Job Discussion Forums

[Omeo]

Hey, guys. A couple questions about vacationing in Turkey. First, how hard is it to use Turkey as a launch pad for exploring the rest of Europe? Not that I'm not interested in checking out Turkey, of course, but if I can get around to other places, I definitely want to do that. Can I catch a train from Turkey? Seems like I read somewhere that I'd need to take a ferry to Greece if I want to catch a train. It also seems like I read that, as fast as they are, trains still take a while to get from one country to another. Do we get enough vacation time to get around?

[Frizzie Lizzie]

There's a direct train from Istanbul into Greece, you don't need to catch a ferry to get there.

[coffeespoonman]

Being one of those rare, difficult travelers who is deathly afraid of flying, and never leaves the ground (I've come from Pennsylvania to Istanbul solely by train, boat, car, bus, and good ol' feet), I can tell you that Istanbul is certainly connnected. From Istanbul, you can easily get anywhere in Europe by train, though, of course, it will take a while. The Bosfor Express runs from here to Bucharest, stopping at many other hubs along the way.

Incidentally, you can also take the train east to many locations in Asia, including Southeastern Turkey, Iran, and Syria (from there, on to Jordan). Throw in some bus travel from there, and you can get pretty much anywhere in the world. In fact, later this year, I intend to travel from Istanbul to China by rail only, going back up through Europe and taking the Trans-Siberian.

Whether you have enough time to explore by train depends on where you work. If you have one of those good jobs, and can take actual vacation time, sure. You'll be able to explore the Balkans easily. If not, well... There's always Eastern Greece and Bulgaria... You can get there overnight.

For more train info, check out www.seat61.com. This site is invaluable for the train enthusiast!

[Omeo]

Yes, but how long does it take to get around by train? Since England is the furthest country I'd like to visit, lets start with that. How long would it take to get from Turkey to England by train? I'm also interested in France, Germany, Holland, possibley Spain, and maybe Italy. How long does it take to get to those places by train from Turkey? Is there a website that'll help me figure it out? I'll check out the one you listed, but I still wanted to ask. Thanks guys.

P.S: How expensive would it be to fly to those places?

[calsimsek]

[coffeespoonman]

Not difficult at all calimsek. The new-ish Dostlar Expresi, kind of like a hotel train, runs from Istanbul to Thessaloniki. Very comfortable and child friendly... From there, you can easily go on to Athens or whereever...

BTW, to England would take about 3 days, I think... Maybe 2 1/2...

[dmb]

I heard last week that there is a roro from Istanbul to Odessa. It leaves Istanbul at 10 o'clock at night and arrives at 6 the next morning. Does anyone know anything about it?(I've got a friend who lives there and thinking about it for the summer)

[coffeespoonman]

Being the resident expert on non-plane travel, I can assure you there is. There are two. They're operated by UKRFERRY, and the first leaves every Tuesday at midnight, arriving Thursday morning at noon. The second is quicker, leaving on Friday at 9:00 and arriving in Odessa at 11:00 on Saturday. It costs a little over 100 USD, which seems like a rip off to me, but hey, it should be fun. I'm doing it in late July if you're looking for a travel partner.

Here's the website: http://www.ukrferry.com/eng/scheduller.asp?line=o-s

[dmb]

^thanks for that. definitely an option for getting to Odessa. Probably easier than flying to Kiev then getting from Kiev to Odessa.

[N_Ashdown]

Where does the UKR ferry leave from in İstanbul, and is there a UKR office in İstanbul?