There are 7 ways to get from Istanbul to German 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
9h 4m$29Train
cheapest- Take the train from Halkalı to Sofia
16h 49m$17–26Drive 538.7 km
- Drive from Istanbul to German538.7 km
4h 48m$85–123Bus to Istanbul, fly
- Take the bus from Istanbul Otogari to Istanbul Airport Bus
- Fly from Istanbul (IST) to Sofia Airport (SOF)IST - SOF
5h 50m$89–246Bus via İstanbul Esenler bus station
- Take the bus from İstanbul Esenler bus station to SofiaFlixBus N1999
10h 4m$19–43Bus via Istanbul Esenler Otogari
- Take the bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Sofia Airport Arrivals Terminal 2Arda - Tur
10h 9m$39–52Metro to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, fly
- Take the train from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sabiha Gokcen Airport
- Fly from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) to Sofia Airport (SOF)SAW - SOF
5h 54m
Istanbul (IST) to Sofia Airport (SOF) flights
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Istanbul to German is to train which costs $16 - $26 and takes 16h 49m.
The fastest way to get from Istanbul to German is to drive which takes 4h 48m and costs $85 - $130.
The distance between Istanbul and German is 585 km. The road distance is 538.7 km.
The best way to get from Istanbul to German without a car is to bus which takes 9h 4m and costs $30.
It takes approximately 9h 4m to get from Istanbul to German, including transfers.
The best way to get from Istanbul to German is to bus which takes 9h 4m and costs $30. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $16 - $26 and takes 16h 49m.
German is 1h behind Istanbul. It is currently 1:28 PM in Istanbul and 12:28 PM in German.
Yes, the driving distance between Istanbul to German is 539 km. It takes approximately 4h 48m to drive from Istanbul to German.
There are 2040+ hotels available in German.
What companies run services between Istanbul, Turkey and German, Bulgaria?
Luks Yonca operates a bus from Istanbul Esenler to Sofia once daily. Tickets cost $29 and the journey takes 7h 30m. Alternatively, Turkish Railways (TCDD) operates a train from Halkalı to Sofia once daily. Tickets cost $15–24 and the journey takes 13h 40m.
Transport is disrupted due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more
- Website
- turkishairlines.com
Flights from Istanbul to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 18m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $70–240
- 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
- $15–24
- Website
- https://www.tcdd.gov.tr/lang/en
- Phone
- +90 850 252 88 00
- info@metro.istanbul
- Website
- 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
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $29
- Schedules at
- polazak.rs
- Phone
- 0850 888 33 34
- info@hava.ist
- Website
- hava.ist
Bus from Istanbul Otogari to Istanbul Airport Bus
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $3–6
- Website
- https://hava.ist/?lang=en
- Phone
- 444 0 562
- kamilkoc@kamilkoc.com.tr
- Website
- flixbus.com.tr
Bus from İstanbul Esenler bus station to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $18–25
- Schedules at
- flixbus.com.tr
- Phone
- +90 212 658 18 51
- info@alparturizm.com.tr
- Website
- alparturizm.com.tr
Bus from İstanbul Esenler bus station to Sofia
- Ave. Duration
- 9h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $30–45
- Website
- https://www.alparturizm.com.tr/en/
- Phone
- +359 700 20 544
- Website
- ardatur.bg
Bus from Istanbul Esenler Otogari to Sofia Airport Arrivals Terminal 2
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 10m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- $35–55
- Website
- https://ardatur.bg/en/
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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 Why you should take the train in the US, The beginner’s guide to the 2018 World Nomad Games, and South Korea: Travelling from Seoul to Busan - to help you get the most out of your next trip.