There are 6 ways to get from Elena to Istanbul by bus, night train, car, shuttle, or plane
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Bus
best- Take the bus from Veliko Tirnovo ROMPETROL to Istanbul Kemal Pasabus
9h 13m₺4,127–5,532Night train
cheapest- Take the night train from Veliko Tŭrnovo to Halkalinighttrain Bosphor Express
9h 16m₺961–1,835Drive 441.8 km
- Drive from Elena to Istanbulcar 441.8 km
5h 26m₺3,108–4,490Shuttle to Bucharest Otopeni, fly
- Take a shuttle bus from Veliko Tarnovo to Bucharest Otopeni Airport
- Fly from Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) to Istanbul (IST)plane OTP - IST
9h 1m₺11,483–21,890Bus via Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Take the bus from Veliko Tarnovo to Istanbul Büyük Otogaribus Huntur
10h 40m₺1,383–2,090Shuttle to Varna Airport, fly
- Take a shuttle bus from Veliko Tarnovo to Varna Airport
- Fly from Varna Airport (VAR) to Istanbul (IST)plane VAR - IST
8h 46m₺9,383–28,390
Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) to Istanbul (IST) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Elena to Istanbul is to night train which costs 950 ₺ - 1.900 ₺ and takes 9h 16m.
The fastest way to get from Elena to Istanbul is to drive which takes 5h 26m and costs 3.100 ₺ - 4.500 ₺.
The distance between Elena and Istanbul is 505 km. The road distance is 441.8 km.
The best way to get from Elena to Istanbul without a car is to bus which takes 9h 13m and costs 4.100 ₺ - 6.000 ₺.
It takes approximately 9h 13m to get from Elena to Istanbul, including transfers.
Yes, the driving distance between Elena to Istanbul is 442 km. It takes approximately 5h 26m to drive from Elena to Istanbul.
There are 4237+ hotels available in Istanbul.
What companies run services between Elena, Oblast Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria and Istanbul, Turkey?
Luks Istanbul operates a bus from Veliko Tirnovo ROMPETROL to Istanbul Kemal Pasa once daily. Tickets cost ₺3,000–4,200 and the journey takes 8h 30m. Alternatively, Bulgarian Railways (BDZh) operates a vehicle from Veliko Tŭrnovo to Halkali twice a week. Tickets cost ₺650–1,383 and the journey takes 6h 49m.
- Website
- turkishairlines.com
Flights from Bucharest Otopeni to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 39m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺3,100–8,500
Flights from Varna Airport to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 6m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺6,500–13,000
- Website
- tarom.ro
Flights from Bucharest Otopeni to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- ₺3,100–8,500
- Website
- animawings.com
Flights from Bucharest Otopeni to Istanbul
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- ₺2,800–6,500
- Phone
- +35929311111
- onlineticket@bdz.bg
- Website
- bdz.bg
Night train from Veliko Tŭrnovo to Halkali
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 49m
- Frequency
- Twice a week
- Estimated price
- ₺650–1,383
- Website
- https://www.bdz.bg/en
- 2nd Class
- ₺650–950
- 1st Class
- ₺900–1,200
- Phone
- +90544 210 2535
- Website
- luksistanbul.com
Bus from Veliko Tirnovo ROMPETROL to Istanbul Kemal Pasa
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺3,000–4,200
- Schedules at
- luksistanbul.com
- Phone
- +359 89 345 5533
- info@atlastaxi.eu
- Website
- atlastaxi.eu
Shuttle from Veliko Tarnovo to Bucharest Otopeni Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- ₺8,000–13,000
- Website
- https://atlastaxi.eu/
Shuttle from Veliko Tarnovo to Varna Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 30m
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- ₺4,100–13,000
- Website
- https://atlastaxi.eu/
- Phone
- +90 212 658 00 61
- info@huntur.com.tr
- Website
- huntur.com.tr
Bus from Veliko Tarnovo to Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Ave. Duration
- 9h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺1,200–1,400
- Website
- https://www.huntur.com.tr/?l=EN
- Phone
- +359 82 82 81 51
- info@avtogararuse.org
- Website
- avtogararuse.org
Bus from Veliko Tarnovo to Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 5m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- ₺1,100–1,700
- Schedules at
- avtogararuse.org
Want to know more about travelling around the world?
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Read our range of informative guides on popular transport routes and companies - including Heading to Europe? Read this before you buy a Eurail Pass, French strikes 2018: What are my alternative transport options?, and Need to know: Jadrolinija - to help you get the most out of your next trip.