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Train travel in Turkey
Trains are not widespead in Turkey - for example there are no trains to Antalya, Marmaris, Bodrum, Alanya, nor to Gorëme in Cappadocia, so you need to use a combination of train+bus to reach these places.
Guidebooks often say that Turkey has a good bus network and that 'buses are faster than trains'. But do you really want to spend 12 hours in a bus? When you can travel on a comfortable air-conditioned train, with a bed to sleep in in your own room, a restaurant for your meals and space to move around, through fantastic scenery, unspoilt by roadside development?
Train travel in Turkey can be a wonderful experience, with the best trains now modern and air-conditioned. Sensible travellers will use a train for long distances (for example, Istanbul to Konya, Ankara, Kars or Pamukkale) then a short bus trip where necessary to reach places off the rail network, for example Antalya or Gorëme.
The rail network was mostly built by the Germans, and the joke goes that the Turks paid them by the mile, hence the twisting and curvaceous nature of Turkish railways!
However, the best air-conditioned Istanbul-Ankara trains now travel at up to 95mph and take just 5 hours after major improvements. The first section of a brand-new high-speed line from Istanbul to Ankara opened in March 2009, and journey time will be reduced to just 3 hours by 2010, beating both buses & flights.
Overnight trains with sleeping-cars, some now air-conditioned, provide a comfortable, romantic and time-effective way to travel between major cities.
You can find an excellent guide to train routes, times & fares within Turkey here
You can find an excellent guide to train routes, times & fares within Turkey here
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