How to Buy Bus Tickets in Turkey

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First and foremost, I cannot make bus reservations or obtain bus tickets for you! TurkeyTravelPlanner.com is not a travel agency. Also, the only bus schedule information I have is here. Please do not send me a message asking for more. Whatever information I have, I immediately put on TurkeyTravelPlanner.com.

Here's special information on getting to Cappadocia.

Turkey's bus system has so many companies and departures that it's usually not necessary to buy your ticket far in advance.

In fact, in the large cities and popular tourist destinations, it's usually possible to just go to the bus terminal on the day you want to travel, buy a ticket, and board the next bus. (That's what I do.)

The exception to this easy-bus-travel rule is national and Islamic holidays, and special events.

At holiday times, or when there are important special events or festivals (such as Istanbul's Formula 1 Grand Prix races), seats on the bus you'd prefer to take might be fully booked in advance.

So how does one reserve a seat on a Turkish bus?

If you're in Turkey, ask your hotel to telephone a good bus company and reserve your seat a day or two before you plan to travel. You then go to the bus terminal in advance and pick up your ticket. This way, you'll have a better chance of getting the seat you want (front, middle; sunny side, shady side) on the departure that's most convenient for you.

If you're not in Turkey, some of the major bus companies have online ticket reservations systems, but in general these are not easy for non-Turkish-speaking foreigners to use. Either they're all in Turkish, or difficult to navigate, or they simply don't work right (which is sadly common among Turkish travel websites). Still, it may be worth a try. Click here!

What about travel agencies? Few of them will agree to make bus reservations for you, because they usually lose money on them. If you use a Turkish travel agency to reserve numerous other services for you (hotels, car rentals, flights, tours, guides, etc.), they may be willing to reserve your bus tickets for you, as these other services will pay for their time.

There are exceptions, such as Turista Travel in Istanbul, which will make reservations for you on certain bus lines. If you ask for bus tickets, you should also consider reserving other services, such as hotels and tours, through the same agency.