The endless snowy landscapes stretched for miles as we made our way over the Anatolian plateau. We were close to Erzincan, a key stop on the 26 hour slow train across Turkey.
“Do you want a kebab at Erzurum?” we were asked, which we shook our heads, no, in response. “I might order another lentil soup though…” I muttered to my partner.
Time passes slowly on the Eastern Express, or Dogu Express as it’s known in Turkish. But that’s the magic of it. As it stretches across the vastness of the Anatolian Plateau, snow dancing for miles around the rails and barely a hint of civilisation in sight, the Eastern Express is a bucket list check for fans of really slow travel.
And, as our 4 hour delay proved, I mean really slow travel.
Delays aside, I love this train. So much so that I’ve taken it three times. So, here’s my full guide on how to take the Eastern Express in Turkey.
Booking tickets for the Eastern Express
The Eastern Express has been operating, at least in part, since 1936. For over 80 years, tickets were relatively easy to purchase. But that all changed in 2019, when it went viral on Turkish social media.
This had two consequences. One, tickets for sleeper berths became harder to get than Glastonbury tickets. And two, TCDD (the Turkish train company) launched a new tourist train, taking some of the sleeper carriages with them. Now there’s only one carriage with sleepers, making tickets even tougher to secure.
The first time I took this train, in 2019, was in the summer (it’s most popular in the winter for the snowy scenes) and it was before the chaos really kicked off. I had no problem reserving a berth.
The second time, in 2024, we booked tickets ourselves, and ended up in seats for the whole journey. The good news was that it only cost the equivalent of £12!
In 2026, I decided to do all I could to avoid ending up in a seat again. I enlisted a company called Amber Travel, who try to book berths as soon as the tickets are released, and then scan for cancellations.
They managed to book me a last-minute berth in a female-only cabin (men and women can’t share on sleeper trains in Turkey, unless they book the whole berth). My partner was offered a berth in a male-only cabin, but he decided he’d rather sleep in the seats, as they’re open carriages.
If you’re planning an Eastern Express trip, I recommend emailing olga@ambertravel, who will be able to advise.
Travelling from Istanbul to Ankara
If you’re flying internationally into Turkey, you’re likely to arrive in Istanbul.
Luckily, it’s really easy to travel between Turkey’s biggest city and its capital, thanks to the YHT high-speed trains.
We booked business class tickets for £20 (standard was £15). This had wider seats, an included lunchbox and WiFi. It didn’t work that well for me, but I’ve heard it can be decent!
You can use the TCDD app to book tickets and pay with an international card.
What’s at Ankara station?
Ankara Station is large and modern – once you exit the YHT high-speed area you’ll find yourself in a large, almost shopping mall-like complex.
There are chains like Caribou Coffee and Starbucks, and if you take the escalators up to the top floor, you’ll find a food court. We got Korean food here, and there’s also pide and cig kofte – we bought some takeaway cig kofte wraps for the train.
Down one floor, there’s a small supermarket where you can get supplies, although expect it to be very much picnic-style food!
Boarding the Eastern Express
It’s time to board the Eastern Express!
Both times I’ve taken it, it has departed from this side of the station. It usually arrives on the platform around an hour before departure. We’ve boarded it around 40 minutes before both times.
Take a look at your ticket, and it’ll detail the carriage and seat and couchette number. We just embarked and found our seat, and then the ticket conductor came around afterward to check tickets. Phone tickets were adequate!
Sleeping in a seat – things you should know
If you’ve not secured a berth, you’ll be spending the night in a seat! I’ve done this once, and my partner Rich has done it twice now.
Here are some things you’ll need to know about it!
- The lights stay on all night – and it’s very noisy with people getting on and off the train! An eyemask and earplugs are essential.
- For some reason, the train carriage Rich was in the last time we took it was empty, but another was fully booked! He had two seats to himself the whole time he was there. So do check through the carriages when booking your seats.
- Expect it to be hot, with no way you can turn the heating down. Wear layers!
- People will likely be very friendly – we were offered a platter of delicious food when we took the train!
Sleeping in a berth – things you should know
I slept in a berth the first and third times I took this train.
Here are a few things to know:
- you’ll be in a cabin with people of the same gender (unless you have a private cabin)
- you’ll be given sheets to make up your bed when you board
- it can also be very hot! I asked the conductor to turn the heating off in my sweltering cabin!
- there is obviously less noise, but you’ll still benefit from earplugs!
The restaurant car
There is a restaurant car, and with huge windows, it’s a fantastic place to take in the increasingly dramatic vistas as the train ploughs further east!
The disadvantage? There’s not always a huge selection of food. The first time I took the train, I ended up with just a cup of soup, although they did upgrade to bowls of soup on my most recent trip!
If you eat meat, there’s an option to order kebabs for them to pick up in Erzurum.
The next day
After a night’s sleep – mine was restful when I recently had a cabin, Rich’s was rather more disturbed – you’ll likely wake up passing the Euphrates River.
It might not be snowy right away – for us, it became snowier when we passed Erzincan – but the cliffs and valleys will becoming increasingly more dramatic!
We spent the morning in the restaurant car, working, drinking çay and gazing at the mesmerising views. At lunchtime, I headed to the cabin and ate some of my snacks I’d purchased the day before.
The afternoon was passed in my cabin, before heading back to the restaurant car for another bowl of lentil soup!
It’s a slow journey, with an average speed of under 40 kmph, but that’s the joy of it. You’ll be on the train from 6:00pm until at least 8:00pm the next day, but I adore waking up in the morning knowing there’s nowhere I need to be, and nothing I need to do other than be on the train!
Where to stop
There are a few places you can stop en route.
Kayseri
At Kayseri, you can take a bus to Göreme, the heart of Cappadocia. Home to hot air balloon rides, jagged valleys and fascinating religious history, this is one of Turkey’s most popular tourist destinations, for very good reason!
Sivas
Sivas is a central Turkish city, with madrassas and mosques, and nature spots like Şuğul Valley nearby. However, if you’re planning on visiting Sivas, I’d recommend taking the high speed YHT train from Ankara and picking up the Eastern Express once you get to Sivas.
That way, you’ll skip the night on the Eastern Express train, and spend the full day on it the next morning!
Erzurum
Known as Turkey’s snowiest city, Erzurum was a stop on the Silk Road. There’s a huge caravanseri and madrasas, and it’s right by a ski resort!
Arriving in Kars
If you’ve taken the full journey in one trip, you’ll roll into Kars 26-30 hours after leaving Ankara.
Kars station is close to the city centre, and there are taxis outside that can take you to where you’re staying.
I’ve stayed in Kars Konak Hotel and Kent Ani Hotel. Click through on the names for more information about them – both are basic, with friendly staff but not a huge amount of mod-cons!
We did notice some more modern places to stay last time we visited, although we haven’t found out how to book them online.
Taking the Eastern Express the opposite way – Kars to Ankara
If you’re in Kars for any reason, you might decide to take the Eastern Express from Kars to Ankara. I did this in summer 2019, when I was travelling from Bali to London without flying! I’d crossed the inland border with Georgia the day before, stayed in Kars for a night, then boarded the train heading westwards.
It departs Kars at 8:00 am and is scheduled to arrive in Ankara at 10:00 am the next day. The benefit of taking the Eastern Express east to west is that you’ll spend more daylight time in Eastern Turkey, which in my opinion has the best scenery by far!
