There are 6 ways to get from Bucharest to Istanbul by plane, bus, night train, car, or train
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly to Istanbul
best- Fly from Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) to Istanbul (IST)OTP - IST
4h 13m₺7,080–14,681Night train
cheapest- Take the night train from Bucharest to HalkaliBosphor Express
9h 46m₺930–1,602Bus
- Take the bus from București, Autogara Militari to İstanbul Esenler bus stationN1998
11h 10m₺2,000–3,200Drive 631 km
- Drive from Bucharest to Istanbul631 km
8h 6m₺4,266–6,162Fly to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, train
- Fly from Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)OTP - SAW
- Take the train from Ayrilikcesme to Yenikapi
5h 1m₺7,593–17,202Bus via Shumen
- Take the bus from Bucharest Horoscop Hotel to ShumenPegasus 37 / ...
- Take the bus from Shumen to Instabul
14h 21m₺2,071–2,704
Bucharest to Istanbul by bus
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Bucharest to Istanbul is to night train which costs 900 ₺ - 1.600 ₺ and takes 9h 46m.
The fastest way to get from Bucharest to Istanbul is to fly which takes 4h 13m and costs 7.000 ₺ - 15.000 ₺.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from București, Autogara Militari and arriving at İstanbul Esenler bus station station. Services depart once daily, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 11h 10m.
No, there is no direct train from Bucharest to Istanbul. However, there are services departing from Bucharest and arriving at Yenikapi via Halkali. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 9h 46m.
The distance between Bucharest and Istanbul is 484 km. The road distance is 631 km.
The best way to get from Bucharest to Istanbul without a car is to bus which takes 11h 10m and costs 2.000 ₺ - 3.200 ₺.
It takes approximately 4h 13m to get from Bucharest to Istanbul, including transfers.
Bucharest to Istanbul bus services, operated by FlixBus, depart from București, Autogara Militari station.
Bucharest to Istanbul train services, operated by Bulgarian Railways (BDZh), depart from Bucharest station.
The best way to get from Bucharest to Istanbul is to fly which takes 4h 13m and costs 7.000 ₺ - 15.000 ₺. Alternatively, you can bus, which costs 2.000 ₺ - 3.200 ₺ and takes 11h 10m.
What companies run services between Bucharest, Romania and Istanbul, Turkey?
Anima Wings, Turkish Airlines, and Tarom fly from Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) to Istanbul (IST) every 4 hours. Alternatively, FlixBus operates a bus from București, Autogara Militari to İstanbul Esenler bus station once daily. Tickets cost ₺2,000–3,200 and the journey takes 11h 10m.
Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more
- Website
- turkishairlines.com
Flights from Bucharest Otopeni to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺2,800–8,000
- Website
- tarom.ro
Flights from Bucharest Otopeni to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 41m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺2,800–8,000
- Website
- animawings.com
Flights from Bucharest Otopeni to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- ₺2,500–6,500
- Website
- flypgs.com
Flights from Bucharest Otopeni to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- ₺1,500–11,000
- Phone
- +35929311111
- onlineticket@bdz.bg
- Website
- bdz.bg
Night train from Bucharest to Halkali
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 8m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- ₺900–1,600
- Website
- https://www.bdz.bg/en
- 2nd Class
- ₺900–1,300
- 1st Class
- ₺1,200–1,600
- Phone
- +90 444 8 233
- cozum@tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr
- Website
- tcdd.gov.tr
Train from Ayrilikcesme to Yenikapi
- Ave. Duration
- 14 min
- Frequency
- Every 15 minutes
- Estimated price
- ₺13–21
- Website
- https://www.tcdd.gov.tr/lang/en
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- flixbus.fr
Bus from București, Autogara Militari to İstanbul Esenler bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 10m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺2,000–3,200
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +359 (0) 877 34 47 47
- pegasus@pegasusbg.com
- Website
- pegasusbg.com
Bus from Bucharest Horoscop Hotel to Shumen
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 15m
- Frequency
- 3 times a day
- Estimated price
- ₺950–1,100
- Website
- https://pegasusbg.com/
- Phone
- +359 82 82 81 51
- info@avtogararuse.org
- Website
- avtogararuse.org
Bus from Shumen to Instabul
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 6m
- Frequency
- 4 times a week
- Estimated price
- ₺1,100–1,600
- Schedules at
- avtogararuse.org
Want to know more about travelling around Türkiye
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Want to know more about Flixbus?
Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Bucharest to Istanbul bus services, operated by FlixBus, arrive at İstanbul Esenler bus station.
Istanbul is 1h ahead of Bucharest. It is currently 1:02 PM in Bucharest and 2:02 PM in Istanbul.
Bucharest to Istanbul train services, operated by Bulgarian Railways (BDZh), arrive at Halkali station.
Yes, the driving distance between Bucharest to Istanbul is 631 km. It takes approximately 8h 6m to drive from Bucharest to Istanbul.
Book your Bucharest to Istanbul bus tickets online with Omio and FlixBus.
There are 4300+ hotels available in Istanbul.



















