Toros/Taurus Ekspresi Train, Turkey

The Toros Ekspresi (Taurus Express) departs Istanbul (Haydarpasa) on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 08:55 am hauling unreserved compartments, a reserved-seat Pullman car, couchette cars, a sleeping car and a dining car.

With stops in Eskisehir, Kütahya, Afyon, Konya, Karaman and other towns, it arrives in Adana in 04:38 am, departs at 05:05 am and stops in Osmaniye and other towns, finally reaching Gaziantep the next day at 11:35 am, a trip of nearly 27 hours.

The westbound train departs Gaziantep on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 14:30 (2:30 pm) daily, and Adana at 21:10 (9:10 pm), and arrives in Istanbul at 17:55 (5:55 pm), a trip of 27:25 hours.

Istanbul-Damascus Train
The Toros Ekspresi that departs Istanbul on Thursday includes one sleeping car that continues to Damascus, Syria.

After departing Adana at 05:05 am on Friday, the car reaches the Syrian border at Meydanekbez at 10:30 am, Halep (Halab, Aleppo) at 14:34 (2:34 pm), and Damascus (Dimashk, Sam) at 20:06 (8:06 pm) on Friday, a trip of just over 35 hours from Istanbul.

The return trip from Damascus departs on Tuesday morning at 05:13 am, reaches the Turkish border at 13:43 (1:43 pm), Adana at 20:44 (8:44 pm), and Istanbul on Wednesday at 17:55 (5:55 pm), a trip of almost 37 hours.

Note that you must pay the sleeping car fare to go all the way to Damascus, as that is the only car that goes that far.

Please read this safety notice about sleeping car travel.

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Camels, Turkey

The Toros Ekspresi ventures into what used to be camel country...but most of the camels are long gone.