There are 8 ways to get from Bulgaria to Turkey by plane, train, bus, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly Varna Airport to Istanbul, Metro
best- Fly from Varna Airport (VAR) to Istanbul (IST)plane VAR - IST
- Take the train from Gayrettepe to Veznecilertrain
4h 42m₺10,178–23,642Train
cheapest- Take the train from Sofia to Halkalıtrain
13h 30m₺807–4,072Bus
- Take the bus from Sofia Serdica Bus Station to Istanbul Büyük Otogaribus Citylines 40 / ...
8h 48m₺1,753–3,745Drive 546.4 km
- Drive from Sofia to Istanbulcar 546.4 km
4h 56m₺4,022–5,809Fly Sofia Airport to Istanbul, Metro
- Fly from Sofia Airport (SOF) to Istanbul (IST)plane SOF - IST
- Take the train from Gayrettepe to Veznecilertrain
5h 18m₺4,911–11,111Fly Sofia Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Metro
- Fly from Sofia Airport (SOF) to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)plane SOF - SAW
- Take the train from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Ayrılık Çeşmesitrain
5h 21m₺6,114–14,134Fly Sofia Airport to Antalya Airport
- Fly from Sofia Airport (SOF) to Antalya Airport (AYT)plane SOF - AYT
6h 10m₺4,261–11,061Bus via Serdika
- Take the bus from Sofia to İstanbul Esenler bus stationbus FlixBus N1999
9h 19m₺819–1,969
Varna Airport (VAR) to Istanbul (IST) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Bulgaria to Turkey is to bus via Serdika which costs 800 ₺ - 2.000 ₺ and takes 9h 19m.
The fastest way to get from Bulgaria to Turkey is to fly and Metro which takes 4h 42m and costs 10.000 ₺ - 24.000 ₺.
No, there is no direct bus from Bulgaria station to Turkey. However, there are services departing from Sofia Serdica Bus Station and arriving at İskenderpaşa via Bayrampaşa Devlet Hastanesi. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 8h 48m.
No, there is no direct train from Bulgaria to Turkey. However, there are services departing from Serdika and arriving at Yenikapi via Sofia and Halkali. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 13h 30m.
The distance between Bulgaria and Turkey is 320 km. The road distance is 546.4 km.
The best way to get from Bulgaria to Turkey without a car is to bus which takes 8h 48m and costs 1.700 ₺ - 3.800 ₺.
It takes approximately 4h 42m to get from Bulgaria to Turkey, including transfers.
Bulgaria to Turkey bus services, operated by Citylines, depart from Sofia Serdica Bus Station.
Bulgaria to Turkey train services, operated by Turkish Railways (TCDD), depart from Sofia station.
The best way to get from Bulgaria to Turkey is to bus which takes 8h 48m and costs 1.700 ₺ - 3.800 ₺. Alternatively, you can train, which costs 800 ₺ - 4.100 ₺ and takes 13h 30m, you could also fly, which costs 4.200 ₺ - 12.000 ₺ and takes 6h 10m.
What companies run services between Bulgaria and Turkey?
Citylines operates a bus from Sofia Serdica Bus Station to Istanbul Büyük Otogari 4 times a day. Tickets cost ₺1,700–2,300 and the journey takes 8h. Three other operators also service this route. Alternatively, Turkish Railways (TCDD) operates a train from Sofia to Halkalı once daily. Tickets cost ₺750–3,975 and the journey takes 11h 49m.
- Website
- turkishairlines.com
Flights from Varna Airport to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 7m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺8,500–19,000
Flights from Sofia Airport to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺4,700–9,500
Flights from Sofia Airport to Antalya Airport via Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺7,000–15,000
- Website
- flypgs.com
Flights from Sofia Airport to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺1,600–11,000
Flights from Sofia Airport to Antalya Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 45m
- When
- Tuesday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- ₺2,100–12,000
- Website
- en.aegeanair.com
Flights from Sofia Airport to Istanbul via Athens
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 40m
- When
- Monday to Saturday
- Estimated price
- ₺5,500–11,000
- Website
- sunexpress.com
Flights from Sofia Airport to Antalya Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 40m
- When
- Tuesday and Friday
- Estimated price
- ₺3,700–9,000
- Phone
- +90 850 252 88 00
- info@metro.istanbul
- Website
- metro.istanbul
Train from Gayrettepe to Vezneciler
- Ave. Duration
- 16 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- ₺42
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
Train from Gayrettepe to Vezneciler
- Ave. Duration
- 16 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- ₺42
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
Train from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Ayrılık Çeşmesi
- Ave. Duration
- 49 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- ₺42
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
#/media/File:M5_K%C4%B1s%C4%B1kl%C4%B1_Metro_%C4%B0stasyonu.jpg "Uskudar-Cekmekoy Metro train")
- Phone
- +90 444 8 233
- cozum@tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr
- Website
- tcdd.gov.tr
Train from Sofia to Halkalı
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 49m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺750–3,975
- Website
- https://www.tcdd.gov.tr/lang/en
- Double Room
- ₺2,206
- Single Room
- ₺3,975
- Four Person Room
- ₺1,940
- Phone
- +359 0885700870
- support@citylines.eu
- Website
- citylines.eu
Bus from Sofia Serdica Bus Station to Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- ₺1,700–2,300
- Website
- https://citylines.eu/
- Phone
- +359 700 20 544
- Website
- ardatur.bg
Bus from Sofia Serdica Bus Station to Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 51m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺2,200–3,500
- Website
- https://ardatur.bg/en/
- Phone
- +90 212 658 00 61
- info@huntur.com.tr
- Website
- huntur.com.tr
Bus from Sofia Serdica Bus Station to Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺1,200–1,900
- Website
- https://www.huntur.com.tr/?l=EN
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.fr
Bus from Sofia Serdica Bus Station to Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- ₺2,200–3,700
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- 444 0 562
- kamilkoc@kamilkoc.com.tr
- Website
- flixbus.com.tr
Bus from Sofia to İstanbul Esenler bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- ₺750–1,100
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com.tr
- Phone
- +90 212 658 18 51
- info@alparturizm.com.tr
- Website
- alparturizm.com.tr
Bus from Sofia to İstanbul Esenler bus station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺1,200–1,900
- Website
- https://www.alparturizm.com.tr/en/
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
Bulgaria to Turkey bus services, operated by Citylines, arrive at Istanbul Büyük Otogari station.
Bulgaria to Turkey train services, operated by Turkish Railways (TCDD), arrive at Halkalı station.
Yes, the driving distance between Bulgaria to Turkey is 546 km. It takes approximately 4h 56m to drive from Bulgaria to Turkey.
There are 4380+ hotels available in Turkey.