Getting there by rail

Turkish State Railways (TCDD) (tel: (312) 309 0515; website: www.tcdd.gov.tr/tcddwebenglish) operates the national railway network, with rolling stock that is slow and lacks air conditioning, although fares are very cheap. There are two stations in Istanbul: Sirkeci Station (tel: (212) 527 0050 or 0051), Ankara Caddesi, near Eminonu on the European side, and Haydarpasa Station (tel: (216) 336 0475 or 336 2063), Haydarpasa Istasyon Caddesi, near Kadikoy 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 Munich and Vienna) leave from Sirkeci Station, departing about 2200. Owing to Bulgarian border problems this route is dangerous and is not recommended at this time. Trains for Turkish destinations leave from Haydarpasa Station. There are express trains between major Turkish cities but cheaper rural routes can be painfully slow. The following services all go to Ankara: the Fatih Express (7.5 hours), the Blue Train (8 hours), the Ankara Express (10 hours) and 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 reach a hotel, although taxi drivers may expect a hefty tip as the distance is short. Haydarpasa 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 Eminonu port. Sirkeci is also on the tramway to Sultanahmet.