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Buses are the most common and most economical form of transportation when traveling from one city to another. Several bus companies may serve the same route. Rides are available day and night - especially during the summer in regions where it tends to get hot during the day and travelers opt to travel at night. The buses are quite luxurious with food/drink service and restrooms; the drivers offer travel breaks at comfortable service areas along the turnpikes every couple of hours. Patrons range from families to tourists to business people, although there are express buses specifically for business people traveling between large cities like Istanbul and Ankara. One can purchase tickets from specialized bus ticket agencies located throughout the city; these agencies are open almost continuously. It is necessary to purchase tickets in advance in order to be assured a seat; one can cancel reservations up to 48 hours before the trip and be reticketed or receive a refund. When the ticket agent is assigning a seat, one can request a seatmate of either gender; the ticket agent will tend to place women with women without being asked.
Buses depart from specific stations usually located out of town. In very large cities such as Izmir, Ankara and Istanbul, free shuttle buses run back and forth from the ticket agencies to the outlying station. Most signs in the station are in Turkish only.