World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Istanbul  - Rail
Rail


Turkish State Railways
(TCDD; tel: (312) 309 0515) provides the national railway network, which is slow and lacks air conditioning, although is very cheap. There are two stations in Istanbul: Sirkeci Station (tel: (212) 527 0051 or 5099), near Eminönü on the European side, and Haydarpa?a Station (tel: (216) 336 0475 or 348 8020), near Kadiköy on the Asian side. Both stations are well equipped with restaurants, newspaper kiosks, waiting rooms and ATMs.

Rail services:
Trains bound for Sofia, Belgrade, Bucharest and Budapest (with transfers to Münich and Vienna) leave from Sirkeci Station, departing about 2200, but due to Bulgarian border problems it is dangerous and not recommended at this time. Trains for Turkish destinations leave from Haydarpa?a Station. There are express trains between major Turkish cities, but cheaper rural routes can be painfully slow. For instance, the following services all go to Ankara: the Fatih Express (7.5 hours), the Blue Train (8 hours), the Ankara Express (with couchette 10 hours), the Anatolia Express (10 hours). To Izmir, the Izmir Express takes 15 hours or the Izmir Blue Train takes 14.5 hours.

Transport to the city:
Both stations are fairly central; a taxi is the easiest way to a hotel, although taxi drivers may expect a hefty tip as the distance is short. Haydarpa?a Station on the Asian side is connected to the European side by ferry to Karaköy port; while Sirkeci Station is a short walk or taxi ride from Eminönü port. Sirkeci is also on the tramway to Sultanahmet.



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