How to travel from Yogyakarta to Surabaya by train

Yogyakarta is known as the cultural capital of Indonesia and is home to some of the country’s most impressive natural beauty and tourism sites. During the peak season, the trains are full of overseas visitors and locals exploring this unique part of Java, including visits to Mt Bromo and the temples at Borobudur and Prambanan.

Many tourists exit the country from Indonesia’s second city, Surabaya, which has frequent connections to regional and international destinations. From Yogyakarta, the easiest way to reach Surabaya is on one of the daily train services, which take around four hours to complete the journey,

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Route map and details

Starting in the volcanic region of Central Java, the train heads east through the lush farming area and towards the northern coastline of East Java, and the large port city of Surabaya. Passing through rice fields, across grand bridges and alongside rapid rivers, this is one of the prettiest journeys in the country.

Train from the south and east arrive into Surabaya’s historic Gubeng station, just a short stroll from the centre of town.

Timetables

Click here to check all Indonesia train times

There are eleven trains per day from Yogyakarta to Surabaya:

How to buy tickets

Click here to book train tickets from Yogyakarta to Surabaya.

The easiest way to buy train tickets in Indonesia is online rather than going to the station. You do pay a very small commission but the ease and convenience makes it worthwhile.

12Go is the best website to use and accepts international credit cards. It's also a good place to check timetables and prices.

After booking online you'll receive a confirmation email with a QR code and booking number. You'll need to exchange this for an orange boarding pass via one of the self-service machines at the station before travel. This can be done up to seven days in advance at any station in the country (it doesn't need to be the one you're departing from). You may also need to show your passport or ID at the boarding gate, but this isn't usually enforced.

How much does it cost?

Several different types of class are available on Indonesian trains, with the two most common being Executive and Economy. All of the trains from Yogyakarta to Surabaya offer these two classes, with most tourists choosing Executive class.

Prices for Economy class start around IDR180,000 (US$10) depending on the speed of the train. Executive tickets cost from IDR280,000 (US$15).

What to expect on board

The two most popular classes for travel between Yogyakarta and Surabaya are Executive or Economy class, both of which offer good value and comfort. During the peak tourist seasons (notably in July and August), this route is heavily used by overseas travellers and you’re much more likely to find yourself surrounded by Europeans than Indonesians, particularly in Executive. It feels familiar and relaxing but if you’d prefer more of a local feel, consider booking into the Economy carriages.

Executive class generally sells out ahead of Economy as it offers more comfortable seats and significantly more legroom. For longer journeys like this one that take over six hours, the extra comfort is important, and you’ll arrive in Surabaya feeling much more relaxed. It’s also a bonus knowing that all seats in Executive are forward-facing, unlike in Economy where half the seats face backwards. Don’t worry though if Economy is the only available option when you book your tickets, it’s still a comfortable and safe ride, certainly compared to many other train journeys in Southeast Asia. It just misses out on some of the extra touches and features that you’d get in Executive.

Executive class carriages are cleverly designed with rotatable seats, so you’ll be forward-facing (or you can spin one pair around to make a group of four if you’re travelling with friends or family). They also have plenty of legroom, more than enough for even the tallest traveller to lie back and relax, plus you won’t feel guilty about reclining your seat. Add in the large windows, footrests and padded seats, and there’s nothing to stop you from having a chilled-out journey to Surabaya.

Economy class is still a good product and many travellers choose this option to save some money as it can be considerably cheaper than Executive, especially if you’re travelling in a group. The two main areas where it falls short of Executive are legroom and upkeep of the carriages. Firstly, a few extra rows of seats have been squeezed into the carriage, leaving only a few inches of legroom. If you’re over 6ft tall, you might need to squeeze in and prepare for a tight ride, particularly if the person in front of you reclines their seat. Secondly, the carriages themselves are slightly less well-looked after than the Executive ones, so you miss out on some of the comfort and premium feel found elsewhere on the train.

Finally, the seats are fixed in place and can’t be rotated, meaning half the carriage faces the direction of travel and half are travelling backwards. Depending on how much motion-sickness affects you, this could be a problem. On our trip, rows 1-10 were forward-facing, but this can vary depending on the configuration of the train and other operational reasons.

If you have a choice of seats, bear in mind that rows 10 and 11 are in the centre of the carriage where the rows change direction, so these pairs of seats face each other. They’re a popular choice if you’re travelling as a group and want to make conversation, but perhaps less so if the people opposite you are strangers. Legroom is almost non-existent and you’ll spend six hours staring directly at each other.

Both Economy and Executive carriages are fully air-conditioned and have power points, seat pockets, armrests and tray tables. Typically the trains will be made up of four Executive carriages and four (Premium) Economy. There’s also a catering car, more on that below.

Luggage storage is the same in both classes but life will be significantly easier if you’re travelling with backpacks or smaller, soft suitcases. Many tourists board the train with huge rigid suitcases that don’t fit into the overhead racks, so there’s sometimes a battle to squeeze these cases into the luggage racks at the end of the carriage. It delays boarding and blocks the aisles, so do try and keep your luggage size down if at all possible. Technically, each passenger is allowed 20kg, and this is often enforced if you’re obviously exceeding the limits.

Toilets are located at the end of each carriage, with either Western-style or ‘squat-and-drop’, depending on the train and class you’re travelling in. Economy tends to have both types, while Executive is usually Western-style only and has separate male and female toilets. If they notice you patiently queueing for your gender’s toilet and the other one is available, train guards often suggest you just use the other toilet rather than waiting. The toilets in both classes are cleaned regularly and kept in decent condition.

Catering options

Onboard catering is available either at your seat or by heading to the restaurant car, with both offering the same food and drinks: hot meals (noodles, rice, etc), snacks, instant noodles, coffee and soft drinks. Although the catering trolley is convenient, most passengers prefer making the short walk to the restaurant car and eating at a proper table and chair.

Payment is either by cash or e-wallets (QRIS). When the train is busy, it’s common for stock levels to run low, particularly with the hot meals and soft drinks. During the last hour or so of the journey, you might find that only water and crisps are still available.