Athens Travel Forum

Hi All..

Could anybody please give us some information on the train service from athens to istanbul.. Also need to know the fares.. haven't got any info on it till now..

Thanks

Happy travelling

Hi

This link has all the info - http://www.seat61.com/Turkey2.htm. Even pictures of the train! Scroll down to about 2/3 of the way. Enjoy!

Hi!

Except, if you have a lot of time to spend travelling, train is not a good solution!You have to know that there is no direct train to Istanbul from Athens and that means you have to travel from Athens to Thessaloniki and then wait there for the night train that will get you to Istanbul.If you can stand a "train adventure" for more than 24 hours, then go for it!You should expect the same on the way back.

If you can afford, it would be better to catch a plane.It takes only 55 min to fly to Istanbul.

The choice is yours!

Going all the way from Athens to Istanbul is not advisable, as the previous person note.
Several options:
- Athens to Istanbul by airplane. It costs about 300 euros round trip. Only 2 airlines cover this route, Olympic and Turkish Airlines.
- Athens to Thessaloniki by airplane (with Olympic or Aegean Airlines) and then the train to Istanbul. If you book well in advance you may get good rates with Aegean. The prices for Olympic are more or less fixed.
- Athens to Thessaloniki by airplane, and then by coach bus to Istanbul. I've heard the travel time is shorter than the train, and that there are several departures times throughout the day.

Thanks a lot for the replies.. We have atleast made up our mind of not taking the train now after the feedback from everyone..

What a shame you hve decided against getting the train. We travelled last year from Istanbul to Thessaloniki and it was a wonderful journey. The train is known as the "Friendship Train" to acknowledge the relationship that is now building up between Greece and Turkey.

You have a two bedded cabin with a sink, reading lights and a fully made up berth when you are ready for bed. The toilet is located at each end of the corridor and is kept clean by the attendants.

The experience of Istanbul station when the "Orient Express" as it is known locally, visits has to be experienced.

The journey from Thessaloniki to Athens takes about three hours and travels through some great scenery including the foot of Mount Olympus. You won't see that on a plane!!!

The cost for the trip on the sleeper train was about £90 for both of us, so travel and a night's hotel room is not expensive.

Please do try it, it is an amazing experience.