This page explains how to travel by train from Istanbul to other key European cities, and how to buy the cheapest tickets. Click here to for journeys starting in another city. Train information updated for 2018.
I want to go from Istanbul to...
Before you buy your
tickets...
I recommend taking a moment to read these important tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, such as "Do I need to book in advance or can I just turn up & buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or just go online & buy a €35 point-to-point ticket?". And most important, click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European train travel
FAQ...
Istanbul to Ankara, Izmir & other destinations in Turkey...
See the train travel in Turkey page...
Istanbul to Sofia & Belgrade...
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The Istanbul-Sofia Express links Istanbul with Sofia every night, leaving Istanbul Halkali station at 21:40 and arriving Sofia's impressive communist-era central station at 08:53 next morning. This new sleeper train started running from 20 February 2017. The train has with two safe & comfortable Turkish air-conditioned sleeping-cars, one Turkish air-conditioned 4-berth couchette car and a non-air-con Bulgarian 6-berth couchette car. There's no catering, so bring some snacks and a bottle of wine. You need to get off the train briefly at the Turkish border at Kapikule (02:52-03:20) to have your passport stamped.
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The fare from Istanbul to Sofia is €18.48 for the travel ticket + either €10 supplement for a couchette in 4-berth compartment or €15 supplement for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper.
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How to buy tickets... You cannot book this train online, but you can easily buy tickets at Istanbul Sirkeci station window 4, even on the day of travel. There are always plenty of spare places, even up to departure, so no worries...
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How to reach Halkali station... TCDD (Turkish Railways) run a transfer bus from Istanbul Sirkeci station to Halkali (a suburban station some 25km west of downtown Istanbul) in connection with this train, leaving Istanbul Sirkeci station at 20:30 and arriving Halkali around 21:25. Rail tickets and passes are valid on this bus. Alternatively you can make your own way from downtown Istanbul to Halkali using either a taxi or frequent local bus. Bus number BN1 runs from near Sirkeci station taking up to 90 minutes depending on traffic. A taxi should take around an hour & cost around 60 YTL (€16). Buy food and drink in Istanbul as there are few or no facilities to do so at Halkali.
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Change in Sofia for Belgrade.
From 15 June to 17 September 2018, the Balkan leaves Sofia at 09:40 and arrives at Belgrade at 18:37. It's 2nd class only, and there's no catering car, so take a picnic and some beer!
Until 14 June and from 18 September 2018, you take the 09:40 from Sofia, change at Dimitrovgrad (arrive 10:30, depart 11:23) & Nis (arrive 14:39 depart 15:25) and arrive Belgrade Centar (note not main station!) 20:58.
The fare from Sofia to Belgrade is around 40.30 Lev (€20.60). You cannot buy tickets to Belgrade at Istanbul, so simply rebook in Sofia.
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The free transfer bus from Istanbul to Halkali, outside Istanbul Sirkeci station. Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
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1 & 2 bed sleepers: An air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 sleeping-car as used on the Istanbul-Sofia Express. Comfortable, carpeted, with compartments bookable as singles or doubles. Above right, a sleeper compartment shown with beds folded away and seats folded out. |
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4-berth couchettes: The Istanbul-Sofia Express usually has two couchette cars. One is an air-conditioned Turkish TVS2000 couchette car with comfortable 4-berth compartments, shown above left with beds folded away and seats folded out. Exterior shots courtesy of Paul Bateman |
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Istanbul to Veliko Tarnovo & Bucharest...
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In the off-season, until 31 May & from 2 October 2018...
Step 1, take the TCDD (Turkish Railways) transfer bus from Istanbul Sirkeci station to Halkali, leaving Istanbul Sirkeci station at 20:30 and arriving Halkali - a suburban station some 25km west of central Istanbul - at around 21:25. This is a special bus run to connect with the train, rail tickets and railpasses are valid. Buy food and drink in Istanbul as there are few or no facilities to do so at Halkali.
Step 2, the Istanbul-Sofia Express leaves Istanbul Halkali station at 21:40 every night, arriving Dimitrovgrad around 04:30 en route to Sofia. This train has two safe & comfortable air-conditioned Turkish sleeping-cars with 1 & 2 bed compartments & an air-conditioned Turkish couchette car with 4-berth compartments, see the photos in the Istanbul-Sofia section above. Be prepared to get off the train at the Turkish border at Kapikule late at night to get your passport stamped, you arrive at Kapikule at 01:31 and leave at 02:30. But you'll still get some sleep!
Step 3, change at Dimitrovgrad for a series of connecting trains to Bucharest. You leave Dimitrovgrad at 06:00 calling at Veliko Tarnovo at 10:28 and arriving Gorna Orjahovitsa at 10:47. A connecting train then leaves Gorna at 13:31 arriving Ruse at 15:35. A Romanian train then leaves Ruse at 16:10 arriving Bucharest Nord at 19:00.
This is a lovely journey, across the lush river Valleys of Bulgaria, ascending the lovely Shipka Pass, crossing the Danube from Bulgaria into Romania on the world's longest steel girder bridge, 2.5km long. Bring your own provisions and beer or wine, as there's no catering on board. Have your camera ready!
If you like, you can check times for Dimitrovgrad-Gorna & Gorna-Ruse trains (check each of these trains one at a time) at www.bdz.bg, and for the Romanian train at www.cfrcalatori.ro (check from Giurgiu Nord on the Romanian side of the border to Bucuresti as their system doesn't recognise Ruse, look for Regional train 1094).
The fare from Istanbul to Bucharest is about €38 even bought on the day at Istanbul Sirkeci station. Add a couchette supplement of around €9 for a bunk in a 6-bunk compartment or a sleeper supplement of around €26 for a bed in a 2-bed sleeper. You cannot book these trains online, but can easily buy tickets at Istanbul Sirkeci station window 4, even on the day of travel. There are always plenty of spare places, even up to departure.
Latest update: It's reported that in the off-season Istanbul ticket office won't simply issue an open ticket to Bucharest with sleeper reservation to Dimitrovgrad as I'd expect them to, they'll just sell you a ticket to Dimitrovgrad with sleeper or couchette. If so, simply rebook at Dimitrovgrad for Ruse and then Bucharest, or even just pay on the train, it won't be a problem.
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In summer, 1 June to 1 October 2018: Direct trains Istanbul Halkali to Bucharest...
Step 1, take the TCDD (Turkish Railways) transfer bus from Istanbul Sirkeci station to Halkali, leaving Istanbul Sirkeci station at 20:30 and arriving Halkali - a suburban station some 25km west of central Istanbul - at around 21:25. This is a special bus run to connect with the train, rail tickets and railpasses are valid. Buy food and drink in Istanbul as there are few or no facilities to do so at Halkali.
Step 2, a direct sleeper train runs from 1 June to 1 October 2018, leaving Istanbul Halkali at 21:40, arriving Bucharest at 19:00 next day. The train has a modern Turkish couchette car with comfortable 4-berth compartments - for dual occupancy, buy two tickets per person. It takes the same route through the same great scenery described above. There was supposed to be a Romanian sleeping-car as well with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments but this was discontinued by the Romanians in August 2017 leaving just the Turkish couchette car.
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The free transfer bus from Istanbul to Halkali, outside Istanbul Sirkeci station. Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry. |
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Couchette car: Between June & September there is a direct air-conditioned Turkish couchette car between Istanbul Halkali and Bucharest with 4-berth compartments, as shown above. The seats convert to flat bunks with rug, sheet and pillow. |
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Istanbul to Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Paris, London...
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See the London to Turkey page for train times & prices in either eastbound or westbound directions between all these cities.
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You first catch the sleeper train from Istanbul Sirkeci to either Sofia or Bucharest, then change there for onward trains, see the London to Turkey page.
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If you are currently outside Turkey, see the How to buy tickets section on that page. If you are already in Istanbul, see this section on buying tickets to European destinations at Istanbul Sirkeci station.
Istanbul to Brussels & Amsterdam...
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See the London to Turkey page and follow the advice for travel from Istanbul as far as Vienna, using the route via Bucharest.
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Then take the Vienna to Cologne Nightjet sleeper train, and change in Cologne for an ICE to Brussels or Amsterdam. See the Vienna to Amsterdam or Vienna to Brussels sections.
Istanbul to Athens & Greece...
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There is no longer any Istanbul-Thessaloniki train, since 2011. However, you can travel from Istanbul to Sofia by overnight train (currently with some engineering work bustitution) as explained above, spend the morning in Sofia, then take the daily afternoon train from Sofia to Thessaloniki as explained here. Stay overnight in Thessaloniki, then take a scenic 5 hour train ride to Athens. Alternatively, you can travel from southern Turkey to Rhodes and then mainland Greece by ferry, see the Train travel in Turkey page.
Istanbul to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan...
Istanbul to Tehran & Iran...
Istanbul to Odessa & Ukraine...
Hotels
in Istanbul & other cities
Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
Backpacker hostels...
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance &
health card
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Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
In
the UK, try
Columbus Direct or use
Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many
different insurers.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.
If
you live in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try
Columbus Direct's other websites.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
Get a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card. If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!