Getting Around Eskişehir
Eskişehir is a compact, student-filled city on the banks of the Porsuk River, and much of what a visitor wants to see sits within a walkable core. Beyond the centre, an unusually good tram network does most of the heavy lifting, with buses and dolmuşes filling in the gaps. This guide covers the practical options: trams, buses, taxis, walking, and how to reach the city from its airport.
Trams: The Backbone of the Network
For most visitors, the tram is the easiest way to move around. It links the main arrival points — the railway station and the bus station (Otogar) — with the old town, the modern centre, the universities and several residential districts, so you can often plan a day out entirely around the tram lines.
- Line 1 is the most useful for sightseeing. It starts at the bus station (Otogar) and loops through the old town / Odunpazarı area (Atatürk Lisesi), the modern centre at Köprübaşı (Çarşı), Doktorlar Caddesi (İsmet İnönü), the railway station (Espark) and the Yunus Emre campus of Anadolu University, ending at the SSK interchange.
- At SSK, Line 1 connects with suburban Line 8 to Batıkent and Line 9 to Çamlıca.
- Line 4 also runs from the bus station through the old town, then heads west to Osmangazi University.
- Line 3 completes a triangle between Osmangazi University, Çarşı and — sharing track with Line 1 — the railway station, Yunus Emre campus and SSK interchange.
- Line 7 runs from Osmangazi University through the southern suburbs to Çankaya.
- From the southeast, Line 10 comes in from Şehir Hospital and Line 12 from Yıldız. Both reach the old town; from there Line 12 joins Lines 3 and 4 toward Osmangazi University, while Line 10 continues north to the Opera and Kılıçlıbel.
In practice, you rarely need to memorise the whole map: identify the line that serves your destination and use the central interchange points (Çarşı, the railway station and SSK) to switch between lines.
Buses and Dolmuşes
Trams don't cover everything, and that's where the city's public buses and dolmuşes come in — shared minibuses that run on fixed routes and are a standard part of everyday transport in Eskişehir. Use them to reach neighbourhoods and sights beyond the tram corridors. If you're arriving by intercity coach, note that the Otogar sits by the D200 highway northeast of the centre, and the tram is the straightforward way to get downtown from there.
For a bit of novelty, the city also keeps a small fleet of fayton — 19th-century-style horse-drawn carriages — which can be a pleasant way to see the centre at a slower pace.
Taxis
Taxis are readily available, and Eskişehir has a charmingly old-fashioned way of hailing one: on the main streets you'll spot buttons mounted on walls, trees and similar spots that look like electric switches. Press the switch and the taxi from the nearest rank will come and pick you up. It's a simple system once you know to look for it.
Walking
The old town's sights are clustered in a compact area around the Kurşunlu Mosque, which makes walking the natural way to explore the historic quarter. The modern centre around Köprübaşı is likewise easy on foot. Given the city's riverside setting and flat, walkable core, many visitors find they walk between the old town and the modern centre and only use the tram for longer hops to the universities or outlying districts.
Getting In From the Airport
Eskişehir's own airport, Hasan Polatkan Airport (AOE, formerly Anadolu Airport), sits a few kilometres north of town and is unusual: it's part of the Technical University's Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Be aware of its limitations before you book:
- It handles only seasonal international flights — to Brussels with various carriers, and occasionally elsewhere such as Saudi Arabia. There are no domestic flights.
- There is no public transport from the airport, though car rental is available.
- The terminal only opens shortly before boarding, so you may end up waiting outside rather than inside the building.
Because of this, most visitors fly instead into one of the Istanbul airports or Ankara and continue overland. Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is often the most convenient: from there you can take a taxi or bus to Pendik station and pick up the train to Eskişehir. Eskişehir also sits near the fork of Turkey's high-speed rail network, with frequent fast trains from Istanbul, Ankara, Konya and Karaman, so arriving by rail is a practical alternative to flying in directly. Check TCDD for timetables and tickets.
Practical Tips
- Plan around the tram first — it connects the railway station, the Otogar, the old town, the modern centre and the universities.
- Use Çarşı, the railway station and SSK as your interchange points when switching lines.
- Keep small change or a transit card handy for buses and dolmuşes, which cover the areas trams don't reach.
- Look for the taxi-call buttons on walls and trees along main streets.
- If you're flying in, don't count on Hasan Polatkan Airport for a domestic connection — plan to arrive via Istanbul or Ankara instead.