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Visa

You can find detailed information about visa procedures on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye. Click here to visit the website.

Getting to Eskişehir

Transportation from Ankara to Eskişehir

Eskişehir can be conveniently reached from Ankara by High-Speed Train (YHT), intercity bus, or private vehicle.

By Air

Visitors arriving at Ankara Esenboğa Airport can reach the city center and Ankara Train Station by airport shuttle services, public transportation, or taxi.

High-Speed Train (YHT)

Regular High-Speed Train (YHT) services operate between Ankara and Eskişehir throughout the day. The journey takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. For the latest schedules and ticket information, please visit the TCDD Transportation website.

You can visit the TCDD Taşımacılık website for YHT (High-Speed Train) schedules and ticket information.

Intercity Bus

Frequent bus services operate from Ankara Intercity Bus Terminal (AŞTİ) to Eskişehir. Depending on traffic and route conditions, the journey takes approximately 3–4 hours.

By Private Car

The distance between Ankara and Eskişehir is approximately 230 km, and the journey takes around 2.5–3 hours.

Transportation from Istanbul to Eskişehir

Eskişehir can be reached from Istanbul by High-Speed Train (YHT), intercity bus, or private vehicle.

By Air

Visitors arriving at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen International Airport can easily access High-Speed Train stations and intercity bus terminals using public transportation services.

High-Speed Train (YHT)

High-Speed Train services to Eskişehir are available from Halkalı, Bakırköy, Söğütlüçeşme, Bostancı, and Pendik stations. Depending on the departure station, the journey takes approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours.

You can visit the TCDD Taşımacılık website for YHT (High-Speed Train) schedules and ticket information.

Intercity Bus

Regular bus services operate between Istanbul and Eskişehir from major bus terminals on both the European and Asian sides of the city. Depending on traffic conditions, the journey takes approximately 4–6 hours.

By Private Car

The distance between Istanbul and Eskişehir varies between approximately 300 and 350 km depending on the departure point. The journey typically takes around 3–4 hours.

Local Transportation in Eskişehir

Eskişehir offers a well-developed urban transportation network including trams, municipal buses, taxis, and car rental services. Transportation between the city center, railway station, bus terminal, hotels, and event venues is convenient and efficient.

Student Pick-up

As long as the incoming exchange students inform their Kanka friends or the International Affairs Office about their exact arrival date and time in Istanbul or Ankara, Kanka friends will give advice about transportation to Eskişehir and can meet them at the train station or bus station in Eskişehir.

Language

The official language of Türkiye is Turkish. Following the foundation of the Republic of Türkiye, a new Turkish alphabet containing 29 letters was created in 1928 through the adaptation of the Latin script.

The alphabet does not include the letters q, x, and w. However, the characters ç, ğ, ı, ö, ş, and ü perfectly serve the phonetic requirements of the Turkish language.

Turkish is an agglutinative language, which means it is possible to derive many new words from a single, simple root word by adding suffixes. Let's look at an example of word formation:

Word (Kelime)	English Meaning	Turkish Definition
Göz	Eye (The organ)	Görme organı
Gözlük	Eyeglasses	Görme kusurlarını gidermeye yardımcı araç
Gözlükçü	Optician	Gözlük yapan veya satan kimse
Gözlükçülük	The business of selling glasses	Gözlükçünün yaptığı meslek

To support you in your daily life and academic journey in Türkiye, we have listed some of the most frequently used and useful words, phrases, numbers, and the meanings of "Wh" questions below.

Essential Words & Phrases

Turkish	English Translation
Merhaba	Hello
Günaydın	Good morning
İyi akşamlar	Good evening
İyi geceler	Good night
Hoşçakal	Good bye
Nasılsınız?	How are you?
İyiyim	I am fine
Görüşürüz / Görüşmek üzere	See you later
Evet	Yes
Hayır	No
Lütfen	Please
Teşekkür ederim / Teşekkürler	Thank you / Thanks
... var	There is ... (Expresses availability)
... yok	There is not ... (Expresses unavailability)
... istiyorum	I want ...

"Wh" Questions

Turkish Question	English Meaning
Kim	Who
Ne	What
Ne zaman	When
Nerede	Where
Nasıl	How
Niçin	Why

Numbers

1	Bir	11	On bir	30	Otuz	1.000.000	Bir milyon
2	İki	12	On iki	50	Elli	1.000.000.000	Bir milyar
3	Üç	13	On üç	60	Altmış
4	Dört	14	On dört	70	Yetmiş
5	Beş	15	On beş	80	Seksen
6	Altı	16	On altı	90	Doksan
7	Yedi	17	On yedi	100	Yüz
8	Sekiz	18	On sekiz	200	İki yüz
9	Dokuz	19	On dokuz	1.000	Bin
10	On	20	Yirmi	100.000	Yüz bin

Religion

Turkey is a secular country where the great majority of the population is Muslim. The freedom of religious belief or disbelief and the application or non-application of religious rules is constitutionally protected. Everyone is free to observe any religion of their preference and follow their method of worship.

Currency and Exchange

The official currency of the Republic of Türkiye is the Turkish Lira (TL / ₺). Exchange rates fluctuate based on global market conditions. You can check the official daily foreign exchange rates in real-time on the official website of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/eng/).

Mobile Phone (Cellular) Services

Major global-standard telecommunication companies like Turkcell, Vodafone, and Türk Telekom operate in Türkiye, offering extensive network coverage. International students can easily purchase a new local SIM card from any authorized branch. Alternatively, you can use your home country's SIM card by activating international roaming, after verifying its compatibility with Turkish networks. Both postpaid and prepaid (pay-as-you-go) options are widely available, allowing you to choose the most budget-friendly student packages.

Post, Cargo, and Courier Services

Postal and logistics services in our country are seamlessly provided by both the state and robust private sector networks. The official state institution in this field is PTT (Post and Telegraph Organization). Just as you can send letters/parcels and perform money transfers through PTT or private cargo companies; you can also securely pay your phone, electricity, water, and mobile phone bills.

Banking Services and Credit Cards

The Turkish banking sector is highly developed, fully integrated with global financial systems, and features state-of-the-art digital infrastructure. You can exchange currencies, cash traveler's checks, or pay bills directly at bank branches. Global credit and debit cards like VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted almost everywhere, including hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, shops, and travel agencies. ATMs from various banks are widely available across all university campuses, and physical bank branches can be found within the Yunus Emre Campus.

Climate in Eskişehir

Eskişehir is located in the Central Anatolia region and exhibits a continental climate. However, due to its geographic position, it is also partially influenced by the weather patterns of the Western Black Sea and Mediterranean regions. The annual average temperature is around 10.9°C. January is the coldest month of the year, with an average temperature of -2°C, and freezing days usually occur from mid-December through the first weeks of February. Temperatures begin to rise above 20°C in the latter half of spring. The hottest months are June, July, and August, where daytime temperatures range between 30°C and 40°C, while summer nights remain comfortably cool (10–15°C). Autumn breezes are felt in the second half of August as temperatures drop below 20°C.

Transportation

By Road: Eskişehir acts as a central hub where major highways and railways intersect. It serves as a great junction connecting Istanbul to Central Anatolia, and Ankara to the Southern Marmara and Aegean regions. The Eskişehir Intercity Bus Terminal (Otogar) is one of the most modern terminals in Türkiye, offering vast space, shopping facilities, and ticket offices. Transportation from the terminal to the city center and university campuses is easily accessible via public buses and the tramway network.

By Rail: Eskişehir has historically been a major railway hub in Türkiye. The city features a highly advanced **High-Speed Train (YHT)** network connecting it directly to major metropolitan areas like Ankara, Istanbul, Konya, and Bilecik. Thanks to the YHT, traveling between Ankara and Eskişehir takes only about 1.5 hours.

Local Transit: For inner-city commuting, public transit options include public buses, minibuses (dolmuş), an extensive tram network (Estram), and taxis. Students can get discounted transit cards to commute easily between campuses and any part of the city.

Public Holidays

Holiday Name (English)	Turkish Name	Date
New Year's Day	Yılbaşı	January 1
National Sovereignty and Children's Day	Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı	April 23
Labor and Solidarity Day	Emek ve Dayanışma Günü	May 1
Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day	Atatürk'ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı	May 19
Democracy and National Unity Day	Demokrasi ve Milli Birlik Günü	July 15
Victory Day	Zafer Bayramı	August 30
Republic Day	Cumhuriyet Bayramı	October 29
Ramadan Bayramı (Religious)	Ramazan Bayramı	Changes annually (Lunar Calendar)
Kurban Bayramı (Religious)	Kurban Bayramı	Changes annually (Lunar Calendar)

Emergency Phone Numbers

Important Note: All major emergency services in Türkiye (Police, Fire, Ambulance, Gendarmerie) are unified under a single emergency number. You can dial 112 for any kind of emergency.

Service Department	Phone Number
Unified Emergency Hotline (Ambulance, Police, Fire, Gendarmerie)	112
Gas Emergency	187
Electricity Failure	186
Water Failure / Municipal Police	185 / 153
Forest Fire Notification	177
Health Consultation Line	184
Consumer Advisory Hotline	175