The ultimate guide to Turkey by train
In the not-too-distant past, few Turks – let alone foreign visitors – were overly enamoured with Turkey’s train network. Among the local population, impecunious students, poorly paid conscripts and workers making the big move from impoverished rural areas to a new life in the big cities made up the bulk of the clientele. Foreign passengers comprised a handful of train buffs and a smattering of adventurous but hard-up backpackers. The main draw? Turkish trains might be slow, but they were cheap.
The excellent-value fares on many routes remain a draw today, but there are so many other reasons to ride Turkey’s rails. The high-speed trains linking continent-straddling Istanbul to the capital Ankara, and Istanbul to the home of the whirling dervishes in Konya, are far faster than the equivalent road trip, and as quick as using a domestic flight. Trains such as the Lake Van Express (Van Gölü Ekspresi) may wind slowly across Anatolia and seldom arrive on time, but the landscapes that unfurl between Ankara and impossibly blue, mountain-ringed Lake Van are sublime.
With rail routes putting you close to tourist hot spots such as Cappadocia and dropping you right on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, as well as more adventurous lines wending to the frontiers with Armenia, Iran and Syria, there is no more thrilling way to explore Turkey than by rail.
Need to know
With some 8,157 miles of railway line, Turkey’s nationalised rail system is no giant (by comparison Germany, less than half Turkey’s landmass, has 20,723 miles of track) but its rail transport network still ranks a creditable 22nd in the world.
A few suburban train lines apart, Turkey’s rail system is run by Turkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryollari (TCDD), or Turkish State Railways. TCDD’s main website, tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr, is notoriously slow and unreliable. Fortunately, its booking site, ebilet.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr, is much better and booking seats is usually straightforward. Online reservations only open either 15 or 30 days in advance, depending on the route, so you can’t book too far ahead.
The highly sought-after routes east of Ankara, running respectively to Kars, Diyarbakir and Lake Van, are immensely popular and book up as soon as reservations are opened, especially as travel agencies snap them up and sell them on for a mark-up. As a result, sleeping berths are often impossible to come by direct from TCDD. Read through the Turkey section of the excellent worldwide train travel guide The Man in Seat 61 before booking, as it has a comprehensive “How to buy train tickets online” page. Alternatively, use a travel agency: Amber Travel comes highly recommended.
Turkey’s first high-speed rail line opened in 2009. Today, the high-speed train (in Turkish, Yüksek Hizli Tren or YHT) between Istanbul and the political capital, Ankara – a 349-mile journey taking four and a half hours – costs £18. The nearly five-hour, 288-mile trip from Istanbul to Konya is £26. YHT has now reached as far east as the fascinating historic city of Sivas some 450 miles from Istanbul, and equally interesting Karaman, in the lee of the towering Taurus Mountains, around 350 miles from Istanbul.
The conventional, largely single-track train network is much more extensive than the high-speed version. Despite many of the trains being designated “express” (ekspres), the trains are far slower than YHT (for example, the 180-mile route between Istanbul and Edirne takes six hours). But riding Turkey’s trains is all about watching this fascinating country unfold beyond your window and enjoying the slow rhythms of the ride, so speed is not of the essence.
Sleeping berths on overnight routes come in two types. Twin-berth TVS2000 sleeping compartments are private, and provide a washbasin, soap, towels and fridge. The compartment converts into a simple sitting area with chairs and a table in the daytime. The four-bed TVS2000 couchettes are cheaper, as the bunks may be shared with other passengers (unless you book out the whole compartment), and do not convert into a sitting area in the daytime. Bedding is provided for both sleeping compartments and couchettes.
Ankara’s atmospheric, Art Deco style station, built in 1937, has survived but is now dwarfed by a shiny new station-cum-shopping centre. It is the major hub for train travel in Turkey and the three flagship long-distance trains heading east to Kars, Diyarbakir and Lake Van depart from here.
All three routes offer a more expensive “touristic” version of the regular train. Unfortunately, trains from Istanbul, Turkey’s other major rail hub, no longer depart from historic Haydarpaşa station, a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm to the then Ottoman sultan in 1909, and imposingly situated on the banks of the continent-dividing Bosphorus Strait. Instead, they run from a modern, workaday station in dull Söğütlüçeşme, in Asian Istanbul, linked to the central, European side of the city by the efficient Marmaray metro.
Note that for seats, those aged under eight travel free; there’s a 15 per cent discounted youth fare for 12-26-year-olds and those aged 60-64; and a 50 per cent discount for over-65s. When booking, you are required to state your sex, to avoid male passengers sitting beside single females.
‘Touristic’ trains versus regular services
“Touristic” trains have capitalised on a surge in interest amongst largely middle-class Turks in western Turkey to explore the “remote” eastern parts of their homeland. Although also run by TCDD, they operate much reduced schedules, stop at one or two places between the start and end points of the journey to allow a few hours’ exploration before re-boarding the same train, and offer sleeper berths only. They are also much more expensive.
For example, the Touristic Eastern Express (Turistik Doğu Ekspresi) between Ankara and Kars runs only three months each year, takes 34 hours and costs £336 for a two-person sleeper for two people. By contrast, the regular Eastern Express (Doğu Ekspresi) runs daily year-round, taking 26 hours. No two-person sleeping compartments are available, but a bed in a four-berth couchette is just £30, or £17 for a Pullman seat.
The Touristic Diyarbakir Express operates only in April and May and takes around 26 hours, whereas its regular equivalent, the Southern Express (Güney Ekspresi), runs five times a week, taking 23 hours. The Touristic Lake Van Express (Van Gölü Ekspresi) operates a few times between May and June, taking around 30 hours, while the regular service operates twice weekly, year-round and takes 26 hours. Sleeping berths on all these trains sell out very quickly, as local travel agencies sell them as part of group package tours.
Touristic trains
The Touristic Eastern Express
Turkey’s first train aimed specifically at the tourist market has soared in popularity since its inauguration in 2019. To take advantage of the spectacular, Doctor Zhivago-like snow-bound landscapes between Ankara and remote Kars, in north-eastern Turkey, it runs the 848-mile route only in midwinter. The setting for Turkey’s Nobel Prize winning novelist Orhan Pamuk’s Snow, Kars has splendid 19th-century Russian houses and delicious cheeses. Close by is the atmospheric Unesco World Heritage Site of Ani, a ruined medieval “ghost” city on the lip of a plunging gorge separating Turkey from Armenia.
Essentials
There are 30 departures outbound, and the same number of returns, between late December and early March. Trains depart Ankara on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Sleeping compartment for two people costs £366. One person in a four-berth couchette on the regular train is £30. It’s theoretically possible to book the Touristic Eastern Express through TCDD, but tickets go so quickly it’s often difficult. The same goes for sleeping berths on the regular services. If you can’t reserve with TCDD, use a Turkey-based agency such as Amber Travel.
Stay
Kars The Cheltikov is a converted, 19th-century Russian mansion house, run with genteel charm. Doubles from £126.
The Touristic Diyarbakir Express
This route, snaking 650 miles south-east from Ankara to Diyarbakir, is sometimes dubbed the Mesopotamia Express as its final stop, predominantly Kurdish Diyarbakir, stands astride the biblical Tigris, in upper Mesopotamia. Ringed by four miles of black basalt medieval walls, old Diyarbakir is a warren of alleys, mosques, churches and caravanserais. En route, there’s a stop allowing time to take in Turkey’s apricot capital, Malatya.
Essentials
Touristic trains depart Ankara on April 11 and 25, and May 9 and 23. Sleeping compartments for two people cost £342. One person in a twin-berth sleeping compartment on the regular train is £56.
Stay
Sur Palace, in the atmospheric heart of the walled old city of Diyarbakir, is great value. Doubles from £45.
The Touristic Lake Van Express
Seven times the size of Lake Geneva, startlingly blue high-altitude Lake Van – presided over by a snow-capped volcanic peak more than 13,000ft high – makes a suitably spectacular end point to the 773-mile journey from Ankara. Van is famous for its delicious breakfast spread, rare swimming Van cats – which have one blue and one amber eye – and the beautiful Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, a Unesco World Heritage Site set on the tiny islet of Akdamar. The city of Van is a 2.5-hour bus journey east from the train terminus in drab Tatvan.
Essentials
Touristic train departures to be confirmed. There’s a four-hour stop in Elazig outbound, and at both Elazig and Kayseri on the return. Sleeping compartments for two people cost around £340. One person in a twin-berth sleeping compartment on the regular train is £58.
Stay
Elite World is a glitzy modern hotel in the heart of bustling Van, with a fine buffet breakfast spread and views to the mountains from upper rooms. Doubles from £81.
Six other classic routes to try
The following classic train journeys are all operated by TCCD. Buy tickets from its website, ebilet.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr, or from an agency.
1. Istanbul to Ankara
Linking Turkey’s cultural and economic capital with its political capital, this four and half hour, 330-mile journey is the ideal way to reach Ankara, the terminus for the three great rail trips eastwards to Kars, Diyarbakir and Lake Van respectively. Ankara’s Museum of Anatolian Civilisations is a must.
Essentials
Economy seats cost £18; business class seats cost £27. There are 14 departures daily, plus an overnight sleeper train which departs Istanbul at 10pm, arriving in Ankara at 7am, costing £53 for one person in a two-bed sleeper.
Stay
The Divan (divan.com.tr) in the embassy district of Çankaya, has spacious rooms, a near Olympic-sized pool, wellness centre and fine dining restaurant. Doubles from £117.
2. Kayseri to Adana
This route forges its way through the magnificent Taurus mountain chain separating the Anatolian Plateau from the Mediterranean, partially following a route which was once part of the grandiose Berlin-Baghdad railway scheme, cooked up by Kaiser Wilhelm in the early 20th century. Steppe, snow-capped peaks and the Varda Viaduct – which featured in the James Bond film Skyfall – make for a scenic ride. Adana is renowned for its eponymous kebab.
Essentials
Pullman seats cost £7.50. There is one departure daily at 7.30am, arriving at Adana at 1.40pm.
Stay
The sleek Divan, close to the Roman bridge in central Adana, has an excellent spa and fitness centre. Doubles from £135.
3. Izmir to Konya
Arrowing eastwards from the Aegean port city of Izmir (ancient Smyrna) to Konya, once home of the mystic poet Rumi, the Mavi Tren (Blue Train) heads up onto the Anatolian Plateau passing through Uşak, renowned for its carpets, and (legal) opium-producing Afyon.
Essentials
Pullman seats cost £7.90; a two-bed sleeper costs £30.11 per person. There is one departure daily, leaving Izmir at 8.05pm, and arriving at Konya at 9am the next day.
Stay
The modern Dedeman, a mile from the historic city centre, has an outdoor pool, great breakfast and expansive views. Doubles from £151.
4. Sivas to Samsun
Turkey’s verdant Black Sea coast is scarcely served by rail at all, so this route from the Central Anatolian city of Sivas to the port of Samsun is a little-known gem. Sivas’s major attraction is the stunning 13th-century Gök Medrese, a Muslim theological college, while Samsun, centre of Turkey’s tobacco industry, is revered by Turks as the launch pad for Atatürk’s War of Independence.
Essentials
Pullman seats cost £10.35. There is one departure daily on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It leaves Sivas at 8.40am, and arrives at Samsun at 16.40pm.
Stay
Ramada by Wyndham, behind the harbour, offers comfortable rooms, as well as a gym and sauna. Doubles from £80.
5. Istanbul to Edirne
Entirely within the European part of Turkey, this line runs westward through the rolling hills and fields of Thrace to Edirne, close to the Bulgarian and Greek frontiers. Known historically as Adrianople, Edirne is a mellow, riverside city best known for its Unesco World Heritage-listed Selimiye Mosque.
Essentials
Pullman seats cost £7.70. Trains depart Istanbul’s Halkali station (reached by the Marmaray metro line from central Sirkeci station in 35 minutes). There are three departures daily (8.40am, 11.15am and 6pm), each taking six hours.
Stay
The quirky, boutique Antik is fashioned from a period building in the historic heart of the city. Doubles from £40.
6. Istanbul to Denizli
Using the YHT from Istanbul to Eskişehir, then the regular Pamukkale Express onto Denizli, this classic route links the historic megalopolis of Istanbul with the cotton-producing city of Denizli, jump-off point for one of Turkey’s most iconic sights, Pamukkale, a series of dazzling white travertine basins filled with warm water, combined with the Roman ruins of Hierapolis.
Essentials
Istanbul to Eskişehir: economy seats cost £13.22; business class seats cost £19.88. Eskişehir to Denizli: Pullman seats cost £11.50. Trains depart Istanbul Söğütlüçeşme 7.15am, arriving in Eskişehir at 10.05am; then departing Eskişehir at 11.10am, and arriving in Denizli at 8pm.
Stay
The Hotel Hal-Tur has a lovely outdoor pool and views of the travertine formations from some of the well-appointed rooms. Doubles from £80.
What to book
Amber Travel has an 11-day rail tour of western Turkey from £507 per person (for a basic package, excluding flights). The journey starts amid the Byzantine and Ottoman splendours of Istanbul, then heads south by the Pamukkale Express to take in the travertine formations and the ruins of ancient Ephesus. Visits to Konya and the geological wonderland of Cappadocia complete the tour.
Tailor Made Rail also offers an 11-day rail-based tour of western and central Turkey, priced from £1,349 per person, excluding flights. The journey runs from Istanbul to Izmir by ferry and train, pausing for a few days by the Aegean in the charming resort of Alaçati, before heading east by the overnight Blue Train from Izmir to Ankara, then onto Kayseri on the Southern Express for Cappadocia.
A private rail journey – including Istanbul, ancient Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia – on the Golden Eagle Danube Express with Golden Eagle Luxury Trains is the height of sophistication and luxury. The nine-day Turkish Treasures holiday is priced from £11,156 per person, including all meals, guiding, hotels, an onboard doctor and balloon ride, but excluding flights.
