Domestic Trains

Regional trains (Bölgesel)

• Various routes throughout Turkey

Main line train (Anahat)

• Faster connections between major cities

Bikes are sometimes allowed on trains. Please check at the station if a special ticket is required.

Turkey has daily international trains from Istanbul to Bulgaria and Romania, offering a comfortable connection to the rest of the Interrail network.

International Trains

Bosphorus Express

• Istanbul Halkali – Plovdiv – Sofia
  • Runs daily all year round
  • Comfortable modern Turkish couchette and sleeping cars
  • Reservations are mandatory
• Istanbul Halkali – Veliko Tarnovo – Ruse – Bucharest
  • Runs daily only during summer season (13 June to till 11 October)
  • Comfortable modern Turkish couchette and sleeping cars
  • Reservations are mandatory

The train from Istanbul to Bucharest and Sofia starts at Istanbul Halkali station. The best way to get here is by metro/Marmaray train. It runs from the Eastern side, underneath the Bosphorus strait, to the Western side of the city and terminates at Halkali. Interrail Passes are not valid on Marmaray trains.

High-speed train YHT (Yüksek Hızlı)

• A growing network of high speed lines
• Modern train that travels up to 250 km/h
• The following lines are currently operational
  • Istanbul – Eskişehir – Ankara
  • Istanbul – Eskişehir – Konya – Karaman
  • Ankara – Konya – Karaman
  • Ankara – Sivas

YHT trains currently serve five stations in the Istanbul metro area: Halkalı, Bakırköy, Söğütlüçeşme, Bostancı and Pendik. Bakırköy and Söğütlüçeşme are closest to the city centre and well connected by metro and suburban (Marmaray) trains

Night Trains

Turkey has an extensive network of night trains, stretching out to all corners of the country. Trains consist of modern airconditioned carriages with comfortable pullman seats, sleepers and couchettes. Make sure to arrange your reservations in advance, trains generally sell out.

• Ankara Ekspresi
  • Istanbul – Eskişehir - Ankara
  • Good alternative when High Speed Trains (YHT) sell out
• Daily Doğu Ekspresi*
  • Ankara – Kayseri – Sivas – Erzincan – Erzurum – Kars
  • Highly scenic route along the Eufrates river
• Daily Vangölü
  • Ankara – Kayseri – Sivas – Malatya – Elazig – Tatvan
  • Take a ferry to Van across the enormous lake Van
  • Twice a week 
• Güney Kurtalan
  • Ankara – Kayseri – Sivas – Malatya – Diyarbakir – Batman – Kurtalan
  • 5 times a week 
• Blue night train (Mavi Tren)
  • Ankara – Izmir
  • Konya – Izmir
  • Daily

*Next to the Doğu Ekspresi, there is another train called the ‘Turistik Doğu Ekspresi’. This train is not valid for passholders