There are 8 ways to get from Istanbul to Bulgaria by bus, train, car, 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 Istanbul Esenler to Sofia Central Bus Stationbus
7h 37m$27Train
cheapest- Take the train from Halkalı to Sofiatrain
15h 19m$16–24Drive 547.9 km
- Drive from Istanbul to Sofiacar 547.9 km
4h 57m$87–125Metro to Istanbul, fly to Sofia Airport
- Take the train from Vezneciler to Gayrettepetrain
- Fly from Istanbul (IST) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane IST - SOF
5h 2mBus via Istanbul Büyük Otogari
- Take the bus from Istanbul Büyük Otogari to Sofia Serdica Bus Stationbus Citylines 19 / ...
9h$27–31Bus via Istanbul Esenler Otogari
- Take the bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Sofia Airport Terminal 2 Bus Stationbus Arda-Tur
9h 19m$48–74Metro to Istanbul, fly to Varna Airport
- Take the train from Vezneciler to Gayrettepetrain
- Fly from Istanbul (IST) to Varna Airport (VAR)plane IST - VAR
5h 4mMetro to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, fly to Sofia Airport
- Take the train from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sabiha Gokcen Airporttrain
- Fly from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane SAW - SOF
5h 23m
Istanbul to Bulgaria by bus
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Istanbul to Bulgaria is to train which costs $15 - $24 and takes 15h 19m.
The fastest way to get from Istanbul to Bulgaria is to drive which takes 4h 57m and costs $85 - $130.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Istanbul Büyük Otogari and arriving at Sofia Serdica Bus Station station. Services depart every four hours, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 9h.
No, there is no direct train from Istanbul to Bulgaria. However, there are services departing from Yenikapi and arriving at Serdika via Halkalı and Central Station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 15h 19m.
The distance between Istanbul and Bulgaria is 570 km. The road distance is 547.9 km.
The best way to get from Istanbul to Bulgaria without a car is to bus which takes 7h 37m and costs $28.
It takes approximately 7h 37m to get from Istanbul to Bulgaria, including transfers.
Istanbul to Bulgaria bus services, operated by Citylines, depart from Istanbul Büyük Otogari station.
Istanbul to Bulgaria train services, operated by Turkish Railways (TCDD), depart from Halkalı station.
The best way to get from Istanbul to Bulgaria is to bus which takes 7h 37m and costs $28. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $15 - $24 and takes 15h 19m.
What companies run services between Istanbul, Turkey and Bulgaria?
Luks Yonca operates a bus from Istanbul Esenler to Sofia Central Bus Station once daily. Tickets cost $27 and the journey takes 7h 30m. Alternatively, Turkish Railways (TCDD) operates a train from Halkalı to Sofia once daily. Tickets cost $14–22 and the journey takes 13h 40m.
- Website
- turkishairlines.com
Flights from Istanbul to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 16m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $95–210
Flights from Istanbul to Varna Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $180–410
- Website
- flypgs.com
Flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 20m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $30–210
- Phone
- +90 444 8 233
- cozum@tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr
- Website
- tcdd.gov.tr
Train from Halkalı to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 13h 40m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $14–22
- Website
- https://www.tcdd.gov.tr/lang/en
- Phone
- +90 850 252 88 00
- info@metro.istanbul
- Website
- metro.istanbul
Train from Vezneciler to Gayrettepe
- Ave. Duration
- 16 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
Train from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sabiha Gokcen Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
- Phone
- 0545 792 30 02
- info@luksyonca.com.tr
- Website
- luksyonca.com.tr
Bus from Istanbul Esenler to Sofia Central Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $27
- Schedules at
- luksyonca.com.tr
- Phone
- +359 0885700870
- support@citylines.eu
- Website
- citylines.eu
Bus from Istanbul Büyük Otogari to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 9h
- Frequency
- 5 times a day
- Estimated price
- $35–50
- Website
- https://citylines.eu/
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.fr
Bus from Istanbul Büyük Otogari to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $45–80
- Website
- https://www.flixbus.co.uk
- Phone
- +359 700 20 544
- Website
- ardatur.bg
Bus from Istanbul Büyük Otogari to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 9h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $45–75
- Website
- https://ardatur.bg/en/
Bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Sofia Airport Terminal 2 Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 50m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $45–75
- Website
- https://ardatur.bg/en/
- Phone
- +90 212 658 00 61
- info@huntur.com.tr
- Website
- huntur.com.tr
Bus from Istanbul Büyük Otogari to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 10h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $27–31
- Website
- https://www.huntur.com.tr/?l=EN
Want to know more about travelling around Bulgaria
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.
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Read the travel guide
More Questions & Answers
Istanbul to Bulgaria bus services, operated by Citylines, arrive at Sofia Serdica Bus Station.
Istanbul to Bulgaria train services, operated by Turkish Railways (TCDD), arrive at Sofia station.
Yes, the driving distance between Istanbul to Bulgaria is 548 km. It takes approximately 4h 57m to drive from Istanbul to Bulgaria.
Book your Istanbul to Bulgaria bus tickets online with Omio, Distribusion and FlixBus.
There are 2252+ hotels available in Bulgaria.