Eskart: One Card for Eskişehir’s Trams and Buses

Eskişehir’s Eskart works on ESTRAM trams and city buses, with discounted transfers within 60 minutes. You can use a physical card or a virtual Eskart in the Estram Mobil app. Contactless bank cards are another option, but they cost more per boarding and do not include transfer discounts.

One card for getting around

Eskart is Eskişehir’s local public transport card. It works across the city’s tram and bus network, but cannot be used in other cities.

Eligible journeys made within 60 minutes of boarding qualify for a small transfer charge instead of another full fare. Transfers can be tram to tram, tram to bus, bus to tram or bus to bus. Boarding the same line or the same bus again does not qualify. ESTRAM FAQ

Where to get an Eskart

Standard full-fare Eskarts are sold at municipal kiosks, known as büfe, and private dealers around the city.

Personalised discounted and free-travel cards require an application. The Eskart Başvuru Merkezi is at Mustafa Kemal Paşa Mahallesi, Köprübaşı Caddesi No: 9/2, Çukurçarşı, open weekdays 08:00–17:30.

The municipality publishes the application documents for each card category. Eskart applications and opening hours

Topping up: allow time before travelling

You can top up through the Estram Mobil app, the online payment service linked from ESTRAM’s website, or an Eskart loading machine. The machines accept banknotes; follow the instructions on the screen.

An online payment does not immediately update a physical card. The payment service says a loading instruction becomes active in the system within 30 minutes. The money then transfers to the card when you present it to a public-transport reader. If your card is empty and you need to travel immediately, use a loading machine rather than relying on a just-completed online payment.

The online payment service supports bank-card payments with 3D Secure. Online top-up information

Using Estram Mobil

The free Estram Mobil app is available on the App Store and Google Play. It lets you:

• Check balances and view loading and boarding records.

• Load and renew physical and virtual Eskarts.

• View tram and bus timetables and live vehicle locations.

• Find nearby stops and plan journeys using Nasıl Giderim.

• Use a virtual Eskart or purchase a standalone QR ticket.

Contactless card reading and NFC payment depend on your phone and app support. Reading a physical card’s details with a phone is a different function from paying a fare by tapping the phone. Check which options your device offers. ESTRAM app guide, App Store listing

Physical card, virtual card or bank card?

A physical Eskart and a virtual Eskart have the same published standard boarding and transfer fares. Either can be useful for regular journeys and trips involving changes.

Contactless debit and credit cards are also accepted. Their published boarding fare is slightly higher and includes bank service charges, with no discounted transfer.

A standalone QR ticket is valid for 24 hours and also excludes transfers. That validity period does not make it an unlimited day pass. Standalone QR tickets are a separate product from a virtual Eskart.

Fares change, so check the dedicated tariff page before travelling. Rural bus zones T2, T3 and T4 cost two, three and four times the city fare respectively. Minibüs and dolmuş services have a separate tariff; do not assume they accept Eskart. Official transport tariffs

Discounts, student cards and renewals

The municipality lists discounted cards for students, teachers and people aged 60 and over, plus free-travel cards for eligible people aged 65 and over and other qualifying groups.

Application checklists generally request a recent passport-style photograph and the original Turkish national identity card, with additional evidence depending on the category. The published guidance does not explain foreign-national eligibility or alternative identity documents. Foreign residents should confirm the requirements with the application centre before applying.

Students at Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi and Eskişehir Teknik Üniversitesi can register their university ID cards at the application centre for use on trams and buses. Municipal application guidance

The student subscription, or abonman, provides 30 days of unlimited travel for the cardholder. An additional tap for another passenger on the same reader incurs a full fare.

Discounted and free cards require annual renewal, called vize. Without renewal, further loading is blocked and remaining credit is charged at the full fare. Losing student or teacher eligibility also ends the discount.

Lost personalised cards can be cancelled and replaced through the application centre. ESTRAM FAQ

Understanding the tram network

ESTRAM opened on 24 December 2004. It now describes a network of approximately 55 kilometres and nine routes. ESTRAM history The numbered routes are:

• Line 1 — Otogar–SSK

• Line 3 — OGÜ–SSK

• Line 4 — Otogar–OGÜ

• Line 7 — OGÜ–Çankaya ring

• Line 8 — SSK–Batıkent ring

• Line 9 — SSK–Çamlıca ring

• Line 10 — Şehir Hastanesi–Kumlubel

• Line 12 — 75. Yıl–OGÜ

• Line 36 — Otogar–Opera–OGÜ

Lines 1 and 3 serve Ulus Anıtı, the tram stop used for the railway station. The Otogar intercity bus terminal is served by lines 1, 4 and 36. Official tram diagram

Check departures for your particular route. ESTRAM describes line 36 as a service introduced for morning and evening journeys, so it should not be treated as an all-day alternative without checking its timetable. ESTRAM service history

Three things to know before boarding

Press the door button. The driver releases the doors at a stop, but passengers must press the button for the door they want to use. ESTRAM FAQ

Children aged six and over need a valid ticket or travel card. The exemption is for children under six. Personalised discounted and free-travel cards must be used by their holders; misuse can lead to confiscation and penalties.

Fold bikes and scooters before travelling. Carry backpacks in your hand. Pets must be secured in an appropriate carrier; guide dogs accompanying visually impaired passengers are permitted. Official travel rules

Arriving from Istanbul by train

TCDD’s YHT high-speed trains connect Istanbul with Eskişehir. The dedicated Eskişehir–İstanbul service serves Söğütlüçeşme, Bostancı, Pendik, Gebze, İzmit, Arifiye, Pamukova, Bilecik and Bozüyük.

Ankara–İstanbul services also call at Eskişehir. Some continue to Bakırköy and Halkalı on Istanbul’s European side; others terminate at Söğütlüçeşme. Select a departure that serves the station you need.

Stops vary by service. TCDD’s express-service description lists Eryaman, Eskişehir and Pendik as intermediate stops. Its general guidance gives approximately three hours and ten minutes for the dedicated Eskişehir–İstanbul journey, but check the duration shown for your chosen departure. TCDD YHT route information

On arrival, head to Ulus Anıtı (Gar) for tram lines 1 and 3. If you arrive by intercity coach instead, the Otogar tram stop connects the terminal with the city network. Official tram diagram