Kars, which has been the popular route of recent years, and the coolest way to go to Kars is the Eastern Express. Eastern Express how to get ticket The question is the most critical question of recent years. Instead of hearsay as if there were no tickets for the Orient Express and the agencies were closing all tickets, let's focus on finding tickets for the Orient Express. Eastern Express ticket I tried to explain the ways you need to follow in the most understandable and easy way.
What You Will Find In This Article
Where to Buy Eastern Express Ticket?
Eastern Express and other domestic train tickets in Turkey Republic of Turkey State Railways (TCDD) from the websiteYou can get it from the call center, contracted PTT toll booths and contracted agencies via its mobile application.
TCDD Ticket Sales Points
TCDD's website You can find the contracted PTT and agency information in detail.
- Eybis – online ticket sales system
- Call center at 444 82 33
- PTT Tolls with TCDD ticket sales authorization
- TCDD contracted agencies
Since it is difficult to find a seat for the highly demanded trains such as the Eastern Express, you will not have the chance to try again when you want to pick up from the box office, so the internet is a better option.
Ticketing Tactics for the Orient Express
Everyone's first question when you say "I'm going to Kars"How did you buy the Eastern Express train ticket, where did you find the ticket??” is asked. Let me explain my two very simple formulas to you, I hope it will work for you too:
- TCDD tickets go on sale 30 days ago, you set an alarm for yourself. Let's say you want to buy a train ticket for February 15, I set an alarm for midnight on January 14, usually the tickets are on sale that night or the next night. As soon as the ticket goes on sale, the probability of finding a ticket is a little difficult, but it is possible. Although everyone is waiting at the computer for tickets to go on sale like you, why not be one of the first to buy tickets!
- You looked 30 days before your due date but couldn't find a place, don't worry! As your travel date approaches, keep looking for tickets, even every day. Especially as the departure date approaches, those who buy group tickets or cancel their last minute plans start to cancel their train tickets. Sometimes you take a look, the number of vacancies that were "0" when you looked yesterday is now "20". It means that a tour company that closed up space canceled the tour when it could not fill it, thus freeing the train tickets, it's your lucky day! Situations like this are not uncommon, but frequent, so don't stop trying your luck.
- You can download TCDD's mobile application to your phone and look for tickets as long as they are empty. Do not forgive when caught.
What are the Eastern Express Ticket Types? Which one will I get?
If you are not familiar with train journeys, it is normal that you are not sure which type of ticket to buy when buying a train ticket, you are not alone 🙂
The choice you will see as "Wagon Type" when buying a Eastern Express ticket determines how you travel.
Pullman
The type of wagon you see as a pullman is the wagons that are like the seats of 2+1 buses. If you are traveling alone, you can choose a single seat, and if you are traveling with 2 people, you can choose a double seat. Although the train seats are wider and more comfortable than the bus, we should not forget that it will be tiring since we are talking about a journey that takes more than 24 hours.
Covered Bunks
Verbal meaning of “Kuset” "It is a collapsible seat that can be temporarily converted into a bed on passenger trains. You can think of it as a tiny room with 4 beds. It can be preferred if you are traveling with 4 people. I have never stayed in a 4-person compartment in Turkey, I stayed in Ukraine and the other 2 passengers were Ukrainians. It might be a little cramped, but if you can't find a place in the bed, you can choose it. There are two beds on the top and two beds on the bottom in a compartment, all of which can be opened to become beds.
Twin
The best way to enjoy the train journey is to stay in the sleeping compartment. These are very comfortable compartments with a bed at the bottom, a bed at the top, their own sink and refrigerator in the two-person compartment.
There is also a food car on the train. Although train food is not very scrumptious, it is enough to fill your stomach if you are not prepared. You can find simple meals and soft drinks.
Eastern Express Journey Time
Of course, every beauty has a flaw. To travel on Turkey's most popular train route, you need to spare ample time. The journey takes a little over 24 hours. According to TCDD's site, 1 day, 13 minutes 🙂
Delays in trains are also quite common, so it is useful to make a travel plan considering that this time may be longer.
Short Route Proposal for the Orient Express
If you want to experience the Eastern Express but do not want to spend at least one day on the road, I have a very practical solution for you:
- You fly to Erzurum by plane,
- You don't have to deal with the problem of finding a place in a bunk or bed, if there is a place in the pulman, you buy a train ticket for the Erzurum-Kars train from the pulman,
- You pass the last part of the Eastern Express railway with the most beautiful views by train.
And this route takes only 4 hours. Compared to the 24-hour journey, it is very practical and allows those who have time problems to experience the Eastern Express, albeit briefly. Evaluate it.
Eastern Express Timetable and Days
Eastern Express runs every day in the direction of Ankara-Kars, Kars-Ankara.
- It departs from Ankara at 18:00 every day and arrives in Kars the next day at 18:13 if there is no delay.
- It departs from Kars at 08:00 every day and arrives in Ankara at 08:22 the next day if there is no delay.
Eastern Express stops at 24 stations during its 52-hour journey, which is quite an ambitious figure.
East Express Ticket Prices
Ticket prices for the Eastern Express vary depending on the type of wagon and if you are going to travel with a sleeper, how many people stay in the sleeper, and the prices are updated every year. You can check the current prices on TCDD's website.
If you are going to get on and off at the intermediate stops, you can check the prices on TCDD's website.
Discounts on Eastern Express train tickets
You can see the discounts applied on TCDD trains below. These discounts apply to all trains, not just the Orient Express.
- Ages 13-26 and 60-65: 20% discount
- Children aged 7-12 and over 65: 50% discount
- Children under 7 do not request a separate seat: free of charge
- Teachers, press card holders, TCDD personnel, TAF employees: 20% discount
- If you are going to use the Eastern Express for both round trip and return and you buy the tickets at the same time: 20% discount
- Groups of 12 people and more: 20% discount
How to Travel with the Orient Express, Starting from Istanbul?
This train journey between Ankara and Kars is one of the most beautiful train routes in Turkey and one of the few in the world. Keep in mind that you will go to some trouble to make this journey.
If you want to start from Istanbul and take the Orient Express;
- First of all, you need to reach Ankara. If you want to go from Istanbul to Ankara by train YHT (high speed train) If you went by bus, the stop you will get off at is unfortunately not the stop where you will get on the Eastern Express, it is almost an hour away between the two stops. You can think of it like going from Sirkeci to Pendik in Istanbul. Fortunately, they put a free bus service between the two stations.
- Considering that it takes 5-6 hours to go from Istanbul to Ankara, at least 1 hour between train stations in Ankara, and 24 hours for the Eastern Express, you will be on the road for over 30 hours in total.
The short route through Erzurum that I suggested above therefore sounds pretty good.
Tourist Attractions Eastern Express
When there is too much tourist demand for the Classic Eastern Express trains, and those who want to go to Kars for family or business cannot find a place on the trains because tour companies and agencies close all the compartments; TCDD brought a solution to this issue and commissioned the Touristic East Express service. As the Touristic Dogu Express is designed for touristic purposes, it only consists of dining and sleeping wagons.
Touristic Eastern Express Expedition Days
Touristic Eastern Express, which started its flights for the first time on May 29, 2019, serves Kars in the winter period when demand increases. Touristic Eastern Express operates on the following days, it does not operate every day.
- From Ankara on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
- Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from Kars
Touristic Eastern Express Timetable
It makes 3-hour waits to see historical and cultural places on both the departure and return routes.
- During the expedition between Ankara and Kars; In Erzincan and Erzurum,
- During the expedition between Kars and Ankara; Passengers are allowed to visit those cities by making a three-hour wait in Sivas and İliç.
As a result of these waits, the duration of the Touristic Eastern Express is approximately 32 hours.
Touristic Eastern Express Prices
Touristic Eastern Express prices are quite high compared to the standard train. However, it should not be forgotten that there is only a sleeping and dining wagon on this train, it is more suitable for tours or crowded groups, and it waits for historical and cultural places to be seen on departure and return.
For the 2022-2023 season, the sleeper compartment price has been determined as 3100 TL, since it is a sleeping car, this price is the price for two people.
Simple Suggestions for the Orient Express
I will have a few suggestions to make your train journey enjoyable;
- A long journey awaits you, prepare yourself psychologically beforehand. Take a look at my suggestions for taking care of your health on long journeys: 10 life-saving tips for travel health
- During the journey, the food car may not make you happy, do not forget to take your snacks and drinks with you. The most critical thing for me is coffee, for example, never without my coffee.
- The train is generally hot, but don't forget to buy thick and comfortable clothes anyway, we don't want you to catch a cold, right?
- The road is long, the place is narrow, prepare your travel mates and your music lists to keep you busy, if you have your favorite games, take them with you. From time to time, there are places where the internet does not work, it would be good to prepare your list to work offline.
- After reaching Kars Places to visit in Kars Check out my suggestions too.
Stay on the Road!
5 Comments
I want this trip very much but it is very expensive. Agencies buy cheap and sell high, what should we do?
The solution is very simple, you will not buy from the agency 🙂 Tickets go on sale 30 days before, you can buy them from midnight. You will wait in front of the computer and take up space. Another option is to check in from time to time, because group cancellations happen every now and then and space becomes available.
It's a bit difficult but worth a try.
I have already written what you need to do under the title of “Tactics for Finding a Ticket for the Eastern Express” in the article.
A VERY GOOD ARTICLE… THANK YOU