Train Travel

Thanks to the 2014 launch of a long-awaited high-speed train, rail travel to Central Anatolia is now much faster: trains from Istanbul to Ankara take just under four hours and from Istanbul to Konya, just under four and a half. Until the railway track is extended into central Istanbul, however, passengers must board high-speed trains from the far-flung Pendik train station on the Asian side of the city, near Sabiha Gökçen Airport, which can only be reached by public buses or a taxi. Within the region, high-speed trains run regularly between Ankara and Konya. A few regular-speed trains also operate, including an overnight train linking Ankara and İzmir. There is little to no train service to Cappadocia or between small towns in Central Anatolia.