Travel to Ankara

Flying to Ankara

Airlines operating flights to Ankara from the UK include Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines (both via Istanbul). You can also fly via Germany with germanwings or Lufthansa. Turkish Airlines flies from the USA to Istanbul with onward connections to Ankara.

Flight times

From London - 6 hours (including stopover); New York - 12 hours (including stopover); Los Angeles - 16 hours (including stopover); Toronto - 12 hours (including stopover); Sydney (including stopovers) - 23 hours.

Travel by road

Traffic drives on the right and the legal driving age is 18 years and. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 90kph (56mph) on main roads and 50kph (31mph) in towns. Children under the age of seven must use a car seat. Visiting drivers should also note that traffic lights are often poorly positioned and can be ignored by other vehicles as a result. Drivers bringing cars into Turkey must show their registration documents, passport and driving licence at the place of entry; you should carry these at all times. If arriving from Europe, visitors must have a Green Card and insurance. The Touring and Automobile Association of Turkey (tel: +90 212 282 8140; www.turing.org.tr) provides insurance and advice for foreign drivers.

Emergency breakdown services

To report an accident, call the Traffic Police (tel: 154). SOS phones are available on the roadsides on motorways.

Routes

The O1 and O4 (part of European route 80) connect Istanbul with Ankara.

Coaches

Many private companies provide frequent services between Turkish cities. Services are generally faster than trains. The best coach operators are Varan (tel: 444 8999, in Turkey only; www.varan.com.tr) and Ulusoy (tel: 444 1888, in Turkey only; www.ulusoy.com.tr).

Time to city

From Istanbul - 5 hours; Izmir - 7 hours; Antalya - 8 hours; Erzurum - 11 hours.

Travel by Rail

Services

Ankara Gar is the capital’s main railway station. Services arrive and depart on suburban commuter routes, overnight expresses (from Istanbul and Izmir) and regional routes. Ankara Gar also connects to the Maltepe Ankaray (subway system) – just follow the signs. Suburban trains (Banliyö Treni), run by Turkish State Railways (TCDD) (tel: 444 8283, in Turkey; www.tcdd.gov.tr), depart from the Sincan district in west Ankara to Kayaş in the city’s eastern tip. This slow service is cheap and therefore extremely crowded with carriages piled high with luggage, people and food wrappers.

Operators

TCDD is the main rail operator in Turkey. Express trains link most major towns and cities, including Istanbul and Ankara. Some incorporate sleeper services. A 533km (331-mile) high-speed train line connects Istanbul (Haydarpasa Station) with the capital.

Journey times

From Istanbul - 4 hours; Izmir - 15 hours; Erzurum - 19 hours.