Useful country information

Train travel in Turkey

The train is an excellent way to get around Turkey!

Guidebooks may tell you that Turkey has a good bus network and that 'buses are faster than trains'.  The thing is, do you really want to spend 12 hours in a bus?  When you can travel on a civilised inexpensive air-conditioned train, with a bed to sleep in in your own private sleeper, a restaurant car for your meals & space to move around, through fantastic Turkish scenery that's unspoilt by roadside development?  Travellers who take the train, ignoring the misguided advice to always 'take the bus', rave about their train experiences.

Turkey's best trains are now modern & air-conditioned.  Savvy travellers will use a train for long distances (for example, Ankara to Konya, Izmir or Kars) then a short bus trip where necessary to reach places off the rail network, for example the South coast resorts or Cappadocia.

Much of the rail network was built by the Germans, and the joke goes that the Turks paid them by the mile, hence the twisting & curvaceous nature of Turkish railways!  However, the first section of a new high-speed line from Istanbul to Ankara opened in March 2009, and journey time will be reduced to just 3 hours by 2015, beating both buses & flights.  An Ankara-Konya high-speed line has now opened, and more sections of high-speed line are also under construction.  Overnight trains with sleeping-cars, most now air-conditioned, provide a civilised, romantic & time-effective way to travel between major cities.

Train routes, schedules & fares in Turkey...

There is an excellent train route map at Turkeytravelplanner.com, or see the map above.  There are no trains to Antalya, Marmaris, Bodrum, Alanya, nor to Gorëme in Cappadocia, so use a combination of train+bus to reach these places.  Here are train times and fares for key routes:

You can check train times & fares at the Turkish Railways (TCDD) website, www.tcdd.gov.tr, although the Turkish version is often more up to date than the English version.  In the top red bar, click 'anahat trenleri' for mainline trains, 'bölgesel trenleri' for regional trains, 'Ortadogu yönlü trenleri' for international trains to the Middle East or 'Avrupa trenleri' for international trains to Europe..

International train travel to or from Turkey...

Istanbul - Bucharest, Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Paris & London

Istanbul - Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb, Munich, Paris & London

Istanbul - Thessaloniki & Athens by train

Turkey to Greece by ferry

Istanbul - Aleppo & Damascus  (Syria page)

Istanbul - Tabriz & Tehran  (Iran page)

Istanbul - Ukraine, Cyprus, Iraq, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Istanbul - Cyprus

How to buy tickets at the station...

	Tur-ISTA Travel in Istanbul can arrange your train tickets by email.
	Haydarpasa station, seen from the deck of a Bosphorus ferry.  Haydarpasa is unlikely to see long distance trains again, when these return to Istanbul they'll use the new Bosphorus Tunnel.  Photo courtesy of Stuart Baker

It's easy to buy tickets at the station when you get to Turkey.  Most major stations have a computerised ticketing & reservation system, so can book any journey in Turkey.  It's not usually difficult to get seats or berths on the day of travel or a day or two before, although sleepers can sometimes get fully-booked.  Alternatively, you can buy tickets in advance either online or via a TCDD-authorised agency as shown below.  Stations accept Turkish lira cash, and may now accept credit cards.  Booking for Turkish domestic trains opens 30 days before departure for some trains, 15 days ahead for others.  The high-speed trains open 10 days before travel.

How to buy tickets online at www.tcdd.gov.tr...

The Turkish Railways (TCDD) website www.tcdd.gov.tr has an online booking facility, now available in English.  If the English version plays up, it really isn't difficult to book using the Turkish version with minimal knowledge of Turkish using the step-by-step instructions below.  The system will book most long distance trains within Turkey (but not international trains), including seats, couchettes & sleepers.  You print out your reservation details and pick up the tickets at the station in Turkey.  Online reservations for Turkish trains opens 30 days before departure for some trains, 15 days ahead for others, and 10 days ahead for YHT high-speed trains.

How to buy tickets using a local travel agency...

If buying tickets online proves difficult, you can buy Turkish train tickets in advance by emailing or calling one of these authorised travel agencies in Istanbul:

Tur-ISTA Tourism Travel Agency, Divan Yolu Caddesi No. 16/B, 34410 Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey. Telephone +90 (212) 527 7085 or 513 7119.  Fax +90 (212) 519 3792.  E-mail erdemir@tur-ista.com.  I can personally recommend their service.  They are near the Sultanahmet tram stop, a short way from the Blue Mosque.

Backpackers Travel, Yeni Akbiyik Caddesi No. 30, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, telephone +90 (212) 638 63 43, fax +90 212 638 39 22, website www.backpackerstravel.net.

Tur-ista gets good reports and I've used them myself, I yet to receive any reports about Backpackers Travel, but they are a well-known agency.  If you book with one of these agencies, you will need to pick up your tickets at their offices in Istanbul.  They can't book International trains from Turkey in their capacity as official TCDD agents, but they may be willing to buy tickets for international trains on your behalf as a private transaction, for a booking fee.

Haydarpaşa station...

Trains for Asian destinations used to leave from the historic Haydarpaşa Station (pictured above right), a ferry ride across the Bosphorus from Sirkeci Station where the European trains arrive.  Haydarpaşa station was built in 1908, a gift from the German Kaiser to the Ottoman Sultan, and named after one of the Sultan's generals.  It was closed to long-distance trains in February 2012 when engineering work started to rebuild the rail approaches to Istanbul in connection with both the new high-speed line to Ankara and the new Bosphorus rail tunnel.  It currently only handles a few remaining suburban trains.  When the work is completed and long-distance trains resume operation into Istanbul from perhaps 2015 or 2016, trains are likely to use the new rail tunnel under the Bosphorus from Asian Turkey to the European side of Istanbul, and Haydarpasa may then close totally.  Map of Istanbul showing Haydarpaşa & Sirkeci stations.

What are Turkish trains like?

Trains in Turkey have several types of accommodation to choose from:

• Pullman seats.  1st class reclining seats in a carpeted air-conditioned open-plan saloon.

• 1st & 2nd class ordinary seats, usually in 6-seat compartments.

• Sleeping-cars (yatakli wagon in Turkish).  Private 1 & 2-bed air-conditioned compartments with washbasin.

• Couchettes (kuşet in Turkish).  Shared 4-bunk air-conditioned compartments.

Most Turkish trains now use modern air-conditioned TVS2000 coaches like the ones shown below, which are as good as anything in western Europe.  TVS2000 trains run from Ankara to Izmir, Ankara to Adana, and Ankara to Erzurum, Kars & Eastern Turkey.

YHT: Turkey's High-speed trains...

Brand-new 250 km/h high-speed trains are now operating on the Eskisehir to Ankara and Ankara-Konya routes, see photos here.  They're known as YHT, Yüksek Hızlı Treni, and feature comfortable seats in Economy and Business classes.

TVS2000 Pullman seats cars...

Turkish Railways' air-conditioned TVS2000 cars are modern, clean & carpeted.  The reclining Pullman seats (below left) are more spacious & comfortable than any cramped bus seat, and the coaches ride on smooth air suspension.

TVS2000 restaurant cars...

Restaurant cars are available on a number of trains, serving inexpensive meals & beer.  There's a sample menu on www.tcdd.gov.tr if you use the Turkish version and Google Chrome's inbuilt translation.  A set breakfast menu costs TL 9 (£4 or $6), soup TL 3.50, a main course of schnitzel or steak costs TL 10-15, beer TL 7.  Eating in these elegant restaurant cars on proper china beats balancing food on your knees on a bus, any day...

TVS2000 sleeping-cars...

The best overnight trains in Turkey use modern air-conditioned TVS2000 sleeping-cars.  Sleeper compartments have beds and a washbasin, soap and towels provided, and even a small fridge containing complimentary mineral water, soft drinks and snacks.  There's even a shower at the end of the corridor.  Compartments convert from a bedroom at night to a private sitting room with armchairs and small table for the daytime part of a journey.  Trains with TVS2000 sleeping-cars include the night trains from Ankara to Izmir, the Cukurova Express from Ankara to Adana, and the trains from Ankara to Erzurum, Kars, Diyarbakir & Tatvan.  Travelling in these sleepers is like staying in a good hotel, a great way to travel that saves on hotel bills, too.

A 2-berth sleeper compartment  in night-time mode (above left) with upper and lower berths folded out, and in day mode (above centre) with beds folded away.  Interior photos courtesy of Shigeki Murao.  More sleeper photos.

Far left:  A TVS2000 sleeping-car corridor, just like a hotel.  Courtesy of Shigeki Murao. Left:  A 2-bed sleeper in day mode, looking towards the door to the corridor.  The photo shows the washbasin in the corner, the beds folded away & seats folded out.

TVS2000 couchette cars...

Couchettes are basic padded bunks, with 4 bunks per compartment.  Couchettes convert to ordinary seating compartments for the daytime part of a journey.  On some trains, couchettes are provided without bedding, but on other trains there are 'covered couchettes' (örtülü kuşet), with sheet, blanket and pillow supplied.  Most overnight trains such as the Ankara-Izmir, Ankara-Adana, Arifiye/Eskisehir-Konya-Adana and Ankara-Eastern Turkey trains now have modern air-conditioned TVS2000 couchette cars like the one below.

TVS2000 air-conditioned 4-berth couchettes, shown in daytime position with the berths folded against the wall.

For more information, the train travel section of www.turkeytravelplanner.com is highly recommended.

Sponsored links...

Eskisehir-Ankara high-speed line now open...

The first section of the Istanbul-Ankara high-speed line opened in March 2009, and brand-new air-conditioned 250 km/h high-speed trains (YHT, Yüksek Hızlı Treni in Turkish) now link Eskişehir with Ankara.  The rest of the high-speed line is currently under construction.  The plan is that by early 2014 (and possibly as early as 30 September 2013), high-speed trains will start running between Ankara and a station called Pendik, 25km east of Istanbul, and a couple of years later trains are due to start running between Ankara and central Istanbul via the new Bosphorus rail tunnel, taking just 3 hours.  Photos showing what these new Turkish high-speed trains are like.

But Istanbul-Eskisehir line temporarily closed as far as Arifiye...

However, as explained here the conventional line out of Istanbul Haydarpasa towards Ankara has been closed since February 2012 as far as Arifiye, 132km east of Istanbul.  One train (the Boğaziçi Express) is now starting from Arifiye with connections for Ankara in Eskisehir, but the regular high-speed trains to Ankara are all starting from Eskisehir, 314km east of Istanbul.

To reach Eskisehir, use Kamil Koc or Metro Turizm buses from Istanbul Otogar to Eskisehir Otogar.  A taxi from Eskisehir otogar to Eskisehir station takes 10 minutes.  You can check bus times and book buses online at www.kamilkoc.com.tr or www.metroturizm.com.tr.

To reach Arifiye, take a local ferry every 10 minutes from Istanbul Sirkeci on the European side across the Bosphorus to Harem on the Asian side. Harem Otogar (bus station) is right next to the ferry terminal.  Buses run by two companies (Sakarya VIB & Metro Turizm) link Istanbul Harem bus station with Arifiye railway station ('Arifiye tren gar') once or twice each hour, taking around 1 hour 30 minutes, fare TL 15 (£6 or $10).  It can help to know that the main town near Arifiye is in fact called Adapazari, not Arifiye, and it's Adapazari which is shown on most bus timetables although they'll usually drop you at Arifiye station.

Alternatively, consider taking a ferry from Istanbul to Bursa, then a bus/train combo to Ankara as shown in the section below.

YHT = Yüksek Hızlı Treni = new 250 km/h high-speed train.  YHT trains have a brief ticket and security check on the platform, so arrive for boarding 15 minutes before departure.

Bog = Boğaziçi Express, one remaining non-high-speed train with TVS2000 reclining pullman seats.

* From 1 February to 28 March 2013 the Arifiye-Eskisehir line is closed and the Boğaziçi Express is temporarily cancelled.

Sleeper trans Istanbul-Ankara are all cancelled during the engineering work blockade from 2012 to 2014.

Ankara station is in central Ankara, unlike the main bus terminal which is 2-3 miles outside the city or the airport 15-20 miles outside.

How to buy tickets

Arifiye to Eskisehir by Boğaziçi Express costs TL 11.50.  All these fares are one-way per person.  Return tickets cost 20% less than two one-way fares.  Children under 8 go free, children 8-11 travel for half the adult fare, children 12 & over must pay the adult fare.  You can check train times and fares at www.tcdd.gov.tr, which now has some English pages.  Also see www.turkeytravelplanner.com.  Buy your ticket at the ticket office in Istanbul or use one of the travel agencies in Istanbul recommended above.

The new face of Turkish train travel:  Above left, a high-speed YHT train at Ankara station.  Above right, the Economy class interior.  Photos courtesy of Malte Furhrmann.

Istanbul to Ankara via Bursa?

Until direct trains resume, a pleasant way to travel between Istanbul and Ankara is to take the regular fast passenger ferry across the Sea of Marmara to Bursa, then the special bus from Bursa to Eskisehir which runs in connection with most 250 km/h high-speed train departures to Ankara.  This is not much slower than taking a direct bus from Istanbul to Ankara, especially as the YHT trains arrive at Ankara station in the heart of Ankara, not a bus station 2 miles out of town.  This route is also scenic, taking you up the lush green slopes of Mount Uludag (the Olympus of Bithynia) and it avoids the traffic congestion that can badly delay buses on the main Istanbul-Ankara route.  However, Bursa is an interesting place, and well worth a stopover anyway.

1) Istanbul to Bursa by fast ferry...

Fast passenger ferries sail from Istanbul Kabataş ferry terminal (just southeast of Taksim Square) to Bursa.  On a typical weekday, you'll find ferry departures like the ones shown below, but they vary by day of the week and time of year, so check sailing times for your date of travel at www.idobus.com.tr. 

• Istanbul to Bursa on a typical weekday:  08:45, 11:00, 14:30, 17:00, 18:30, 20:00 & 22:00, taking 1 hour 50 mins 

• Bursa to Istanbul on a typical weekday: 06:30, 08:00, 09:30, 11:30, 14:30, 17:30, 19:30. 

• Fares vary airline-style, from just TL 1 booked in advance to TL 27  (£11 or $17) full-price bought on the day.

• Buy tickets online at www.idobus.com.tr or at the port.

• The ferry arrives at Güzelyali jetty which is some 28 km (17 miles) from the town of Bursa itself.  A taxi takes 30 minutes and will cost around TL 50 (£21 or $32), local buses also available from the ferry terminal to Bursa otogar.  If connecting directly with a bus to Eskisehir for the train to Ankara, allow at least an hour between the ferry arrival and the bus departure from Bursa Otogar.  Though Bursa is well worth a stopover!

There are additional fast ferries to Bursa twice a day from Istanbul's Yenikapi ferry terminal in the south of the city, which also carry vehicles.  Departures from Istanbul are at 07:30 (daily except Sundays), 17:30 (daily) and 20:30 (Fri & Sun only).  Journey time 1 hour 30 minutes.  Departures from Bursa are at 07:30 (daily except Sundays), 18:00 (daily), 20:30 (Fri & Sun only).  See www.ido.com.tr to check ferry times and fares from Yenikapi to Bursa.

2) Bursa to Ankara by bus & high-speed train combo...

A bus company called Kamil Koc runs buses from Bursa bus station (otogar) to Eskisehir railway station specifically to connect with YHT high-speed train departures to Ankara.  The bus will drop you right outside the station entrance at Eskisehir 15 minutes before the train leaves.  Just make sure you board the bus to Eskisehir station, not a similar bus to Eskisehir Otogar.

• Bursa to Eskisehir by Kamil Koc bus costs TL 17 (£7 or $11)

• Eskisehir to Ankara by high-speed train costs TL 25 in Economy Class or TL 35 in Business Class.

• You can buy the bus & train tickets together if you go to Bursa bus station or Ankara railway station.

• To pre-book tickets in person in Istanbul, go to the TCDD ticket office at Sirkeci station to buy the train ticket, and find a Kamil Koc agency to buy the bus ticket.

• To buy tickets online, you'll need to book the train ticket at the TCDD website as shown here, then buy the Bursa to Eskisehir bus ticket at the Kamil Koc website www.kamilkoc.com.tr (In Turkish only, so use Google's Chrome browser to automatically translate, and buy tickets from Bursa to E.SEHIR TCDD-GAR).  Kamil Koc may not accept foreign credit cards, be warned.

Eskisehir to Ankara by high-speed train:  Above left, a high-speed YHT train at Ankara station.  Above right, the Economy class interior.  Photos courtesy of Malte Furhrmann.

Because of major railway construction work in the Istanbul area explained here, the line eastwards from Istanbul is temporarily closed as far as Arifiye until 2014 or 2015.  The Meram Express between Istanbul and Konya is cancelled.  But by taking a relatively short bus ride to Arifiye or Eskisehir you can still board a comfortable daytime train or overnight sleeper train to Konya and Adana, via the scenic railway through the fabulous Taurus Mountains, a train ride not to be missed, see the photos below.

New Eskisehir to Konya high-speed trains!  From March 2013, two daily YHT high-speed trains will link Eskisehir with Konya in just 2 hours using the new high-speed line.  Eventually, high-speed trains will link Istanbul & Konya, possibly from 2015.  Details will be posted when available.

How to reach Arifiye:  Arifiye is 132km from Istanbul.  Take a local ferry every 10 minutes from Istanbul Sirkeci on the European side across the Bosphorus to Harem on the Asian side. Harem Otogar (bus station) is right next to the ferry terminal.  Buses run by two companies (Sakarya VIB & Metro Turizm) link Istanbul Harem bus station with Arifiye railway station ('Arifiye tren gar') once or twice each hour, taking around 1 hour 30 minutes, fare TL 15 (£6 or $10).  It can help to know that the main town near Arifiye is in fact called Adapazari, not Arifiye, and it's Adapazari which is shown on most bus timetables although they'll usually drop you at Arifiye station.

* From 31 January to 28 March 2013, the Içanadolou Mavi Tren will operate Eskisehir-Adana, not Arifiye-Adana.

Mavi = Içanadolou Mavi Tren:  TVS2000 sleeping-car (1 & 2 bed rooms with washbasin), TVS2000 pullman reclining seats & a TVS2000 restaurant car.  Booking for this train opens 10 days before departure.

Toros = Toros Express, runs every day, TVS2000 pullman reclining seats cars & normal compartment cars.  Booking opens 30 days ahead.

YHT = Yüksek Hızlı Treni = new 250 km/h high-speed train.  YHT trains have a brief ticket and security check on the platform, so arrive for boarding 15 minutes before departure.

Alternative route between Istanbul & Adana:  You can take the 10:30 morning train from Istanbul to Ankara (change at Eskişehir) then the overnight Cukurova Mavi train Ankara-Adana.

How to buy tickets    Map of Istanbul showing location of Haydarpaşa station

All fares one-way per person.  Return tickets cost 20% less than the cost of two one-way fares.  Children under 8 go free, children 8-11 travel for half the adult fare, children 12 & over must pay the adult fare.  You can check times and fares at www.tcdd.gov.tr.

A private 1 or 2 bed sleeper, in daytime mode with beds folded away.  Easily the nicest way to travel between Istanbul & Konya or Adana.  Inexpensive, relaxed & civilised, no airport stress, no long cramped bus journeys.  Interior photo courtesy of Heather Williams.

The snow-capped Taurus Mountains, seen from the Içanadolou Mavi Tren from Istanbul to Adana.  Photo courtesy of Conor Meleady.

The old overnight Pamukkale Express from Istanbul to Denizli has been cancelled due to the construction work explained here until 2013 or 2014 at the earliest, if indeed it ever resumes.  However, the line from Izmir to Denizli has now reopened for local trains, so a comfortable and civilised alternative is to go from Istanbul to Izmir as shown here using a fast ferry across the Sea of Marmara to Bandirma connecting with a comfortable air-conditioned train to Izmir, stay overnight, then take a comfortable air-conditioned local train from Izmir to Denizli as shown here.

There are direct buses from Istanbul to Antalya, Marmaris and the Mediterranean coast, but this is a nightmarishly long bus journey, especially if done overnight slumped in a cramped bus seat.  In the longer term, the start of high-speed Istanbul-Konya trains from 2015(?) will allow you to take a fast comfortable train to Konya, then a relatively short bus journey from there.  In the meantime, you can travel like this:

For Antalya, travel by bus from Istanbul to Arifiye (the bus station is Adapazari/Sakarya) then the comfortable overnight Içanadolou Mavi Tren from Arifiye to Konya as shown above with sleeping-cars, then a bus from Konya to Antalya.

For Marmaris, Bodrum or Fethiye, first travel from Istanbul to Izmir as shown here.  Then take a train from Izmir to Aydin or Denizli as shown here taking a bus from Aydin to Marmaris or Bodrum, or a bus from Denizli to Fethiye.

Cappadocia is an incredible land of strange rock formations and cave dwellings that should not be missed.  It's a nightmare 12+ hour bus journey all the way from Istanbul, but you can easily let the train take the strain for much of the way.

Option 1:  Take a bus from Istanbul to Eskisehir then a comfortable high-speed YHT train to Ankara as shown in the timetable above.  Take the metro from the station to Ankara's long-distance bus terminal, located a couple of miles out of the city centre (allow an hour for this).  Buses run from Ankara to Nevsehir & Gorëme in Cappadocia every couple of hours throughout the day, taking 4 hours 30 minutes to Nevsehir and 5 hours to Gorëme, fare 30 TL (£13 or $21).  You can simply buy a bus ticket at the bus station.  For bus times try www.nevsehirlilerseyahat.com.tr.

Option 2:  Take train from Ankara to Kayseri as shown in the timetable below.  Kayseri is only 70 km from Gorëme, so this is the shortest bus journey (maybe 1.5 hours) though a longer overall trip.

Istanbul to Izmir by ferry & train across the Sea of Marmara...

An enjoyable year-round way from Istanbul to Izmir is across the Sea of Marmara to Bandirma by fast ferry, then on the connecting air-conditioned 6 Eylül Express or 17 Eylül Express from Bandirma to Izmir.  Much nicer than 9 hours stuck in a bus!

Always check your ferry times at www.ido.com.tr, you may find better ferry connections on some days or dates.  45 minutes is sufficient to connect between train & ferry at Bandirma.

	Izmir Alcansak station:  The old station bell at Izmir Alcansak, with the train to Bandirma (for the ferry to Istanbul) in the background.  Photo courtesy of Malte Furhrmann.

* On Mondays to Thursdays & Saturdays from late September to mid-April, the ferry connection runs much later, departing Bandirma at 18:30 & arriving Istanbul at 20:30.  From mid-April to mid-September, there's a 15:30 sailing every day.  Check ferry times at www.ido.com.tr.

** Izmir Basmane station until 1 May 2013, then these trains revert to using Izmir Alsancak station.

About the journey:  The ferry is a fast SeaCat run by the IDO ferry company, see www.ido.com.tr to double-check ferry times and prices.  The ferry terminal in Istanbul is called 'Yenikapi', see map of Istanbul showing location of Yenikapi ferry terminal.  There's a 30 minute minimum check-in for the ferry.  At Bandirma, the ferry arrives a stone's throw from the railway station, you can easily walk off the ferry and round onto the train.  The morning train is the '6 Eylül Express', the afternoon train is the '17 Eylül Express', both trains have modern air-conditioned TVS2000 reclining pullman seats, with a refreshment trolley - though do bring your own supplies for the journey.  Since 2010 the train arrives/departs Izmir Alsancak station, not Izmir Basmane, although it's temporarily back as Basmane until Feb 2013.

How much does it cost?  (1) Istanbul Yenikapi to Bandirma by fast ferry costs TL 39 (£17 or $25).  (2) Bandirma to Izmir by train in a pullman seat is TL 22 (£9 or $14).  Children under 8 go free, children 8-11 travel for half the adult fare, children 12 & over must pay the adult fare.

How to buy tickets:  Buy the ferry ticket in person at the ferry terminal or online up to 30 days in advance at www.ido.com.tr, remembering that 'Yenikapi' is the starting point in Istanbul.  Buy the train ticket at the station when you get to Bandirma, or perhaps buy at Istanbul's Sirkeci station before you leave, or try booking online as shown here, a little tricky but can be done!

Traveller's report:  Ryan White reports. "I went Istanbul to Izmir & back with the ferry+train and it was great.  The train and ferry were both very comfortable and on time.  One way Izmir to Istanbul or visa versa was about 30 TL ($20 dollars).

For onward travel from Izmir to Selçuk (Ephesus) and Denizli (Pamukkale) see this section.

Istanbul to Izmir by direct ferry...

There used to be a cruise ferry from Istanbul to Izmir, run by Deniz Lines, but this no longer runs.

Until a year or two ago, two trains a day linked Istanbul's Sirkeci station with the historic city of Edirne, once known as Adrianople.  One was the overnight international train en route to/from Sofia and Bucharest, the other a regional train between Istanbul and Edirne.  However, at present major engineering is affecting the line westwards from Istanbul.  The international sleeper train is replaced by a bus between Istanbul and the Bulgarian border at Kapikule, as shown on the London to Turkey page, the regional train still runs, but only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as shown below.  However, if it fits your itinerary. it's better than any cramped bus.

This train currently only runs on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays.  It's a regional train with 1st and 2nd class seats.  Quite a comfortable train with modernised coaches with seats in 6-seater compartments.  Fares are not known, but will be very cheap by western standards.  No pre-booking necessary or possible, just turn up and buy a ticket at the station.

Modern trains link Ankara with Izmir overnight, with comfortable sleepers - see the TVS2000 sleeper photos.

* = Trains temporarily arrive/depart Izmir Basmane station until 1 May 2013.

Mavi = Izmir Mavi Tren.  TVS2000 sleeping-cars (1 & 2-bed compartments), TVS2000 reclining pullman seats &TVS2000 restaurant car.

Karesi = Karesi Express.  1st & 2nd class seats, couchettes (4-bunk), restaurant car.

You can check times and fares at www.tcdd.gov.tr - some pages are now in English, but www.turkeytravelplanner.com will help you understand the Turkish parts.  It's reported that the trains now (as of 2010) use Izmir's Alsancak station, they no longer use Basmane, please check locally.

How to buy tickets

All fares one-way per person.  Return tickets cost 20% less than the cost of two one-way fares.  Children under 8 go free, children 8-11 travel for half the adult fare, children 12 & over must pay the adult fare.

There's no better way to travel between Ankara and Adana than by train.  Choose between a time-effective and very civilised overnight sleeper service, or a new daytime high-speed option with a change of train in Konya, which will show you the spectacular Taurus mountains.

A new high-speed line linking Ankara with Konya opened in August 2011.  250 km/h (150mph) high-speed trains with economy and business class air-conditioned seating and a cafe-bar car now link these cities in just 1 hour 40 minutes when previously, you could only travel between these cities via a roundabout route that took over 10 hours.  The service shown here is the expanded service from 1 December 2011, it may be further increased to an hourly service as traffic builds up, and there may be further cuts to journey time too.  If you use these new trains, any feedback or photos would be appreciated.  The journey from Ankara to Konya is around 309 km (193 miles), including 212 km of new high-speed line.  The Turkish term for high-speed train is YHT or Yüksek Hızlı Treni.

Ankara ► Konya & Karaman
	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily
Ankara depart:	07:00	09:35	11:30	13:00	15:15	17:15	18:30	20:45
Konya  arrive:	08:52	11:30	13:20	14:52	17:07	19:05	20:25	22:40
(Karaman arrive)	(10:23)	-	-	(16:24)	(18:37)	(20:30)	-	-

Karaman & Konya ► Ankara
	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily	Daily
(Karaman depart)	-	-	-	(10:45)	(12:16)	(14:25)	-	(19:00)
Konya   depart:	06:45	08:30	10:00	12:15	14:30	16:00	18:00	20:30
Ankara  arrive	08:32	10:21	11:44	14:02	16:21	17:45	19:51	22:21

The Karaman connection:  To/from Karaman, you must change trains at Konya, that's why the times shown above are in brackets.  The change takes just a few minutes, onto a special train designed to connect with the high-speed service.

Fares
	Business class	Economy class
Ankara to Konya	TL 35 (£14 or $23)	TL 25 (£10 or $17)

All fares one-way per person.  Return tickets cost 20% less than the cost of two one-way fares.  Children under 8 go free, children 8-11 travel for half the adult fare, children 12 & over must pay the adult fare.

How to buy tickets - booking for YHT trains opens 10 days before departure.

New YHT high-speed trains:  At present, Turkish Railways use the same type of train on the new Ankara-Konya route as the Ankara-Eskisehir line.  Above left, a YHT train at Ankara.  Above right, Economy class seats.  Photos courtesy of Malte Furhrmann.

It's a long way to eastern Turkey, but the trains have sleeping-cars, couchettes, and a restaurant car for a comfortable and wonderfully scenic journey, making the train far more comfortable, civilised and enjoyable than a long-distance bus.  Most trains now use modern air-conditioned TVS2000 sleeping-cars and reclining seat cars.

* = for connection to/from Istanbul by high-speed train, see the Istanbul-Ankara section.

** = no trains to/from Kurtalan from 9 Dec 2012 to 30 September 2013, line temporarily closed due to yet more construction work.

4 Eylül Mavi Tren.  Runs daily.  TVS2000 4-berth couchette cars, TVS2000 reclining pullman seats, compartment seats, TVS2000 restaurant car.  No sleepers.

Doğu Express.  Runs daily, recommended train.  TVS2000 sleeping-car (1 & 2-bed rooms), TVS2000 couchettes (4-berth), TVS2000 reclining pullman seats + TVS2000 restaurant car for your meals.   See the traveller's report below.  U-Tube video of a ride from Istanbul to Kars on the Doğu Express.  From 1 January 2012, starts/finishes in Ankara, not Istanbul.

Güney Express.  Eastbound, runs from Istanbul to Diyarbakir & Kurtalan on Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sun, leaving Ankara the following morning.  Westbound, runs from Kurtalan & Diyarbakir on Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun.  TVS2000 sleeping-car (1 & 2-bed rooms), TVS2000 reclining pullman seats, ordinary seats.  No restaurant car, so take provisions and some beer or wine...

Van Gölü Express.  Runs from Istanbul to Tatvan on Monday & Saturday (departing Ankara the following morning).  Westbound, runs from Tatvan on Tues & Thurs.  TVS2000 sleeping-car (1 & 2-bed rooms), TVS2000 reclining pullman seats, ordinary seats.

Trans-Asia Express.  Carries International passengers only.  Runs from Ankara on Wednesdays.  Westbound, runs from Tatvan on Saturdays.  Air-conditioned TVS2000 4-berth couchette cars & TVS2000 restaurant car Ankara-Tatvan-Tehran.  Reported to only carry international passengers.  See the London to Iran page.

You can check times and fares at www.tcdd.gov.tr.

How to buy tickets - booking for these Eastern Turkey trains opens 15 days before departure.

Fares for other journeys will be broadly similar.  Return tickets cost 20% less than the cost of two one-way fares.  Children under 8 go free, children 8-11 travel for half the adult fare, children 12 & over must pay the adult fare.

Great scenery on the train to Kars:  Two views from the Dogu Express, alongside the Euphrates river between Sivan & Erzurum.  Away from road development, you'll see great scenery from the comfort of your train.  It's the  inexpensive & relaxed alternative to airport stress or a nightmare journey in a cramped bus.   Photos courtesy of Conor Meleady.

Civilised comfort on board the train:  A private 1 or 2 bed sleeper, in daytime mode with beds folded away.  Photo courtesy of Heather Williams.		Above:  The same compartment, looking towards the door to the corridor.  Photo courtesy of Heather Williams.

Traveller's report...

Traveller Matt Dwyer reports on a trip from Istanbul to Kars on the Dogu Express:  "We went directly to the Haydarpaşa train station to buy tickets. It was quite simple to tell the ticket guy the date, train, and "Yatakli Vagon" (sleeper) and he handed us our tickets.  We paid 53 TL one way, but that was with our teacher discount (I think any teacher or student can get that discount, he wasn't very strict about proof), but I expect a regular ticket would be about 70 TL (£29 or $50).  Our Yatakli Wagon was the last car on the train, behind the cafe car, had 10 cabins with two beds each. They were not full, but we did pick up several groups along the way, especially in Ankara. The porters were very helpful and nice, announcing meals, making beds, etc. Our cabin was not luxurious, but certainly comfortable with a working sink, soap and hand towels, lock on the door from the inside (all my female friends asked me about that!), clean linens, etc.  We felt no worries about leaving stuff in our cabin when we went to the cafe car.  There was a restaurant car, serving decent grub.  Beer on the train is expensive, I suggest people bring some along!  The toilet at the end of the car was clean for the first day, then started to get pretty grubby.  The scenery is spectacular, especially the second day as you go along the Euphrates and the mountains and gorges are striking."  Note:  This was written before the Dogu Express was equipped with modern air-conditioned TVS2000 sleeping-cars.

Izmir to Konya

The station for Ephesus is Selçuk, 78km by train from Izmir.  The ruins at Ephesus are walking distance from the modern town of Selçuk.  Denizli is the station for the magnificent natural springs at Pamukkale.  The railway to Denizli was closed for some time for major rebuilding work, but reopened in June 2011.

All trains have 1st & 2nd class seats, and are now operated by comfortable modern air-conditioned diesel trains.

Change in Aydin for buses to Bodrum, Marmaris, Datca.

You can check times at www.tcdd.gov.tr, leave it in Turkish and use Google Chrome browser with inbuilt translation.  Look for 'Regional trains' at the top.  No pre-booking required, just turn up and buy a ticket.

Fares:  Denizli to Selcuk costs TL 14.50 (£6 or $9).  Other fare are not known for this route, feedback & photos appreciated.  Children under 8 go free, children 8-11 travel for half the adult fare, children 12 & over must pay the adult fare. 

Istanbul to Thessaloniki & Athens by train...

Turkey to/from the rest of Europe

Istanbul ► Bucharest, Budapest, Vienna, Paris, London:  See the London to Turkey page

A daily overnight train links Istanbul with Sofia and Bucharest, with connections for all of Europe, see the London to Turkey page (via Bucharest section) for details.

Istanbul ► Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb, Munich, Paris, London:  See the London to Turkey page

A daily overnight train links Istanbul with Sofia and Bucharest, with connections for all of Europe, see the London to Turkey page (via Belgrade section) for details.

Other international services...

Istanbul ► Aleppo (Syria), Damascus, Amman (Jordan), Petra, Cairo (Egypt)

Until the recent conflict in Syria, there was a daily train & bus option from Istanbul to Syria.  You took the daily air-conditioned sleeper train through great scenery from Istanbul to Adana (see above) then a bus to Aleppo in Syria.  Then a 100mph air-conditioned train from Aleppo to Damascus.  From Damascus you could catch regular daily buses to Amman in Jordan (a 4-5 hour journey), with onward buses & ferries to Petra, Aqaba & Egypt.  See the London to Syria, London to Jordan & Egypt pages for information about each stage of the journey.  You might be inspired by a blog about travel from the UK to Egypt this way, www.unplaned.com.  Of course, for obvious reasons the Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Syria.  I hope the situation is resolved soon.

Istanbul / Ankara ► Tehran (Iran):  See the Iran page.

A weekly express train, the 'Trans-Asia Express', with modern air-conditioned sleeping-berths and restaurant car, runs from Istanbul & Ankara to Tabriz & Tehran in Iran.  See the London to Iran page for full details.

Istanbul / Ankara ► Tbilisi (Georgia):  See the Caucasus page.

You can travel by air-conditioned sleeper train across Turkey through great scenery, then bus to the Georgian border, then train to Tbilisi.  See the Caucasus page for details.

Istanbul ► Yerevan (Armenia):  See the Caucasus page.

The Turkish/Armenian border is currently closed, and there is no train service between Turkey and Armenia.  However, you can easily travel from Turkey to Armenia by first travelling from Istanbul or Ankara to Tbilisi in Georgia), then travelling from Tbilisi to Yerevan in Armenia by direct overnight train.  See the Caucasus page for details.

Istanbul ► Baku (Azerbaijan):  See the Caucasus page.

You can travel by air-conditioned sleeper train across Turkey through great scenery, then by bus to the Georgian border, then train to Tbilisi, then by overnight train from Tbilisi to Baku.  See the Caucasus page for details.

Istanbul & Gaziantep ► Mosul & Baghdad (Iraq)

In February 2010, a new weekly train started between Gaziantep in south eastern Turkey and Mosul in northern Iraq, restoring train service between Turkey and Iraq.  The train leaves Gaziantep on Thursdays at 21:00 arriving Mosul at 14:00 on Friday some 18 hours later.  Westbound, it leaves Mosul at 12:00 on Tuesdays, arriving Gaziantep at 05:40 next morning (Wednesday).  The fare 25 euros plus 5 euros if you want a berth in a 4-berth couchette car.  The train cuts through a short section of Syria, so a Syrian transit visa is required.  Check security and visa information for Iraq before even thinking of travelling there, and Mosul has particular security issues.  Unfortunately, train service from anywhere else in Turkey to Gaziantep is still suspended due to long-term engineering work, so even though a Gaziantep-Iraq train has been restored, Istanbul-Gaziantep trains haven't been, so you still can't get to Iraq from Europe without a bus ride somewhere along the line!  Latest update April 2010: Gaziantep-Mosul train now discontinued, permanently!

Istanbul ► Odessa (Ukraine) by ferry...

A weekly passenger ship and twice-weekly truck ferry link Istanbul with Odessa in Ukraine across the Black Sea, taking about 36 hours.  For details see the Travel in Ukraine page, ferry section.  For onwards train times to Kiev and Moscow, see www.poezda.net.

Turkey ► Cyprus

A daily fast ferry and regular conventional ferry link Taşucu in southern Turkey with Girne (Kyrenia) in northern Cyprus, just north of Nicosia.  See www.fergun.net for ferry times, fares and booking.  For train connections from Istanbul to Taşucu via Karaman, see the Cyprus page.

There are truly remarkable books that are a 'must' for serious overland travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers:

The Thomas Cook European Timetable...

This is the European train travel bible, with train, bus and ferry times for every country in Europe, including European Russia, Ukraine & Turkey as far as Istanbul.  It costs £14.99 from selected branches of Thomas Cook, or you can buy it online at www.thomascooktimetables.com.  Alternatively, buy the independent traveller's edition at Amazon.co.uk, Winter/Spring 2011/12 edition (Dec 2011 to June 2012) or Summer/Autumn 2012 edition (June to Dec 2012).  Still not convinced you need one? More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.

The Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable...

This was probably the most adventurous timetable ever produced.  It had train, bus & ferry times for every country in Asia, Africa, North and South America and Australasia, including non-European Russia, Asian Turkey, Mongolia, China and the Trans-Siberian Railway.  Sadly, the Nov/Dec 2010 edition was the very last to be published, but you may still be able to source a copy of the final edition at Amazon.co.uk, Overseas Timetable Winter 2010/2011 edition.

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe...

This is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at Amazon.co.uk with worldwide delivery.  See an extract from the map

How to book Turkish train tickets online

The Turkish Railways website has a good online booking facility, now available in English.  The system will book most long distance domestic trains within Turkey, including seats, couchettes and sleepers.  You print out your reservation details and pick up the tickets in Turkey. 

To buy tickets online in English...

• Online reservations for Turkish trains opens 30 days before departure for some trains, 15 days ahead for others, and 10 days ahead for YHT high-speed trains.

• Go to the www.tcdd.gov.tr home page and click 'English' top right.

• Hover over 'Passenger Transportation' and click 'Domestic Trains'.

• Click 'TCDD Online Ticket Reservation & Selling System'.

• Now click 'New Registration' and register.  You'll need to give a Turkish address, so use a real address and phone number of (say) a hotel in Istanbul.  Nothing is actually sent to you, so the address you use doesn't matter, just find an address that it accepts.  It seems to check phone area codes against addresses, so make sure you use area phone code '212' (Istanbul).  Your password must be 8 letters or less. Registering may take a few attempts, but persevere!

• Tick the 'Non-Turkish' box if and when it appears.  If you see 'TC Vatandaşlık No', enter your passport number, adding zeros at the front to make 11 digits, although it seems they no longer ask about your passport.  Then click 'Giriş' (= 'enter') to continue.

• Click 'ticket sale' and either (1) 'Sale (Choosing train)' if you know the train name you want, or (2) 'Sale (Choosing Path)' if you only know the route you want and it's a direct train, or (3) 'Combined Ticket' if you want (say) a multi-leg Istanbul to Ankara ticket using a combination of normal train to Eskisehir and high-speed train from there to Ankara.

• Remember that Istanbul appears as 'Haydarpasa' and Izmir will be listed not as 'Izmir' but as either 'Alsancak' (the station used by the Ankara trains) or 'Basmane'.

• Make the booking and pay with your credit card.

• You collect the ticket at any main ticket office when you get to Turkey, a minimum of 1 hour before departure.

• If for any reason the English version gives you problems, it really isn't difficult to book using the Turkish version with minimal knowledge of Turkish using the step-by-step help below. 

• Feedback from travellers who use this system would be welcome.

• Better to book in Turkish?  When I tried to use it in English, the page would simply go blank when I set up the enquiry and clicked 'continue'.  Changing browsers or PCs didn't help.  So I simply went back to www.tcdd.gov.tr, left it in Turkish, in the red bar at the top clicked 'Bilet satiş yerleri' then 'Online Bilet Satiş Rezervasyon'.  In Turkish, it worked easily, with help from Google Chrome's built in translation facility.  See below...

To check train times in Turkish...

Go to the www.tcdd.gov.tr home page.  The Turkish version is often more up to date than the English version.  In the top red bar, click 'anahat trenleri' for mainline trains, 'bölgesel trenleri' for regional trains, 'Ortadogu yönlü trenleri' for international trains to the Middle East or 'Avrupa trenleri' for international trains to Europe.

To book online in Turkish...

If you can't get it to work in English, here's how to book in Turkish, it works a treat...

• Online reservations for Turkish trains opens 30 days before departure for some trains, 15 days ahead for others, and 10 days ahead for YHT high-speed trains.

• Go to the www.tcdd.gov.tr home page, in the red bar at the top click 'Bilet satiş yerleri' then 'Online Bilet Satiş Rezervasyon'.

• One report suggests it currently works better in Firefox than Internet Explorer, so if you have any problems, try switching browsers.

• On the almost empty page which then appears, click the first of the 3 options at the top of the page beginning 'TCDD Bilet Satiş...'

• On the login page, click 'Yeni Kayit' (new user)

• On the registration page, enter your details as follows (only the compulsory items with an asterisk need to be filled in):

  'Kullanici adi' = user name.  Just pick one!

  'Şifre' = password (max 8 letters).  Just pick one and confirm it in the second 'Şifre' password box.

  'Ad' and 'Soyad' = your first name & surname

  'Dogum tahiri' = your date of birth

  'Bay' = man, 'Bayan' = woman

  In the 'Ögrenim Durumu' section, select the first option under 'Seçiniz' ('Ilk - Orta Ögrenim') to indicate you want 'normal fares' with no concessions.

  Enter a Turkish address in the top address box marked 'Ev Adresi:' (only the upper address box needs to be filled in).  Pick a real address, for example a hotel in Istanbul.

  In the drop down box, pick any random Turkish city, e.g. Istanbul as it doesn't have an 'overseas' option.

  It seems to check phone area codes against addresses, so use area phone code '212' (Istanbul), perhaps using the real phone number of the hotel you're using.

  When you're finished, click 'Onay' to continue.

  When it accepts your registration, it will give you a registration confirmation number.

  If you are given a screen asking for 'TC Vatandaşlık' (Turkish citizen ID number) ticket the 'non-Turkish' box and use your passport number.

• Once it has accepted your registration, log on using your new user name and password and click 'Giriş' (= enter) to enter the reservation process.

• From the next menu, select 'Bilet Satişi' then Satiş (Tren Seçerek)' to buy tickets including reservation if you know the train name you want, or select 'Bilet Satişi' then 'Satiş (Parkur Seçerek)' if you only know the route you want not the train name.  Select 'Rezervasyon' to make just a reservation without a ticket.  'Danisma' means 'information'.  'Kombine Bilet satiş' means 'Combined ticket sales':  Select this if you want (say) a multi-leg Istanbul to Ankara ticket using a combination of normal train to Eskisehir and high-speed train from there to Ankara.

• Remember that Istanbul appears as 'Haydarpasa' and Izmir will be listed not as 'Izmir' but as either 'Alsancak' (the station used by the Ankara trains) or 'Basmane'.

• Find and book your train.

• Yüksek Hizli Trenler = High-speed trains

• Yatakli = sleeper, kuşetli = couchette.  It may also offer you upper, middle or lower berth options for these.

• Bay = male, bayan = female (your sex is necessary to book sleepers).

• Once you have booked, print off the confirmation page ('Internet Bilet Satiş Sonuc Ekrani').

• You can now pick up your tickets up to an hour before departure from any Turkish Railways computerised reservation office, which includes Istanbul Sirkeci and Haydarpasa stations.

With thanks to Philip Dyer-Perry.  Feedback from travellers who have used this system is always welcome.

To get the most out of your trip, you'll need a good guidebook - I'd recommend the Lonely Planets guides as about the best out there. 

Buy Lonely Planet Turkey online

Buy Lonely Planet Middle East online

The Middle East guidebook is less detailed, but covers Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Israel and other countries as well as Turkey.

Hotels & accommodation in Istanbul & Turkey

Personal recommendations in Istanbul...

Without a doubt, the famous and historic Pera Palas Hotel, where Agatha Christie, Mustafa Kemal Attaturk and even King George V have stayed, is the most interesting place to stay, see the section below.  It wasn't that expensive, by grand hotel standards, although prices have risen after its recent complete refurbishment.  The nearby Grand Hotel de Londres offers similar affordable grandeur, www.londrahotel.net, just 35 euros for a basic single, 50 euros for a double, more for a renovated room.  It's apparently a favourite with archaeologists working in Turkey!  Alternatively, the Yasmak Sultan is a good choice.  For a good cheap hotel in the Sultanahmet travellers' area, try the Park Hotel.  If you are on a tight budget and want a backpacker hostel room or dorm bed at a rock-bottom price, see www.hostelbookers.com.

Other hotel sites worth a look...

• www.tripadvisor.com is a huge resource, a good place to browse independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

• www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a booking site comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

Backpacker hostels...

If you're on a tight budget, don't forget the hostels.  For a dorm bed or an ultra-cheap private room in backpacker hostels in most European cities use www.hostelbookers.com.

Travel insurance

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

    If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up a £1,000 bill in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also works for laptop or PDA data access.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.