The public transportation in Ankara is very efficient and affordable. In this article we’ll only be discussing 3 modes of transportation: buses , metros, and railway trains. Cable cars are also available. To learn more about cable cars check out the EGO website. There are a lot of details to cover when it comes to public transportation. You’ll need to know: how to access public transportation with an Ankara Kart, which type of AnkaraKart to purchase, and how much urban transportation costs in Ankara.
How many types of AnkaraKarts are there?
There are mainly 4 types of AnkaraKarts:
1. Tam Kart/Normal Card (Blue)
2. İndirimli AnkaraKart/Discounted Card (Red)
3. Serbest AnkaraKart/Free AnkaraKart (Orange)
For residents above 61-65 years, disabled people, veterans and their spouses, martyr widows and orphans
4. Magnetic AnkaraKart (Disposable Single-use Paper card)
Which AnkaraKarts can I buy as a tourist/foreigner?
There are mainly 3 types of AnkaraKarts foreigners can get:
1. Tam (For Normal locals and foreigners) AnkaraKart- Blue
Each ride 6.5 TL-transfer 2.25 TL
2. İndirimli AnkaraKart (For student and teachers) AnkaraKart – Red
For students each ride 3.5 TL – Transfer 1.25 TL
For teachers each ride 4.25 TL – Transfer 1.5 TL
3. Magnetic AnkaraKart (Single Use)
Each ride 7 TL
How to get an AnkaraKart?
When you first come to Ankara you’ll need to get an AnkaraKart to be able to access urban public transportation. To get an AnkaraKart first you’ll need to go to a ANKARA KART İŞLEM MERKEZLERİ (AnkaraKart processing center). They are found in 5 places across Ankara. The kart işlem merkezleri are at Kızılay, Beşevler, Dikimevi, Akköprü metro station. The processing centers are open from 8 AM-5 PM on Monday-Friday.
How to buy a Tam Kart?
From the information desks you’ll need to purchase a Tam Ankara Kart which is around 11TL. The cost may change from year to year. Due to the inflation in Turkey the price of urban transportation has gone up. You can pay by cash or card, it doesn’t matter. After purchasing the card, they’ll give you a receipt and the card.
You can also buy a tam kart in a SmartBanko machine. All you have to do is select Kart Satis in the screen option and enter the money in the machine. After that a tam kart will come out from an opening below the machine screen
How to buy an Öğrenci AnkaraKart?
In case of an Öğrenci AnkaraKart you’ll need to take your Kimlik Card, 1 passport size photo, your öğrenci belgesi (student certificate) and an amount of 11 TL. If you don’t have a Kimlik Card yet, YTB Turkiye Burslari scholarship students can get it with their passport and foreign identification number in some centers.
How to purchase an Öğrenci Kart as a YTB Scholarship student?
If YTB Scholarship students want to purchase an Öğrenci Ankara Kart they need to make sure that they have their Foreign Identification Number, student certificate, passport and 1 passport size photo. The foreign Identification number is emailed to the students before their arrival to Turkey by YTB. The foreign Identification number is a temporary Kimlik (residence) number for YTB scholarship students. In most cases, when students receive their residence permit, their foreign identification number becomes their permanent residence permit number (Kimlik Number).
The problem foreign student’s face is that not many metro stations accept foreign identification numbers. Most new customer help desk officers tell the foreign students to show their Kimlik Cards which international students can’t get right away.
The metro station near AnkaMall called “Akkopru” is where I and my TOMER friends got our öğrenci cards with our passport, student certificate (TOMER Öğrenci belgesi), foreign identification number and 2 passport size photos. Once the officer enters your foreign identification number and your first and last name into the system your details should appear in the system. Make sure the officer enters your first and last name in the system properly as in many country’s passports the last and first name positions are different. Most of the officers don’t know English so they might misunderstand your first and last name. It takes around 5 minutes for the officer to scan your photo and make you an öğrenci Ankara kart. You’ll have to pay for the öğrenci kart. After receiving the card you’ll need to add money into it by going to a recharge booth.
How many types of recharge booths in Ankara?
- SmartBanko: You can buy an abonman, recharge your card, buy an AnkaraKart
2. MiniBank: You can recharge your card abonman.
How much does public transportation cost in Ankara?
Surprisingly public transportation in Ankara is super cheap, especially for students. For a normal Tam Kart the cost of one ride is 6.5 lira. If the card is used again within 30 minutes of last use then it costs 2.25 lira (transfer). For an öğrenci (student) kart each ride costs 3.5 lira. If the card is used again within 30 minutes of last use then it costs 1.25 lira (transit). For Ankara karts for citizens from age 61-65 years the cost of transportation is free. Previously the cost was 3.5 TL for Tam Karts but due to the increased inflation in the country the prices have increased to 6.5 TL per ride. This price can change in the future too.
Which is the most convenient type of transportation in Ankara?
Metro transportation is perhaps the most convenient out of all the mediums. You’ll only have to use your Ankara kart once you enter the metro station. After entering you can use the metro as many times and as many routes as you want. You’ll only have to use the Ankara kart to enter again if you exit the metro station. Plus the metro is a lot faster than buses as they have no traffic, less stops and are much faster.
What is an Abonman?
Now let’s talk about abonman (student subscriptions). This part gets a little tricky. After a student gets his or her öğrenci kart then they are allowed to purchase an abonman for 90 lira. An Abonman is a student subscription where the card user pays 90 liras for 225 rides (Can change in the future) for 30 days. Abonmans can only be used on buses and metros. It does not work for trains. After a person gets an abonman, he can also recharge his Ankara kart with money to ride the train. One thing you should keep in mind with Abonmans is that it can be only used once after every 30 minutes in the same ride and only students can get the subscription package.
For example if a person purchased an abonman and he used it once on the bus, he can’t use it for the next 30 minutes in the same bus, to use the AnkaraKart again in the next 30 minutes he’ll need to have money recharged normally in his card. This is usually to prevent the abonman from being used by more than one person. I personally prefer abonman to normal kart recharging as I use public transportation often. If I use the öğrenci kart normally I run out of money quickly. Again remember it is only for 1 month. After 30 days the abonman will be canceled even if you haven’t used all 225 rides by then.
How do I purchase an abonman?
You can purchase an Abonman in mainly 2 ways. One way is from the recharge booths (SmartBanko). Another way is at the KART İŞLEM MERKEZLERİ (Card processing centers). First you’ll have to make sure that the recharge booth allows purchases of Abonmans. If it does, see the below video to learn how to purchase an abonman:
Remember that you need to have a debit or credit card to purchase an Abonman via the recharge booth. If you don’t have a card and the customer service desk is open you can go to the desk and ask the officer if you want to purchase an abonman. In Turkish, you say “Benim Abonman Istiyorum. “ Before going to the help desk you’ll need to go to the recharge booth and put your card in the machine. After that select “VIZE” and wait for a few seconds and then take your card out. Next go to the customer help desk, pay cash and get your abonman.
Remember the abonman is 90 lira (from 5th January 2022) for 225 rides for 30 days. Abonmans can only be purchased through an öğrenci kart, not a tam kart.
How do YTB Türkiye Burslari Scholarship students get an abonman?
For YTB Scholarship students it’s a little difficult to get an Abonman with your öğrenci kart. Let me explain:
1. First of all you need to contact your university and tell them that you want to purchase an Abonman and request them to enter your information in the YOKSIS system. As far as I know, this system is a government system where student information is inputted into a database.
2. If you are a TOMER student you’re technically still not a student of that university. But since you’re a YTB Scholarship student you’ll be allowed to go to your faculty and request them to register you to their university student database.
3. Once they register you to the university database, you’ll receive your student number, a student account and password to your account. (When registering to the university make sure to give them your foreign identification number/ residence card number as your Kimlik number unless you won’t be able to get the abonman). After that they will tell you to go to an officer to send your information for YOKSIS registration.
4. Once the officer takes your öğrenci number and completes your YOKSIS registration your information will be available in the government system and you’ll be allowed to buy an abonman.
5. Go to the card processing center and tell them you want an abonman and pay 75 TL.
In case any problem arises go to the card processing center at the metro station and tell them that you can’t purchase the abonman, they’ll tell you what the problem is and what you should do next.
How will I know the schedule of the train, metro and bus?
There are mainly 3 applications used to learn the schedule of the vehicles:
1. EGO CEP’TE App
To know the schedule of the vehicles you’ll need to download an app which monitors the arrival time, place and destination of public transportation.
EGO App: Available to download on Androids and IOS users
This app is very useful. In each station there will be signs and posters to where the bus, metro and trains will go. Each bus stop has a specific code number which you can enter into the app to find out which vehicles will come to that stop and in how many minutes. The arrival time is approximately calculated and is most of the time correct. The EGO App even has an option to select the language in English which makes it convenient for foreigners. Another merit of the app is that it gives special notices to users if public transportation is going to be unavailable in a certain area.
2. EGO Website
If you don’t have the app installed use their website: https://www.ego.gov.tr/en/otobusnerede.
3. Google Map
If you don’t have the app installed, you can also instead use Google maps. Google Maps allows users to view which bus or metro needs to be taken in which route. Though it isn’t as precise as the Ego App, it gets the job done.
Sometimes busy bus stops like Dikimevi and Kizilay have screens on poles that give updates on the upcoming buses.
Does public transportation in Ankara run all day long?
No, public transportation in Ankara does not run 24/7. All modes of public transportation in Ankara start at 5AM and stop at 12AM. If you need transportation from 12AM to 5AM I suggest taking a taxi or a Dolmuş.
What vehicles are there instead of public transportation?
1. Dolmuş: It is a very popular mode of transportation in Ankara. They are like mini buses and their fares are cheap too. Usually the fare is around 2 to 4.5 lira. The fare depends on where you want to get off.
2. Taxi: Taxis are available everywhere in Ankara. But be careful, taxi drivers in Ankara charge more when they see foreigners. They use the fare meter but take complicated routes so it takes more time and thus shows higher fares.
3. Airport Shuttle Buses: These airport shuttles are usually provided by BelkoAir or Havaş Company for transportation to and from the airport. The fees are comparatively cheaper than the fees of taxis. So if a person wants to go to the airport or come from the airport they can use these shuttles. As far as I know they have bus routes for Aşti, Kızılay, ATG (Ankara train station), and the Akm stop.
What if I lose something on a metro, bus or train in Ankara?
If you leave anything on the bus by mistake, the possibility to get the thing back is less. In case of metros or trains, return to the train/metro compartment you left your belongings in. If it’s not there go to the information help desk and tell them about your situation and ask them if they have a lost and found area.
In my experience, in case of buses you need to go to the last stop of the bus you boarded. For example if you lost your belongings on the 339 Bus, you need to get on a 339 Bus and go to the last stop of that bus. In the last stop all the 339 buses of the day will stop there. Find a driver or officer there and tell him you lost your belongings and you need help finding it. Give them details about the bus, what you lost and at what time you lost it. If you’re lucky you’ll probably find it in one of the parked buses at the bus stop.
For more help to find your belongings check out the ego website page for lost and found things: https://www.ego.gov.tr/en/kayip/esya.
Can I buy more than 1 Ankara Kart?
Yes, you can buy more than 1 Tam AnkaraKart. So if you lose your one you can just buy another one at the kart işlem merkezleri. You can have as many tam Ankara Karts as you want. It’s a little different for Öğrenci AnkaraKarts. As far as I know you can only buy 1 Öğrenci AnkaraKart with your Kimlik number and student number. If you buy another one and purchase an Abonman with it your first one may be deactivated.
What if I don’t have money in my Ankara Kart and I am not near a metro station to recharge it?
I face this problem often when I’m in a rush and forget to recharge my card. In that case, you can ask a person on the bus or near you to swipe their card for you and you can give them the money that it cost them. In my experience, whenever I asked a person to help me out with their Ankara kart they never said no and didn’t take any money from me. In case there isn’t anyone around to help you, you can give 4.5 lira to the driver and tell them that your Ankara Kart doesn’t have money in it right now. In most cases the drivers allow you. If not, you’ll just have to get off the bus.
Can I use my AnkaraKart in other cities in Turkey?
No, you can’t. Each city in Turkey has its own transportation system. In Istanbul people use the IstanbulKart and in Ankara they use the AnkaraKart.
The systems may look similar but they differ from city to city. For example you can buy an Istanbul kart at grocery shops like A101 and SOK and at recharge machines too. Whereas in Ankara you can buy the Ankara Kart in metro station KART İŞLEM MERKEZLERİ (card processing centers) or recharge booths. You can also buy an Ankara Kart by filling out an online application on https://www.ankarakart.com.tr/uye-ol. After signing up and filling out the application with your details you will receive the AnkaraKart by post at your address. The rates for the fares are also different from that in Istanbul.
Any tips for riding the bus?
I have so many! But let’s just cover the important ones. First of all, Ankara has a lot of traffic in the morning. It’s not excess but it’s still a lot. In certain times of the day like in the early morning and late at night the buses are very crowded. Keep that in mind while deciding your route. Kızılay is the center of the city. Most of the buses and metros always have a stop at Kızılay. But the problem with Kızılay is that it has multiple bus stops beside one another. To make sure you’re waiting at the right bus stop check the bus numbers on the posters taped to each bus stop.
Finally, press the red button on the bus before the stop you’re going to get off at. This way the bus driver will know which door to open in the bus and know whether to stop at the next station. Some bus stops in Ankara don’t have a stop structure near it so it is hard to recognize if it’s a bus stop or not. In that case look around if there’s a bus stop sign with some number codes on it. Just trust the navigation apps as most of the time they give the right information regarding the position of the bus stops.
Most of the locals and drivers in Ankara don’t know how to speak English. So use a translator if you need to communicate with them. If for some reason you don’t have your Tam or student AnkaraKart you can use your credit card to pay for the rode. Each boarding fee will be 7.5TL.
Precautions you should take with your AnkaraKart
Keep the card away from sunlight and places with high temperatures. If the card is bent, cut, torn, or punctured it may not work again, so it is better to keep it covered. For more information regarding public transportation take a look at the EGO website.
If you have any questions about the AnkaraKart and public transportation in Ankara, feel free to leave a comment below and share your experience.