A weekend Train from Istanbul to Sofia We were eager to go with. What if our outgoing friends could not finish praising the comfort of the sleeping car and the ease of getting on and off in the morning? One weekend we jumped too Sofia Express choo choo train… Istanbul Sofia train I wanted to share our experience with you.
General Information About Istanbul – Sofia Train
- Istanbul – Sofia train tickets It is not currently for sale online. You can buy tickets from the international train ticket sales offices in Sirkeci or Halkalı. You can find up-to-date information on TCDD's website.
- The Istanbul-Sofia train departs from the station in Halkalı on Friday at 22:40 and arrives in Sofia around 08:45 in the morning. At busy times, the waiting time at the border may be longer. There was no demand for the train at the time we went, there was a maximum of 20-25 people, so we did not linger at the border.
- Sofia – Istanbul train On the other hand, it was stated on the ticket that it departs from Sofia at 21:00 on Sunday, arrives at Halkalı on Monday at 06:40, but our arrival was at 07:30. It is useful to plan according to the delays.
- As you know, getting to Halkalı is more difficult than going to Sofia. You can easily reach Halkalı train station by Marmaray.
- Bulgaria is a suitable route for the weekend, as you can go back to sleep when you buy a ticket from the sleeping compartment. If you can't sleep on the train, of course, I can't say anything to him 🙂
- Our 2nd class ticket cost 2TL / 314 euro per person in the 67-person bed compartment. Prices are set in euros, 314 TL since I converted from the exchange rate of the period we went to, but you are based on euro prices. It takes some time to solve TCDD's pricing model 🙂
Istanbul – Sofia Train Ticket Prices
Important note: Ticket prices are valid for the year 2018 when this trip was made. Check the current ticket prices on the TCDD website before you go.
The calculation of ticket prices for the Istanbul - Sofia train is a bit strange. There are 2 different numbers as a supplement and a ticket, the sum of them is paid when buying a ticket.
The calculation of our 67 euro ticket is as follows;
- From the Supplementary Fees (I don't know what it is) in the first table > Halkalı – Sofia Double (2/2) 15 euro
- From the ticket prices in the second table > Halkalı-Sofia II. Location ticket 18,48 euros
- The sum of the two is 33,48 euros. Since we bought a round trip, we paid a total of 67 euros per person.
On the TCDD site, Bucharest is written among the places that go to Bucharest, but do not get excited, there is no train to Bucharest at the moment 🙂 Again, there is Position I on the table, but there was no Position 1 on our train, for example 🙂 It is useful to confirm these again when buying the ticket. The train takes about 10 hours. The reason why it takes so long is to stop at the border and go through passport control one by one.
Transportation to Halkali Station
The hardest part of going to Sofia by train was going to Halkalı for us. As I mentioned above, there is a shuttle service from Sirkeci train station to Halkalı station at 21:30 for the Sofia train. If you say Sirkeci is against me, you can see the location of Halkalı station below.
Bus Lines to Halkalı Train Station
You can reach the station by bus numbered BN1 from Eminönü and BN3 from Yenikapı.
We made a big mistake and said we should go to the station in our own vehicle. We said that there must be a parking lot near the huge international train station. Actually, I looked a little on the internet and couldn't see a parking lot, but we still made the mistake of "there is a parking lot". In summary, there is no parking lot near Halkalı train station. We didn't want to leave our car on the side road leading to the station because there was construction at the station, so that nothing would happen to it. Finally, we climbed a steep slope leading to the settlements from the station and left it in an alley between the houses there and entrusted our vehicle to Allah. Do not go with your own vehicle. Since we were stuck in the morning traffic on the way back, we had to pull the return traffic for 1,5 hours.
Dining on the Istanbul – Sofia Train
Before getting on the train, we had prepared ourselves a snack box with coffee, a thermos, a drink and a snack, since we had read that there was no food or drink on the Istanbul-Sofia train. There is no food car on the train, so there is no "meal", yes, but the conductor's uncle handed out our provisions consisting of water, chili and fruit juice as soon as we left. They gave these groceries both on the way out and on the way back. So you won't be completely hungry. But of course, it is useful to take something with you during the long journey.
There are no hot drinks, so the thermos we took with us came in handy. As a small reminder, I always take a thermos in a size that I can carry in my backpack if there is no carrying problem. It works very well in meeting the need for hot drinks, especially in expensive countries, and also works great for coffee or tea on long journeys such as train journeys.
Border Crossing by Istanbul – Sofia Train
I had crossed the border with different vehicles or even on foot before, but I had never crossed the border by train. Sofia train was my first border crossing by train. Sofia train passes through Kapikule border gate to Bulgaria. When we arrived at the Kapıkule border gate around 02:00 at night, my beloved wife was awake because she had never slept, and I was in a sound sleep. The conductor knocks on the doors and announces that we have reached the border. Everyone gets off the train and goes to the passport control point at the train station and has their passport stamped themselves. He goes back to the train that has finished the passport process. At the Kapıkule border gate, we waited for the Sofia - Istanbul train coming from the opposite direction, two trains changed their locomotives and we continued on to the Bulgarian side. The waiting time here may be longer during the summer when the train is busy.
When we enter the Bulgarian side, before we get off the train, the passport police come and check the passport, then the customs officer comes and asks if we have anything to declare, finally the Bulgarian ticket officers check the tickets and the process is finally over. You don't even need to get out of your warm bed while all this is happening.
The same process is valid for the return. On the way back, we get off the train on the Bulgarian side, and get off the train on the Turkish side, get our procedures done and return to our sweet sleep.
How is the Istanbul – Sofia Train Compartment?
I wrote that the train was comfortable, I slept soundly, etc., but I realized that I did not give any information about the room. If you remember, we bought tickets for 2 people from the 2nd Position. The room has a sink, hanger, closet and small refrigerator. So there's plenty of room for food and drinks. There is also a socket for your electronics in the room.
The beds in the compartment open up and down. As soon as you get on the train, duvet covers and pillowcases are distributed. It is very clean. In addition, blankets and pillows are ready in the room. All we have to do is put on the covers and go to bed. If you are obsessed with cleanliness, you can bring your own sheets and linens or sleep with a sleeping bag.
The temperature of the compartment is fine, one blanket is comfortable enough, you should not worry about that.
Are the Toilets Clean on the Sofia Train?
On a question from my followers, let me add something about toilets: There are toilets at the beginning and end of each wagon. The toilets were very clean when you got on the train, but if it was close to getting off in the morning, of course, it started to get dirty, because there was no one cleaning in between. Our luck was that the train was not full, so the toilets weren't too dirty either. But during peak periods you may not be so lucky. After all, the state of public toilets is known.
As I said at the beginning of the road, the toilets are clean, if you meet your last toilet needs in the toilets of the station at the Kapıkule border gate and then sleep, it will probably manage you until the morning 🙂 So you don't have to worry about dirty toilets.
When you get off at Sofia train station, the first toilets are paid, but there are also free toilets towards the exit near the bus/metro stops. You can use them right away in the morning.
Does Bulgaria Require a Visa for the Sofia Train?
Bulgaria applies visa to Turkish Citizens. You can get a Bulgarian visa or if you have a Schengen visa, you can enter Bulgaria with that visa. Bulgaria visa Check out my article for details.
The conductor brothers, who greeted us with their uniforms at the beginning of the journey, greeted us with athletes in the morning 🙂 While approaching the Sofia station, the conductor brothers knocked on the doors of the compartments and woke everyone up.
As we approached Sofia, huge abandoned factories and abandoned houses followed us along the road. When we got off the train, which is a 10-minute walk from the city centre, we set foot in Sofia, a new city we had not seen before, without the need to take any action. This is how we reached Bulgaria, the 57th country I've ever seen.
Stay on the road…
34 Comments
Hello,
Does the train stop in cities of other countries on its way to Sofia? For example in Belgrade. If so, can we get off and tour around and then continue? It's like I heard something like that and I want to ask if it's true or not.
If we can travel, is a Bulgarian visa sufficient or do we need a Schengen visa?
Bulgaria is the border neighbor of Turkey, so you pass directly from Turkey to Bulgaria, there is no other country in the meantime.
Hello, is there internet on the train?
No, unfortunately not
When I come back from Sofia too.. Will there be a ticket on the day I return? Is there a time to stop by the duty FREE shop at the border or such a place?
I don't know if there will be tickets, maybe the summer season will be busy.
There is a very small shop as duty free, as much as a buffet. You may not find many options.
Long live the spirit of travel.. discovering new cities. Even a cup of coffee to get lost in it and end of fatigue.
Hello dear.
Where, how and how much is the ticket to be bought on the way back from Sofia to Turkey? We are also planning a route such as Madrid-Sofia by plane on Saturday and Sofia-Istanbul by train on Sunday.
You can get it from the train station in Sofia, Burcucum.
Hello, I want to ask something, unfortunately, like everyone else, I could not solve the pricing. I want to go in a single and sleeping car, what is the price, I would be very happy if you help me :)
You will pay the supplement + ticket fee. You can calculate it yourself.
Thanks for the answer.
What is the shortest route from Turkey to Bulgaria?
It was also very nice on your trip to Prague, if you tell the prices, it will be a general information.
By the shortest route, Burgas is the closest city in Bulgaria to Turkey.
Follow my Prague articles, there are costs on the topics that each article relates to.
Hello, is the baggage fully checked at the entrance to Bulgaria, how much is our maximum baggage allowance?
Hello,
They ask if there is anything in the trunk, if there is something that does not suit their eyes, they say open it and see. There is no limit like baggage allowance.
Hello,
It was a nice and informative article. We also visited Sofia using the Sofia Express. Good luck to you.
Thanks 🙂
Very useful information, thank you. If I'm lucky, I'm going this weekend. I met the Bulgarian Consul General in Istanbul and got a 1-year visa :)
wow so crazy 🙂
It's bad that there is no ticket sale online. Thanks for sharing.
It was said that internet sales will start, maybe it has.
Hello,
In which season do you think a visit to Sofia would make more sense?
You can go in any season. Of course, it gets a little cold in winter, as the source of the cold air coming from the Balkans 🙂
Is there internet etc on the train?
Hello, no there is no.
Greetings, I was wondering something, do the customs officers open and check our luggage when we enter Turkey?
Greetings,
Customs officers check the bags, but they didn't check the locker in the compartment with us 😉
Hello, I was wondering if the passport procedures are not done in Uzunköprü during the journey by train, and I also had an 8 seat in Halkalı, there are very clean people there.
The train pass is made from Kapıkule.
Didn't want overseas travel insurance for a trip to Sofia? Thank you for the useful information we share.
When buying Schengen, we need to buy travel insurance. I don't know if it's required for a Bulgarian visa, but I'll look into it.
For Bulgaria Visa; Travel health insurance with a coverage of 30.000 € covering the duration of the trip is required.
It is my first and only long train journey to Sofia ???? I liked the train ride more than Sofia itself. I think it will be a comfortable and nice alternative for families with children.
We were thinking of going with my friend for a weekend, but it was bad that there was no sale on the internet and no food, anyway, I got very good information, thank you 🙂