For those who are looking to travel by bus the border between Turkey and Georgia, it should be noted that crossing the border means crossing it by foot. In this post you will discover some tips and tricks when you want to cross the border from Turkey to Georgia or vice versa. Even if the process itself is not very complicated, it is more stressful than other border crossings.
Continue reading “Crossing the border from Turkey to Georgia by foot – Tips & Tricks”City of Kars – A Hidden Gem in the Eastern Part of Turkey
Turkey has many attractions and tourists from all over the world visit this beautiful country. Among the most attractive places, we can list Istanbul, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Antalya or Izmir. On the other hand, there are other places that can be a great surprise for those who decide to discover beyond the well-known attractions in Turkey. Among these destinations it may be included Kars, one of the largest cities in the Eastern Part of Turkey.
Continue reading “City of Kars – A Hidden Gem in the Eastern Part of Turkey”Traveling to the Eastern Turkey by Dogu Express (Dogu Eskpressi)
Dogu Express has become more and more popular among tourists visiting Turkey. Due to this, in the recent years, there was introduced another train called „Dogu Express” which is used just as tourist train. In this post you will discover more about Dogu Express and how the experience on this train was during our journey in Turkey.
The route of Dogu Express train
Dogu Express goes more than 1,300 kilometers from Ankara to Kars. This train connects the capital of Turkey with the extreme eastern part of the country. Along the way there are many stops, both in major cities and smaller towns. In the past the train was connecting Istanbul with Kars.
Recently, after the Turkish railways were modernized and there are high-speed trains between Istanbul and Ankara, Dogu Express runs „just” from Ankara to Kars. There are two Dogu Express trains, namely classic one and the tourist one.
Dogu Express train has classic coaches and couchettes. At the moment of writing the price is around 15-17 USD for a coach and about 20 USD for a place in a couchette of four. This classic train needs more than 26 hours to travel from Ankara to Kars.
The tourist version of the Dogu Express follows the same route, but offers several stops in the most important towns along the route. The tourist version of the Dogu Express train offers accommodation in a single or double berth, three meals a day and the possibility to have 3-4 hours to visit some of the major cities along the route, as Sivas for example. The ticket costs about USD 50 per person in a double cabin and about 100 USD in a single cabin.
It has to be mentioned that the touristic Dogu Express train doesn’t run daily. It runs three times per week, as follows: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Ankara to Kars, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Kars to Ankara. Travel time for this train is almost 35 hours, since there are some stops to visit major cities for 3 hours each.
Where to buy tickets for Dogu Express train?
Both classic and touristic Dogu Express tickets can be bought online or at the railway stations. Also, tickets can be bought at PTT, which is the Turkish Mail Post Company.
There are also several travel agencies that can buy tickets for tourists. However, the easiest way to buy your ticket for this train, but also for many other trains in Turkey, is online. There is an online platform for e-tickets in Turkey.
Important to mention that the touristic train usually is fully booked weeks before the date of departure. For example, we tried to search for tickets for this train, but even if we searched 2 weeks before, everything was booked, despite the fact that we were during the low season.
Also, the classic Dogu Express could be fully booked if it is the high season or if there are holidays during your travel. Due to this, it is recommended to book your ticket as soon as you can. Tickets can be bought 30 days in advance for the classic Dogu Express train and 60 days in advance for the touristic one.
The experience with Dogu Express train in Turkey
Our journey on Dogu Express train started in Sivas. The departure was scheduled at 5:00 AM in the morning, but the train was delayed for about 30 minutes. Finally, we got in the train the journey started! The train was almost full, since there was the last day of the Ramadan in Turkey and many people, both adults and children, were on holiday.
Since we reserved our seats about 10 days in advance, there was no problem with the seats. The train looks very good inside the couch. The seats are very comfortable, the legroom is good, and there are also electric sockets.
The journey itself was very comfortable and besides the comfort that we have during the travel, the landscapes were amazing. Most of the tourists who choose to travel via Dogu Express want this experience because there are amazing views: deep canyons and gorges, streams and rivers in the mountains and very picturesque landscapes. Furthermore, the train crosses numerous viaducts, bridges and tunnels.
After almost 17 hours from Sivas to Kars, we arrived at the last stop of the train, Kars. We are very tired, but happy with this experience. Even if the weather along the journey wasn’t too sunny and it rained very often, we loved the landscapes we had while watching on the train’s windows.
Conclude remarks
Keep in mind that due to the long distance that this train runs, there are very often situations when the train is delayed. Plan your trip according to this aspect and never book a flight for example from Kars very soon after the arrival scheduled for Dogu Express.
Furthermore, it is recommended to buy some snacks, food and water before leaving the station where you pick up the train. Even if in the train there is a restaurant coach and a man selling different snacks and sandwiches, maybe you prefer to have your favorite food during such a long journey.
To conclude, the experience on Dogu Express train in Turkey was very nice. We really enjoyed the entire day. Very good facilities, a friendly atmosphere on the train, as in any other means of transport in Turkey, are all reasons why I recommend traveling with Dogu Express. When we return in Turkey, we will consider the possibility to travel by the tourist version of Dogu Express.
Discovering Sivas (Turkey) – A City Not at All Touristy
Sivas is a town located at an altitude of over 1000 meters above sea level, surrounded by numerous mountain peaks. In fact, it is the town at the highest altitude among the towns of the Central Anatolia region.
Continue reading “Discovering Sivas (Turkey) – A City Not at All Touristy”Cappadocia – One of Turkey’s Iconic Destinations
Each country has certain iconic places promoted in all the brochures and tourist videos. For Turkey one of these emblematic regions is Cappadocia (Kapadokya). Accordingly, as soon as you plan a trip in Turkey, you should think about visiting Cappadocia. In this post you will find out why Cappadocia is among the most important tourist destinations in Turkey and which the most important attractions in this region are.
Continue reading “Cappadocia – One of Turkey’s Iconic Destinations”
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