Train Travel in Türkiye: A 12-Day Family Trip on a Budget

£25 for a 14-hour sleeper train with beds, a sink, and power points. £6.50 for a seven-hour scenic ride across central Türkiye. If you've ever assumed Türkiye is a fly-and-spend destination, this episode is here to change that picture entirely. Tracy is joined by Sinead, a York-based travel blogger and passionate train traveller, to walk through her family's 12-day loop: Istanbul, down to the Aegean coast and the ruins of Ephesus, overnight to Konya, across to Cappadocia, up to Kayseri, into Ankara, and back to Istanbul. Mostly by train, on a real budget, with honest advice on what it actually costs. ✅ Building a Türkiye itinerary around each person's must-sees  ✅ Booking Turkish rail through TCDD, sleeper availability, and mid-route delays  ✅ What train travel is actually like, from sleepers to high-speed first class  ✅ Visiting Ephesus and why the scale and preservation stand out  ✅ Hiking in Cappadocia, finding cave churches, and watching balloons at sunrise for free  ✅ A low-cost mosaic lamp workshop that turned out to be a trip highlight  ✅ Eating well for less and saving money on flights with a reverse search strategy  ✅ Packing light, carrying lira, using Revolut or Wise, and choosing an eSIM If this episode has got you thinking about your own adventure, our free workbook, Plan Your Dream Trip with Ease, is a brilliant place to start. If you enjoyed the show, leaving a review on your favourite podcast app helps more travel lovers find us. **Guest** - Sinead Camplin from Map Made Memories and York Travel Expert **Show notes** - Episode 97 Support the show  🎤 Leave us a voice message via SpeakPipe 🗺 **Global Travel Planning** Website - globaltravelplanning.com Instagram - Global Travel Planning YouTube - Global Travel Planning 🇬🇧**UK Travel Planning** Website - UKTravelPlanning.com Instagram - UK Travel Planning YouTube - UK Travel Planning 📍**London Travel Planning** Website - LondonTravelPlanning.com Work With Us **- *Contact tracy@globaltravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.*** **Thank you** ❤️ ***Disclaimer: Some outbound links financially benefit the podcast through affiliate programs. Using our links is a small way to support the show at no additional cost. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. Thank you for the support!***