Not as popular a mode of transport as buses, with a much smaller network, there are rail connections from Istanbul to Ankara, Izmir and Eastern Anatolian cities. Most of the services are slower than buses, although between the three main cities there are the mavi tren, mototren or ekspresi, which are fast and comfortable.

Reservations are essential for these journeys, and there are several classes of seats and sleepers. International services from Sirkeci (on the European side) and Haydarpasa (Asian side) stations include Vienna, Munich, Budapest, Salonica, (via Eskisehir, Konya, and Gaziantep), Aleppo, (via Tatvan and Van), Tehran, Moscow and Bucharest. Trains heading west leave from Sirkeci, and east from Haydarpasa station.

Sirkeci Information Tel: (0212) 527 0050/51. Reservations Tel: (0212) 520 6575
Haydarpasa Information Tel: (0216) 336 0475/2063. Reservations Tel: (0216) 336 4470, 337 8724.

• http://www.tcdd.gov.tr/ (Turkish only)