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How to get fromCentral Station to Istanbulby bus, train, car, or plane

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There are 7 ways to get from Central Station to Istanbul 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.

  1. Bus

    best
    1. Take the bus from Sofia to İstanbul Esenler bus stationbus bus FlixBus N1999
    8h
    ₺750–1,900
  2. Train

    1. Take the train from Sofia to Halkalıtrain train
    12h 31m
    ₺783–4,184
  3. Drive 548.6 km

    1. Drive from Central Station to Istanbulcar car 548.6 km
    4h 59m
    ₺4,140–5,980
  4. Train, fly to Istanbul, Metro

    1. Take the train from Sofia to Iskarsko Shosetrain train
    2. Fly from Sofia Airport (SOF) to Istanbul (IST)plane plane SOF - IST
    3. Take the train from Gayrettepe to Veznecilertrain train
    5h 20m
    ₺4,840–11,194
  5. Bus via Sofia Serdika Bus Station

    1. Take the bus from Sofia Serdika Bus Station to Istanbul Esenler Otogaribus bus Arda-Tur
    9h 18m
    ₺2,300–3,500
  6. Fly to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Metro

    1. Fly from Sofia Airport (SOF) to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)plane plane SOF - SAW
    2. Take the train from Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Ayrılık Çeşmesitrain train
    5h 23m
    ₺6,143–14,217
  7. Fly to Burgas Airport, bus

    1. Fly from Sofia Airport (SOF) to Burgas Airport (BOJ)plane plane SOF - BOJ
    2. Take the bus from Burgas to Istanbulbus bus
    9h 14m
    ₺5,573–12,927

Central Station to Istanbul by bus

Calendar84Weekly Buses
Duration8hAverage Duration
Ticket₺750Cheapest Price
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Questions & Answers

What companies run services between Central Station, Bulgaria and Istanbul, Turkey?

Kamil Koç operates a bus from Sofia to İstanbul Esenler bus station 4 times a day. Tickets cost ₺750–1,100 and the journey takes 8h. Five other operators also service this route. Alternatively, Turkish Railways (TCDD) operates a train from Sofia to Halkalı once daily. Tickets cost ₺750–4,140 and the journey takes 11h 49m.

Airlines
Train operators
Bus operators

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