Ankara to Istanbul

Travelling between Ankara and Istanbul is possible by Flight, bus and train. Flight guarantees the fastest travel on this route. Bus is the slowest option.

The most expensive ticket will cost you USD 54.22 if you go by flight; to keep it budget-friendly, opt for a bus which will set you back mere USD 10.12.

It can take you anywhere between 1 and 8 hours to travel between Ankara and Istanbul depending on the means of transport you choose.

Flight is the fastest way to travel between Ankara and Istanbul. Flight will bring you to your destination in 1h. Bus does a much slower job and take about 8h to reach Istanbul.

Travelling between Ankara and Istanbul can be as cheap as USD 10.12 if you opt for a Ozel Diyarbakir bus and as expensive as USD 54.22 if you buy a Turkish Airlines flight ticket.

Here is the list of how much you can expect to pay travelling by each means of transport available for this route.

• 107 from Ankara to Istanbul starting from 00:19 Ankara Sogutozu Bus Station until 23:59 Ankara Asti Bus Station
• 27 from Ankara to Istanbul starting from 03:55 Ankara Airport until 22:10 Ankara Airport

Check above for a bus, train, flight and ferry timetable from Ankara to Istanbul.

Flights

Flying is the fastest and often the most expensive way to travel from Ankara to Istanbul, but with a bit of luck you can score very good deals for as little as USD 34.90.

Things to remember: Note that some of the airlines may have restrictions on checked luggage weight or require paying extra for check-in, choosing seats or transportation of oversized luggage.

If opting for a flight, calculate the time you will spend getting to and from the airports as well as the waiting time before your flight, getting through immigration in case of an international flight and recovering your checked luggage.

In certain cases all these procedures can add no less than 5 hours to your total travel time.

Airlines flying between Ankara and Istanbul

Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines

Bus

Travelling from Ankara to Istanbul overland will inevitably take longer but in many cases it is the cheapest option if you opt for a bus.

Things to remember: For a more comfortable ride opt for a higher-class bus wherever possible. These buses usually have soft reclining seats and are equipped with air-conditioning and on-board toilets.

They often include water, snacks or a light lunch into your ticket price and make bathroom stops en-route.

Companies operating bus routes between Ankara and Istanbul

Adiyaman Unal Turizm, Ankara As Turizm, As Adana, Astor Seyahat, Can Dersim Tuncelililer, Can Diyarbakir, Divrigi Nazar Turizm, Elazig Murat Turizm, Es Turizm, Gulen Turizm, Has Diyarbakir, Hatay CSR, Hatay Gokbey Seyahat, Istanbul Seyahat, Kahta Petrol, Lider Elbistan, Lider Vip Travel, Luks Afsinlilar Seyahat, Luks Mersin Turizm, Malatya Zafer, Mardin Seyahat, Mersin Nur Turizm, Nigde Aydoganlar, Nigde Inan, Nilufer Turizm, Oncu Seyahat, Oz Elaziglilar Seyahat, Oz Elbistan, Oz Gularas, Oz Sivas Turizm, Ozel Diyarbakir, Ozkaymak, Ozlem Cizre Nuh, Ozlem Diyarbakir, Pamukkale Turizm, Safa Devran Turizm, Sanal Kirsehir, Selcuk Canlar Turizm, Ses Turizm, Star Diyarbakir, Yeni Sivas Turizm, Yukseller Aksaray Birlik

Train

Train is a often a great choice for long-haul travel especially if you opt for a night sleeper train with berths which will allow you to sleep all your journey through. To make the most of your train journey, choose the class of your ticket wisely.

Note that there are air-conditioned and fan-only carriages; private compartments for 2 or 4; hard and soft seats.
Though the upper class you get the smoother is your journey, often second class air-conditioned or fan-only sleepers are a good money saving alternative.

There is a choice of transportation means any time of the day with Bus remaining the most popular option due to their reasonable pricing and comfort.

Out of 1000 travellers who bought tickets for this route

• 98% opted for a bus
• 2% decided to fly
• 1% Other