There are 6 ways to get from Istanbul to Sofia by train, plane, bus, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Metro to Istanbul, fly
best- Take the train from Vezneciler to Gayrettepetrain
- Fly from Istanbul (IST) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane IST - SOF
4h 45m$92–262Train
cheapest- Take the train from Halkalı to Sofiatrain
15h 12m$15–23Bus via Haskovo
- Take the bus from Istanbul to Haskovobus
- Take the bus from Haskovo Central Bus Station to Sofia Central Bus Stationbus Group Plus 1705 / ...
8h$33–49Drive 546.7 km
- Drive from Istanbul to Sofiacar 546.7 km
4h 55m$87–125Metro to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, fly
- 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 5m$122–312Bus
- Take the bus from Istanbul Büyük Otogari to Sofia Serdica Bus Stationbus Citylines 19 / ...
9h$16–40
Istanbul to Sofia by bus
Questions & Answers
The cheapest way to get from Istanbul to Sofia is to train which costs $15 - $23 and takes 15h 12m.
The fastest way to get from Istanbul to Sofia is to Metro and fly which takes 4h 45m and costs $90 - $270.
Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Istanbul Büyük Otogari and arriving at Sofia Serdica Bus Station station. Services depart every three hours, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 9h.
No, there is no direct train from Istanbul to Sofia. However, there are services departing from Yenikapi and arriving at Sofia via Halkalı. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 15h 12m.
The distance between Istanbul and Sofia is 523 km. The road distance is 546.7 km.
The best way to get from Istanbul to Sofia without a car is to bus via Haskovo which takes 8h and costs $30 - $50.
It takes approximately 4h 45m to get from Istanbul to Sofia, including transfers.
Istanbul to Sofia bus services, operated by Alpar Turizm, depart from Istanbul station.
Istanbul to Sofia train services, operated by Turkish Railways (TCDD), depart from Halkalı station.
The best way to get from Istanbul to Sofia is to bus via Haskovo which takes 8h and costs $30 - $50. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $15 - $23 and takes 15h 12m.
What companies run services between Istanbul, Turkey and Sofia, Bulgaria?
You can take a bus from Istanbul to Sofia Central Bus Station via Haskovo Central Bus Station in around 8h. Alternatively, Turkish Railways (TCDD) operates a train from Halkalı to Sofia once daily. Tickets cost $14–21 and the journey takes 13h 40m.
- Website
- turkishairlines.com
Flights from Istanbul to Sofia Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 16m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $95–250
- Phone
- +90 850 252 88 00
- [email protected]
- Website
- metro.istanbul
Train from Vezneciler to Gayrettepe
- Ave. Duration
- 16 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
Train from Ayrılık Çeşmesi to Sabiha Gokcen Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- Every 10 minutes
- Estimated price
- $1
- Schedules at
- metro.istanbul
#/media/File:M5_K%C4%B1s%C4%B1kl%C4%B1_Metro_%C4%B0stasyonu.jpg "Uskudar-Cekmekoy Metro train")
- Phone
- +90 212 658 18 51
- [email protected]
- Website
- Alpar Turizm
Bus from Istanbul to Haskovo
- Ave. Duration
- 4h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $15–22
- Website
- Alpar Turizm
Bus from Istanbul Büyük Otogari to Sofia Serdica Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 8h
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $26–40
- Website
- Alpar Turizm
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More Questions & Answers
Istanbul to Sofia bus services, operated by Alpar Turizm, arrive at Haskovo station.
Istanbul to Sofia train services, operated by Turkish Railways (TCDD), arrive at Sofia station.
Yes, the driving distance between Istanbul to Sofia is 547 km. It takes approximately 4h 55m to drive from Istanbul to Sofia.
Book your Istanbul to Sofia bus tickets online with Omio.
There are 2268+ hotels available in Sofia.