Moscow to Tehran by train
Travel from Moscow (Russia) to Tehran (Iran) by train (2466km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
The train connection Moscow (Russia) - Tehran (Iran) goes via Azerbaijan. From Azerbaijan you have to cross the border to Iran by bus. Please read the following travel information and blog posts.
There are two main routes. Compare them and decide which one feeds your needs best.
- 1Moscow (Russia) - Baku (Azerbaijan) - Tehran (Iran)
- 2Moscow (Russia) - Chisinau (Moldova) - Bucharest (Romania) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Ankara (Turkey) - Tehran (Iran)
2466 km
How to use the following information: we show you the best routes and where to buy tickets. On longer routes you may need more than one ticket. Book your tickets step by step as explained. If you have questions about the route from Moscow to Tehran, please ask in our forum. Of course, sometimes there are as well other travel routes possible.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections : popular connections travelled by other users
Tehran - Moscow / Moscow - Isfahan / Moscow - Mashhad / Moscow - Tabriz / Saint Petersburg - Tehran / Saint Petersburg - Isfahan / Saint Petersburg - Mashhad / Saint Petersburg - Tabriz / Yekaterinburg - Tehran / Vladivostok - Tehran1 Moscow (Russia) - Baku (Azerbaijan) - Tehran (Iran)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Moscow (Russia) to Baku (Azerbaijan)
Travel from Russia to Azerbaijan by direct train. There are two direct train connections per week between Moscow (Russia) and Baku (Azerbaijan). The journey time is 52 hours. Buy train tickets from 135 EUR (12.000 RUB).
Find the exact train schedules and ticket fares via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Moscow to Baku?
Check times&prices 
The following links could be interesting for you.
train company:
RZD Российские железные дороги / ADY Azərbaycan Dəmir Yollar
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Baku - Moscow
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
1b Travelling from Baku (Azerbaijan) to Tehran (Iran)
To travel from Azerbaijan to Iran, you have to use a bus. Buy your bus ticket locally in Azerbaijan at a bus station.
There is a railway route under construction between Astara (Azerbaijan) and Qazvin (Iran) which will probably open in 2024. This route will connect in future Baku with Teheran.
Where to buy a ticket from Baku to Tehran?
Buy your ticket at the bus station or at the website of the bus company.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Tehran - Baku
2 Moscow (Russia) - Chisinau (Moldova) - Bucharest (Romania) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Ankara (Turkey) - Tehran (Iran)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Moscow (Russia) to Chisinau (Moldova)
Travel from Russia to Moldova by a direct overnight train. This daily train connection runs on the train route from Moscow via Kiev (Ukraine) to Chisinau (Moldova). Or from Saint Petersburg via Belarus and Ukraine to Chisinau.
Find exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking websites.
Where to buy a ticket from Moscow to Chisinau?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train company:
RZD Российские железные дороги
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Chisinau - Moscow / Saint Petersburg - Chisinau
2b Travelling from Chisinau (Moldova) to Bucharest (Romania)
Travel from Moldova to Romania by overnight train on the route from Chisinau to Bucharest. The journey time is 13 hours. The train ticket price starts from 25 EUR. The train route runs via Ungheni (Moldova) and Iași (Romania).
The overnight train Chisinau to Bucharest offers the following service categories:
- 2nd class: 4-berth compartments. The ticket price 135 RON (28 EUR).
- 1st class: 2-berth compartments. The ticket price 290 RON (60 EUR).
The departure time in Chisinau is 17:00. The arrival time in Bucharest is 06:00.
Additionally there are local trains from Ungheni (Moldova) across the border to Iași (Romania). Regular train connections are available from Chisinau to to Ungheni.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Chisinau to Bucharest?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
105/401 Chisinau - Bucharest
train company:
CFR Căile Ferate Române / CFM Calea Ferată din Moldova
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Bucharest - Chisinau
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
2c Travelling from Bucharest (Romania) to Istanbul (Turkey)
Travel from Bucharest to Istanbul by direct overnight train Bosphorus Express. This daily overnight train has a journey time of 18:30 hours. Train tickets start from 52 EUR.
At off-season (October to May) you have to use connection trains to get to Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria) where you can enter the overnight train. Travel from Bucharest via Ruse and Gorna Oryahovitsa to Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria) where the night train departs at 22:40. You have enough time to change trains at each of these railway station.
The direct overnight train Bucharest to Istanbul departs at "Bucharest Gara de Nord" railway station at 11:00. The arrival time in Istanbul Halkali railway station is at 05:20 in the morning. After midnight you have to leave the train at the Turkish border with all your luggage and put your luggage through an X-ray machine.
The ticket price is 38 EUR plus a supplement of 14 EUR for a berth in a 4 person compartment. Buy the ticket at the railway station in Bucharest or on the website of Romania railways CFR. Select "Halkali" as destination.
The arrival station Istanbul Halkali is located 25 kilometres outside of the historic city centre. Get by Marmaray suburban train directly to Istanbul Sirkeci railway station (the former historic railway station) and on to "Söğütlüçeşme", the departure station for the high-speed-trains in direction of Ankara. These suburban trains run every 15 minutes with a ticket fare of less than 2 EUR. The journey time from the Istanbul Halkali station to the historic city centre is 35 minutes.
Where to buy a ticket from Bucharest to Istanbul?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
Bosfor Bucharest - Istanbul / Bosfor Istanbul - Bucharest
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Bucharest
2d Travelling from Istanbul (Turkey) to Ankara (Turkey)
Travel from Istanbul to Ankara by direct high-speed-train. The journey time is 4:30 hours. The train ticket prices start from 75 TRY (9 EUR) in 2nd class and 105 TRY in 1st class (12 EUR).
On the train journey from Istanbul to Ankara you will travel by a "Yüksek Hızlı Tren" (YHT) high-speed-train with a top-speed of 250 km/h. There are at least six train connections daily. The travel distance is 530 kilometres. You have to be at the train platform at least 15 minutes before departure due to X-ray scan of your luggage.
The departure train stations are "Istanbul Söğütlüçeşme" and "Istanbul Pendik". You reach "Söğütlüçeşme" by Marmaray suburban train from "Sirkeci" station. Frequent trains every 10 minutes. The journey time is 10 minutes for a ticket fare of less than 1 EUR.
"Istanbul Haydarpaşa" is under construction and maybe the YHT will start from there as well one day.
The arrival station is Ankara central railway station.
Find the exact train schedules and book your train ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Istanbul to Ankara?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT)
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Ankara - Istanbul
2e Travelling from Ankara (Turkey) to Tehran (Iran)
Travel from Turkey to Iran by "Trans-Asia Express" on the route from Ankara via Tatvan, Van and Tabriz to Tehran. The travel distance is 3.000 kilometres with a total travel time of 80 hours. The train ticket price is 55 EUR in a 4-bed compartment.
The journey starts in Ankara by a train of Turkish railway. The train offers 4-bed compartments with fours seats in day-position and four beds at night. You get a pillow, sheet and blanket to make your bed by yourself. Toilets and washrooms are available at the end of the corridor of the wagon. A train restaurant is available.
In Tatvan the train ends and you change to the ferry to Van. The journey time of the ferry is six hours and included in your train ticket. The train directly arrives at the ferry pier of Tatvan and departs as well directly from the ferry pier in Van. No need to walk or have transfers by bus or taxi.
From Van you continue by a train of Iranian railways which also offers 4-bed compartments including pillow, sheet and blanket. You get free water, juice and cake. You can order meals which are served to your compartment.
The train schedules from Ankara to Tehran is as follows.
- Ankara departure at 14:25 on Wednesday
- Tatvan ferry pier arrival at 14:25 on Thursday
- Ferry crossing to Van ferry pier
- Van ferry pier departure at 21:00 on Thursday
- Kapıköy (border station in Turkey) arrival at 23:30 on Thursday
- Razi (border station in Iran) arrival at 02:00 on Friday
- Tabriz arrival at 09:50 on Friday
- Tehran arrival at 23:20 on Friday
Find train schedules and buy your tickets via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Ankara to Tehran?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Tehran - Ankara / Istanbul - Tehran / Izmir - Tehran / Ankara - Tabriz / Istanbul - Tabriz / Tatvan - Tabriz
Need a cheap place to sleep? We recommend booking.com
Find a cheap flight! Compare prices on Kiwi.com
Do you have questions about the connection between Moscow and Tehran? Does something not work as it should? Just ask in our forum and get competent answers from our rail travel experts.
