Eastern Express in Turkey: Tickets, Routes, and Train Life

Secure your sleeper cabin on the Eastern Express from Ankara to Kars. Compare the Touristic and Classic trains, check TCDD release times, and view the route.

Ekin Yalgın

March 17, 2026·6 min read

Eastern Express in Turkey: Tickets, Routes, and Train Life

Finding tickets for the sleeper cabins is nearly impossible because they sell out within hours of going on sale, leaving unprepared travelers stuck in an upright seat for a grueling overnight ride. Knowing when bookings open, understanding the differences between train types, and having a backup plan through travel agencies guarantees your comfort across the snowy Anatolian plateau.

Route: Ankara to Kars
Duration: 26 to 30 hours
Ticket Release: Mid-to-late October for the upcoming winter season
Touristic Sleeper Cabin: 14,000-17,000 TL per cabin
YHT Istanbul to Ankara: 1,020 TL
Season: December to March only

Classic vs. Touristic Eastern Express: Which One to Choose?

The similar naming creates massive confusion for first-time bookers. The classic train is a daily commuter service calling at almost every small station on the route. It offers basic pullman seats and a few couchette cars, but zero long excursion breaks. You stay on the train the entire time.

The touristic version runs strictly from December to March. This train consists entirely of sleeper cabins and is designed specifically for sightseeing. It stops at major historical hubs like Erzincan and Erzurum for three hours, allowing you enough time to join organized city excursions. Choose the touristic option if your priority is taking photos and exploring, rather than purely getting from A to B.

How to Buy Eastern Express Tickets

When Bookings Open

The Touristic Eastern Express is a seasonal product, and TCDD releases all cabin tickets for the entire winter season in mid-to-late October each year. This is not a rolling window where tickets drop 30 days before each departure. Instead, you monitor TCDD's official channels in October, and when the announcement comes, you have a very short window before everything sells out.

Set reminders for mid-October every year. The announcement often comes without much notice, and sleeper cabins for the entire December-March season can be gone within a few hours.

TCDD App and Website

Download the official TCDD app and create your account well before October so you are not fumbling through registration when tickets drop. Have your passport details and an international credit card saved and ready. Delays of even a few minutes mean losing the sleeper cabins to tour operators who buy in bulk.

Prices vary by season: low-season cabins (late December to mid-January) start lower, while peak-season cabins (mid-January through February) command a significant premium. A two-person sleeper cabin for the 2026 season ranges between 14,000-17,000 TL.

Using Travel Agencies for Guaranteed Sleepers

If monitoring TCDD in October sounds like too much pressure, specialist travel agencies like Amber Travel monitor the system for sudden cancellations year-round. They charge above face value, but this is often the only way to board a sleeper after the initial release sells out.

Train Classes and Seat Types Explained

Sleeper Cabins

These private cabins are the ultimate prize for the long journey. You get a sink, a mini-fridge, and two seats that fold out into comfortable beds. Attendants provide clean sheets and pillows when you board. The privacy allows you to control your own space, which is crucial for a trip exceeding a full day.

Couchettes

Couchettes are shared compartments featuring four seats that convert into bunk beds. You share this space with people of the same gender unless you buy all four tickets. It provides a flat surface to sleep on, but lacks the sink and fridge found in the sleepers.

Pullman Seats

These are standard upright seats in an open carriage. The lights stay on all night, and the constant movement of passengers getting on and off makes solid sleep incredibly difficult. Choose this only as an absolute last resort or if you are doing a very short daytime segment of the route.

Pro tip: If you board at Sivas rather than Ankara, you skip the overnight flatlands entirely and wake up to the most dramatic mountain scenery as the train climbs toward Erzurum and Kars.

What to Expect Onboard: Practical Tips

Dining Car Quality and Erzurum Kebab Trick

The dining car features huge windows perfect for watching the Euphrates River roll by, but the food menu is surprisingly limited. You often find just lentil soup, simple snacks, and black tea. Do not rely entirely on the restaurant car for your main meals.

Stock up at the supermarket inside Ankara Station before boarding. Savvy travelers also use the stop at Erzurum to order food from outside. Call a local restaurant about an hour before arrival and ask them to deliver a hot Cağ Kebab directly to the train platform. The train staff is very familiar with this practice and will often help you coordinate the delivery.

Heating, Noise, and Toilet Facilities

The air inside is surprisingly hot, the corridors narrow but impeccably clean. The centralized heating system is notoriously aggressive, and you cannot adjust the temperature in individual open carriages. Pack layers so you can easily strip down to a t-shirt when the cabin turns into a sauna.

Toilets are located at the end of each carriage, featuring both western and squat styles. They stay reasonably clean for the first half of the journey, but toilet paper runs out quickly. Bring your own supply of tissues and wet wipes. Earplugs and an eye mask are non-negotiable essentials, especially if you end up in the noisy Pullman section.

The Route: Getting to the Ankara Train Station

Most international travelers fly into Istanbul before heading east. Arranging your Istanbul airport transfer to the city center ahead of time ensures you catch the high-speed rail to Ankara without panic.

The YHT high-speed train connects Istanbul to Ankara in just under five hours for around 1,020 TL. With roughly 15 daily departures, you have plenty of scheduling flexibility. Ankara Station is a massive, modern complex resembling a shopping mall. Head to the top floor food court and supermarket to stock up on provisions before walking down to the historic platforms to board the Eastern Express.

What to Pack for the Winter Journey

A power bank is your best friend, as wall outlets in older carriages frequently malfunction. Bring your own instant coffee, a travel mug, and plenty of high-calorie snacks to supplement the dining car's limited offerings.

Slip-on shoes are incredibly practical for walking down the aisles or stepping onto snowy platforms during the short stops. Finally, pack a lightweight blanket. Even with the intense heating, the temperature drops sharply near the windows when the train climbs higher into the snowy mountains of Kars.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

TCDD releases all Touristic Eastern Express tickets for the entire winter season in mid-to-late October each year. This is not a rolling 30-day window. All December through March cabins go on sale at the same time, and they sell out within hours. Set reminders for mid-October, create your TCDD account beforehand, and have your passport details ready the moment the announcement drops.

A two-person sleeper cabin for the 2026 season ranges between 14,000-17,000 TL, depending on low or peak season pricing. Low season (late December to mid-January) is cheaper, while mid-January through February commands the highest prices. If you cannot get tickets through TCDD directly, travel agencies that monitor cancellations charge above face value but can still be worth it for the experience.

The Touristic Eastern Express runs only from December to March with full sleeper cabins and three-hour sightseeing stops at Erzincan and Erzurum. The Classic Eastern Express runs daily year-round with pullman seats and very brief stops. The classic version is significantly cheaper but does not offer the same comfortable winter sightseeing experience.

The trip typically takes between 26 and 30 hours depending on the train type and potential weather delays. The Touristic Eastern Express runs slower due to the three-hour excursion breaks in major cities. Weather conditions in the Anatolian mountains during winter can occasionally add extra time to the schedule.

Yes, there is a dining car on the train, but the menu is limited to lentil soup, snacks, and hot tea. It is not sufficient for a 26-30 hour journey. Buy proper provisions at the supermarket inside Ankara Station before boarding. At Erzurum, you can pre-order a Cağ Kebab delivery to the platform, which the train staff are very familiar with and will help coordinate.

Take the YHT high-speed train from Istanbul to Ankara, which takes about 4.5 hours and costs around 1,020 TL. With roughly 15 daily departures, scheduling is flexible. Since the Eastern Express departs Ankara in the evening, a morning YHT gives you enough time to explore the capital and stock up at Ankara Station's supermarket before boarding.

Sleeper cabins lock from the inside and are entirely private, making them very safe for solo travelers. Couchette compartments are shared with people of the same gender unless you buy all four berths. For maximum privacy, a two-person sleeper is the best option, though these are also the first to sell out when tickets open in October.

Pack layered clothing because the train heating is very aggressive inside while platforms and Kars are freezing. Bring a power bank (outlets can be unreliable), wet wipes, extra toilet paper, a travel mug, and high-energy snacks. Earplugs and an eye mask are essential for sleeping, especially in Pullman cars where lights stay on all night.

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Turkey