window into the country’s rich tapestry of history and modernity. As Turkey continues to modernize its train infrastructure, tourists are finding it an increasingly effective way to traverse the nation’s vast landscapes. From the bustling streets of Istanbul […]

The İzmir Mavi Tren (MAH-vee trehn, “İzmir Blue Train”) departs İzmir (Basmane station – map) at 17:15 (5:15 pm) daily and arrives in Eskişehir about 12 hours later at 07:49 am. From Eskişehir, the İzmir Mavi Tren departs at 22:45 (10:45 pm) and arrives in İzmir the next morning at 11:05 am—if it’s on time. Along the way, it stops at Kütahya, Afyon, Uşak and Manisa. The train hauls Pullman cars, sleeping cars, […]

Turkish State Railways (TCDD) has done away with left luggage/baggage checkrooms in all their stations, but in several major stations they have installed bright yellow baggage lockers (Bagaj Emanet Dolapları, bah-GAZH eh-mah-NEHT doh-lahp-lah-ruh). The Ankara Gar has lockers. Here’s a translation of the instructions: TO DEPOSIT YOUR BAGGAGE 1. Look for a locker with a GREEN indicator and place your baggage […]

Here are some sample Ankara city tours, excursions and airport transfers from TTP’s recommended tour companies and travel agencies. (The actual programs of each tour company will vary, but these samples give you an idea of what you may see.) Airport-to-Hotel Transfer (30 – 45 minutes) You’ll be met at Ankara’s Eseboğa Airport by a private chauffeur who will help with your […]

Just a few steps from the main portal of the Ankara Citadel is the Çengel Han Rahmi M Koç Museum(map). Located in a former caravanserai built in 1522, its displays include Engineering, Road Transport, Scientific Instruments, Maritime, Everyday Life, and others. The museum was founded by Mr Rahmi M Koç, scion of one of Turkey’s most prominent and successful business families, […]

A couchette (kuşet) is a shelf-like bed in a European-style six-person seating compartment. The six seats can be quickly converted to six simple couchette beds. If your couchette comes complete with pillow and blanket it’s called an örtülü kuşet (covered couchette). A couchette is not as comfortable or as private as a sleeping-car berth: the six passengers in the compartment may be strangers to […]

The Erzurum Ekspresi is no longer running. See the Doğu Ekspresi instead. The bus is faster, and plane is much faster and recommended for this long journey. More… Turkish Trains Route Map Types of Turkish Trains How to Buy Train Tickets Train Fare Discounts Monthly Passes Pullman Car Couchette Car Sleeping Car Train Travel Transport in Turkey TTP Homepage