# 1 – Ankara – Kars train (Dogu Express)
Dogu Express is the most popular train in Turkey.
The travel lasts about one day, going through deep valleys, high mountains and wide platos. Good chance for photographers.
Train has daily departures both from Ankara and Kars. The route is 1310 km long and it takes about 1 day. Train crosses Ankara-Divrigi section during night and Divrigi-Kars section during day in both directions.
Sleepers, couchettes and restaurant car make the travel very comfortable.
Both Ankara and especially Kars have good accomodation options and places to see. Ani ruins and Sarikamis ski center are close to Kars.
Kars train station is very close to city center.
Though train has huge capacity both for sleepers and couchettes, all tickets are sold out in seconds when they are on sale prior to 30 days before departure. This artile may help you: How to find ticket for Dogu Express?
Dogu Express (Ankara-Kars) timetable, options and ticketing
How we rate them?
Trains are evaluated in different areas about train and departure/arrival cities. These criterias are: How regular train departs, if it runs during daytime which makes it possible to see surrounding, which types of wagons it offers (2-bed, 3-bed, 4-bed, restaurant car), attractiveness of departure and arrival cities (places to see, accommodation, alternative transportation modes), ease of use of train stations (if they are close to city center or not).
Cover Photo: Onur Uysal ©
Categories: Passenger
Rail Turkey En 
Excellent post. I love sleeper train travel and in the past often made the journey between Aleppo and Istanbul
wish we could do it soon
I would also suggest the routes serving Adana from Ankara and the (former? I hope it runs again!) one from Haydarpasa too: the section down from Ülükisla to Yenice especially is stupendous!
There’s only Toros Express on that route by now, between Adana and Kayseri.