Getting to Eskişehir: YHT High-Speed Train from Istanbul, Ankara and Konya

Eskişehir is the undisputed railway capital of Turkey. When the country's first 250 km/h High-Speed Train line (Yüksek Hızlı Tren, YHT) opened between Ankara and Eskişehir in 2009, and was extended to Istanbul and Konya, it turned Eskişehir into an effortless city break where you step off the train right in the walkable heart of downtown without ever needing an airport taxi.

1. Arriving by YHT High-Speed Train (Into Central Eskişehir Gar)

Operated by TCDD Taşımacılık (always book your seat online at ebilet.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr or the TCDD e-Bilet app 5 to 10 days in advance, especially for Friday to Sunday trains, as university students and weekenders fill every carriage), high-speed trains arrive at historic central Eskişehir Garı throughout the day:

• From Ankara YHT Gar (1 hour 25 minutes): 10 to 12 direct trains daily glide west across the Polatlı plain, making Eskişehir a 85-minute hop from the capital.
• From Istanbul (Halkalı, Bakırköy, Söğütlüçeşme, Bostancı & Pendik, 2 hours 40 mins to 3 hours): 8 to 10 daily departures pass along the Gulf of Izmit and through the Bilecik mountain tunnels right into Eskişehir.
• From Konya (1 hour 35 minutes): direct YHT trains link Mevlana's city with Eskişehir without changing trains.
• Zero Transfer Hassle on Arrival: when you walk out the front exit of Eskişehir Garı, the Gar Estram Tram Stop is literally 30 metres in front of you, and the lively cafés of Haller Youth Centre, Espark, Doktorlar Caddesi and the Porsuk River are a flat 8-to-12-minute walk.

2. Arriving by Coach from Bursa, Izmir or Antalya (Eskişehir Otogar)

If you are combining Eskişehir with Bursa (150 km west, where there is no train link yet), comfortable coaches operated by Kamil Koç, Pamukkale and Nilüfer depart every 30 minutes and take just 2 hours to Eskişehir Intercity Bus Terminal (Otogar) (which sits next to Kentpark on the eastern edge of town and has its own dedicated Otogar Estram Tram terminus running straight into the centre in 15 minutes). Daily TCDD regional and overnight trains (the İzmir Mavi Tren and Ege Express) also connect Eskişehir with Kütahya, Balıkesir and Izmir.