The date has been set: Touristic Eastern Express tours are starting! How much are the ticket prices?

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the 2024-2025 winter season services of the Touristic Eastern Express will begin on December 23. Minister Uraloğlu stated, “Our services, which receive great interest between Ankara and Kars, will continue until March 2, 2025. Services will depart from Ankara on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and from Kars on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.”

Minister Uraloğlu provided information that ticket sales for the Touristic Eastern Express have begun as package tours through authorized travel agencies, and for the wagons allocated to individual passengers, ticket sales will start on November 8 via TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş. ticket offices, the website, the mobile application, and the call center.

A TOTAL OF 60 SERVICES WILL BE ORGANIZED

Minister Uraloğlu reported that they have rearranged departure times based on requests from passengers, stating, “The Touristic Eastern Express will depart from Ankara at 13:55, stopping for 150 minutes in Erzincan and 240 minutes in Erzurum, allowing passengers the opportunity to explore these cities. On the return from Kars, it will depart at 21:05 and stop for 210 minutes in İliç, 150 minutes in Divriği, and 180 minutes in Sivas.”

Stating that the Touristic Eastern Express serves with 8 sleeping cars and one dining car, Uraloğlu said, “In this period, during which we will organize a total of 60 services, our express train with a capacity of 160 passengers will offer travel enthusiasts an unforgettable winter experience in the comfort of home in double-occupancy rooms.”

Emphasizing that in addition to the Touristic Eastern Express, Regional Touristic Express Trains will also operate between Erzurum and Kars, Uraloğlu said, “Due to the intense demand for the Touristic Eastern Express, Regional Touristic Express Trains will also be put into service between Erzurum and Kars.”

“The Regional Touristic Express Trains, which we have planned as a total of 24 services, will have a capacity of 291 passengers and will operate on Saturdays and Sundays between January 18 and February 23, 2025.”

WHEN WILL IT START?

Stating that the Touristic Diyarbakır Express will also begin its services between April 11 and May 25, 2025, Uraloğlu said, “On these services, which will operate from Ankara on Fridays and from Diyarbakır on Sundays, passengers will have the opportunity to explore cities with 3-hour stops in Malatya on the Ankara-Diyarbakır route, and 4-hour stops in Elazığ Yolçatı on the Diyarbakır-Ankara route.”

Minister Uraloğlu expressed that they have also added new routes to their agenda in light of surveys conducted with passengers, and continued his words as follows:

“Our passengers have expressed their appreciation for the unique landscapes offered by touristic trains, the opportunity to discover new places, and the different holiday experience they provide. We believe that the intense demand will also be shown for other lines.”

“We are evaluating the launch of new touristic lines, such as the Touristic Tatvan Train on the Ankara-Tatvan route, which is currently operated as a special train upon request, the Touristic Salt Express on the Ankara-Çankırı route, and the Adana-Belemedik Express services in the Mediterranean Region.”

Tickets, which will go on sale as double-occupancy rooms with prices starting from 5,250 Turkish Liras per person, can be purchased from TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş. ticket offices, authorized agencies, the mobile application, and at https://bilet.tcdd.gov.tr/.