Rail travel in Turkey
Photo: YHT, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
You can reach Turkey by train, and fast trains span half the country. Turkey nowadays has a better high-speed railway network than many western countries including Britain and Italy.
UnderstandMainline rail services in Turkey fall into three categories: i) high speed and modern; ii) slow and scenic; and iii) suspended long-term for rebuilding or for other reasons.
International routesFrom Europe trains run from Bucharest or Sofia overnight, to combine at the Turkish border and continue to Istanbul.
Domestic routesIt is expected that overnight trains east of Ankara will eventually be re-routed to terminate at Sivas, which since 2023 is the eastern terminus of the YHT network. However there's been no announcement about this.
Using the trainReservations are essential for YHT trains and recommended for other mainline services. YHT and conventional mainline (anahat) trains are best booked via the TCDD website or app.
HeritageOld locomotives stand outside several stations, and Ankara, Istanbul Sirkeci and Çamlık (south of Selçuk) stations have railway museums.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Rail travel in Turkey" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: YHT, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons