I know that one of the most terrifying parts of traveling is transportation. It sometimes feels so stressful if you’re not sure which bus or train to take. Nobody wants to take the wrong one.
In that case, it would be much easier if you know a little bit of the local language to ask for directions or to learn how to get to your desired destination.
So if you are traveling to Turkey, we’ve written this blog post to make your work easier. Once you learn the transportation vocabulary in Turkish, you will feel more comfortable and confident when you travel across the country.
Commonly Used Vehicles In Turkey
The cities of Turkey can show huge differences depending on the geographical features and transport systems.
Cars and buses are the main vehicles that people mostly use. In big cities like Istanbul, subway systems are pretty well designed. People living in big cities and seaside towns also prefer ferries and planes.
Araba (Car)
There are almost 30 million personal cars in Turkey. As you can understand from the statistics many people prefer cars over public transportation.
Even though car prices have been very expensive lately, people still prefer them because of the comfort they provide, and plus they see the car as an investment.
Motorsiklet (Motorbike)
You can see many motorbikes in the traffic, especially in big cities, since home delivery and online grocery shopping are pretty common. They’re always in a rush to deliver things on time.
Otobüs (Bus)
Buses are the first choice when traveling between cities. They are cheaper than the other transportation options.
There are also bus routes in the inner-city. But keep in mind that they usually swarm with people. The reason why people insist on taking the bus is that if you have an akbil (smart ticket) it almost costs you nothing!
If you’re in Istanbul, you can also get a smart ticket as a tourist. It makes your transportation easier because you just need to load a specific amount of money once and then you can use it for any kind of public transport from ferries to the subway.
You can see double-decker buses only in Istanbul.
Dolmuş (Minibus)
Minibusses are the most commonly used vehicles for relatively shorter distances. You can get almost anywhere you want by taking minibusses in a town.
Fun Fact: Dolmuş literally means something that has reached its full capacity.
Tren (Train)
Unfortunately, the railway system doesn’t cover all of the country, therefore, the cities you can travel to by train are limited. Both high-speed trains and old nostalgic trains are available. However, their routes are different.
Metro (Subway)
Subway is the most preferred public transport in big cities like Istanbul. You literally travel to each district by subway. The good news is that the announcements are made both in Turkish and English inside the subway. So you’re not likely to miss your stop.
Common Transportation Vocabulary In Turkish
Here is the list of the common transportation vocabulary that may come in handy. If it is your first time in Turkey, I suggest you learn these Turkish words to minimize misunderstandings or problems during your travel.
Words For Traveling By Plane
Words For Traveling By Train Or Bus
Words For Traveling By Car
Useful Turkish Phrases About Transportation
I bet you will experience a situation in which you hear ”no English” from a local person. In that case, you need to use these phrases about transportation. You can switch to the Turkish language and ask one more time. I’m sure they will be happy to help you as much as they can.
- Otogara nasıl gidebilirim? – How can I get to the bus station?
- Tren istasyonu nerede? – Where is the train station?
- Koltuk numaram ___ – My seat number is ___
- Ne zaman? – When?
- ___ -a/-e gitmek istiyorum. – I want to go to the ___
- Hangi metroya binmeliyim? – Which subway should I take?
- Nereden bilet alabilirim? – Where can I buy a ticket?
- Bir bilet ne kadar? – How much is a ticket?
- Bu tramvay Taksim’e gidiyor mu? – Does this tram go to Taksim?
- Bir sonraki durak neresi? – What is the next stop?
I hope you found this blog post useful. If you want to learn more about the Turkish language or culture don’t forget to visit our website for a weekly Turkish blog.
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