Mersin is a city in Turkey on the Mediterranean coast, on the southwestern edge of Cilician Plains. There are fairly modern and air-con trains every hour or more frequently during the rush hours to and from Adana and Tarsus. The journey time is between minutes, depending on the number of stops. The price is 5,5 TL for one way and 9 TL for a roundtrip. There is an option to buy an unlimited card for TL, valid for a month. The price is 80 TL for students.
You should buy the ticket before you enter the train, otherwise the price is doubled. There are trains to and from Istanbul , Eskisehir and Ankara with a stop-over and change at Yenice , east of Mersin. The only international train link is from Syrian city of Aleppo , from where weekly trains depart at 3AM on Fridays, and arriving in Mersin about nine hours later, at PM.
This train is halted indefinitely for a while, so it is wise to check before planning the trip. There are shuttles from the airport to Mersin. There is a bus station in eastern part of the city. There are city buses running between the city center and the bus station. Usually each bus company has its own shuttles running between city center, western coastal part and the bus station. From the bus station there are buses to almost every city in Turkey and to small cities and villages in Cilician Mountains the rest of Mersin Province , including buses from Gaziantep 5hrs, 25TL and Silifke 2hrs 10TL [2].
Buy very high quality leather jackets from the bazaar just beside Holly Mosque local name Ulu Cami. Don't forget to bargain , and after bargaining for 15 minutes, you might be able to buy leather jacket for half price. There is an antique store behind the Mersin Hotel specialised on praying beads. The price of praying beads range from 10 TL to TL and higher and it is hard to evaluate the price, the 50TLTL range is adequate for a souvenir.
Since it is a public institution, the products are authentic and usually comes with a certificate in English. Tantuni , finely minced fried meat and onion wrap, is one of the most famous food in this region. Don't leave the city without tasting it. In the center of the city, you will see several small local restaurants with this special fantastic food.
