Muratlı



Muratlı is a town in northwestern Turkey, in European part (Thrace, Trakya). It lies on the road numbered D565, which links Tekirdağ with the northwestern border city of Edirne.

Muratlı hosts the train station currently nearest to Tekirdağ. Two daily trains from Istanbul call at town's station. Both depart from Sirkeci station in central Istanbul, close to Sultanahmet and Eminönü, and at 8:30 in the morning and at 15:50 in the afternoon. These trains, especially the morning one which arrives in Muratlı around noon, are very useful for hitchhikers who head west to Greece from Istanbul and rather not try hitchhiking in the overgrown western suburbs of the city. They cost around 7.75 TL (roughly €3.90) or 6.25 TL (roughly €3.10) if you have a valid student ID such as ISIC. One thing to be aware of is that smaller stations like this usually go unannounced in Turkish trains, so try not falling asleep in the train and follow the town names inscribed on station buildings. The last station before Muratlı is named Balabanlı, another small station which hints that you will get off the train in 5 minutes.

Attracting a lift when hitching out south towards Tekirdağ is very easy. Just walk to the southern edge of the town (which lies to your left when looking towards the train you got off heads to), which is about 10 minutes of walk away from the station. The lift offer will highly likely arrive within 15 minutes after you start thumbing.

Getting to Tekirdağ, 25 km south of Muratlı, will bring you to the highway D110/E84, which runs directly towards Turkish-Greek border at İpsala (Turkish side of the border)/Kipi (Greek side), west of the city.

isin: Turkey