Traveling by Bus

Traveling by bus is still the main form of transportation in Turkey. Every corner of Turkey can be reached from the bus station, or Otogar as it is called here. It is a combined word of Oto, meaning "car" and gar, coming from French word "gare" for station.

Tickets for almost all of the bus companies can be obtained at the main bus terminal. As there are so many agencies at the main bus station, and so many bus companies, it can sometimes be confusing and difficult to know which one to pick. All busses of serious companies are comfortable and air-conditioned and you would be wise to seek out a well-known company and to pay the little bit extra to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.

It is forbidden for intercity buses to enter the city center therefore bus terminals are located near the highway entrance of bigger cities. In order to reach these terminals you can use public transportation vehicles. The well-known intercity bus companies have several service branches in the center. The passengers are carried from these branches to terminals by the companies' minibuses.

There are two terminals in Istanbul;
Esenler Terminal on the European Side (Tel: 212-658 00 36)
Harem Terminal on the Anatolian Side (Tel: 216-333 37 63)

And one Terminal in Ankara;
Ankara AŞTİ Terminal (Tel: 312-224 10 00)

Some well-known companies' phones and addresses are listed in our yellow pages.

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Business Pages

• Bus Terminals
• Bus Companies

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