The railway connection in Turkey is not well developed. The railway network does not cover all localities in the country. Trains arrive at large stations, from which you have to get further by bus to the desired city. The total length of the country's railways is only about 8 thousand km, which is very small for such a large territory.
Not all trains in Turkey are for passengers. Many directions are used only for freight transport. It is impossible to get to such popular places as Trabzon, Marmaris, Antalya, Alanya, etc. by train.
Features of Turkish trains
The country's railway service is slow. Many trains do not reach speeds of more than 80 km / h.
Train timetables in Turkey can be viewed on the tcdd.gov.tr. There is an English version of this resource on the Internet. There you can buy a ticket online, including an international route. From Turkey by train you can get to Iran, Bulgaria, Romania, Syria and a number of other countries.
The disadvantage of the Turkish railway is that it takes more time than the road. This is due to the peculiarities of the landscape. For example, you can get from Istanbul to Kayseri by train in 18 hours or by bus in 10. The advantage of the railway is the low cost of travel.
Rail transport is in the sphere of influence of the TCDD (State Railways of the Republic of Turkey). The site of this organization: https://www.tcdd.gov.tr. The number of lines in the country is growing every year. In some cases, it is more profitable for travelers to use a plane, since it does not cost much more than a train, especially when booking flights early.
Railway tickets
Turkish trains provide passengers with a comfortable journey for little money. When buying a ticket, one must remember that the station designation will not necessarily coincide with the name of the settlement.
It is recommended to purchase and book train tickets in Turkey in advance. There is a discount for round trip travel. In addition, discounts are available for couples and students. The carriages on trains are divided into several types: seated - Pulman, double compartments - Yatakli, etc. Railway tickets are available to passengers via the Internet. To do this, go to the etcdd.tcdd.gov.tr website. If you buy your ticket online, get it at the ticket office of the station before your trip. You do not need to print it yourself. Only the ticket number can be presented to the cashier. Ticket prices vary depending on the type of carriage and route. The average cost is in the range of 20 - 120 liras.
