Destination plate on the Sofia-Istanbul train
 

Destination plate on the side of the train (car number 485 is the couchette car)

To Istanbul by train...

One train per day links Europe with Istanbul, a sleeper train called the Sofia-Istanbul Express. This runs from Sofia to Istanbul every day all year with sleeping-cars & couchettes.  From June until October it conveys a direct couchette car from Bucharest to Istanbul, at other times of year you travel from Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria on a series of connecting trains where you join the sleepers or couchettes of the Sofia-Istanbul Express to Istanbul.  This page explains train times, fares & how to buy tickets.

small bullet point  Train times

small bullet point  Route map

small bullet point  How much does it cost?

small bullet point  How to buy tickets

small bullet point  What's the train like?

small bullet point  Travel tips

small bullet point  How to transfer between Halkali & Sirkeci

 

On other pages:

small bullet point  Sofia station guide

small bullet point  Bucharest station guide

 

Train times eastbound 2024

 Bucharest & Sofia ► Istanbul

 Days of running:

Summer service

every day

14 June to 14 October 2024

Winter service

every day

Until 13 June & from 15 October 2024

Train number:

461

465

493/12501

1095

463

465

493/12501

 Bucharest depart:

10:47

-

-

10:47

-

-

-

 Giurgiu Nord arrive

12:55

-

-

12:55

-

-

-

 Giurgiu Nord depart

13:14

-

-

13:14

-

-

-

 Ruse arrive

13:39

-

-

13:39

-

-

-

 Ruse depart

14:15

-

-

>>

14:15

-

-

 Gorna Orjahovitsa arrive

16:15

-

-

-

16:15

-

-

 Gorna Orjahovitsa depart

>>

17:30

-

-

>>

17:30

-

 Veliko Tarnovo

-

17:48

-

-

-

17:48

-

 Sofia depart

-

|

18:45

-

-

|

18:45

 Plovdiv depart

-

|

22:00

-

-

|

22:00

 Dimitrovgrad arrive

-

22:04

22:54

-

-

22:04

22:54

 Dimitrovgrad depart

-

>>

23:15

-

-

>>

23:15

 Svilengrad (border) arrive

-

-

00:08

-

-

-

00:08

 Svilengrad (border) depart

-

-

01:25

-

-

-

01:25

 Kapikule (border) arrive

-

-

01:45

-

-

-

01:45

 Kapikule (border) depart

-

-

02:30

-

-

-

02:30

 Edirne arrive:

-

-

02:48

-

-

-

02:48

 Halkali (Istanbul) arrive:

-

-

06:34

-

-

-

06:34

 Istanbul Sirkeci arrive:

-

-

*

-

-

-

*

* = Transfer between Halkali & Istanbul Sirkeci by frequent Marmaray suburban train as shown here.

Train times westbound 2024

 Istanbul ► Sofia & Bucharest

 Days of running:

Summer service

14 June to 14 October 2024

Winter service

Until 13 June & from 15 October 2024

Train number:

12502/492

464

460

12502/492

464

460

1094

 Istanbul Sirkeci depart:

*

-

-

*

-

-

-

 Halkali (Istanbul) depart:

20:00

-

-

20:00

-

-

-

 Edirne depart

00:52

-

-

00:52

-

-

-

 Kapikule (border) arrive

01:05

-

-

01:05

-

-

-

 Kapikule (border) depart

02:20

-

-

02:20

-

-

-

 Svilengrad (border) arrive

02:41

-

-

02:41

-

-

-

 Svilengrad (border) arrive

04:00

-

-

04:00

-

-

-

 Dimitrovgrad arrive

04:43

>>

-

04:43

>>

-

-

 Dimitrovgrad depart

07:01

05:55

-

07:01

05:55

-

-

 Plovdiv arrive

08:05

|

-

08:05

|

-

-

 Sofia arrive

10:47

|

-

10:47

|

-

-

 Veliko Tarnovo arr/dep

-

10:15

-

-

10:15

-

-

 Gorna Orjahovitsa arrive

-

10:36

-

-

10:36

-

-

 Gorna Orjahovitsa depart

-

>>

11:35

-

>>

11:35

-

 Ruse arrive

-

-

13:31

-

-

13:31

-

 Ruse depart

-

-

14:15

-

-

>>

14:15

 Giurgiu Nord arrive:

-

-

14:40

-

-

-

14:40

 Giurgiu Nord depart:

-

-

15:00

-

-

-

15:00

 Bucharest arrive:

-

-

17:17

-

-

-

17:17

How to read the timetable

You read downwards, each column is a separate train.  Each train runs every day.

There's a summer & winter service, remember that Bulgaria & Romania put their clocks forward April-October, but Turkey remains on GMT+3 all year. 

Sofia-Istanbul is a direct train every day all year with sleeping-cars & couchettes (no seats).

There's a direct couchette car from Bucharest to Istanbul every day from early June to early October, attached to trains 461, 465 & 493/12501.

There's a direct couchette car from Istanbul to Bucharest every day from early June to early October, attached to trains 12502/492, 464 & 462.

When there's no direct couchette car, you travel between Bucharest & Istanbul using seats cars between Bucharest & Dimitrovgrad on each of the trains shown above, then the sleepers or couchettes of the Sofia-Istanbul Express between Dimitrovgrad & Istanbul.  Don't worry, it normally all works like clockwork.

How to check this timetable:  You can find an accurate timetable in .pdf format at the Bulgarian Railways website www.bdz.bg/en/a/sofia-istanbul-sofia which is what I use to update this page (please let me know if that link stops working).  Don't expect timetables to be posted months in advance, for example expect the June-September .pdf timetable to be posted on their website in late May or even early June, and so on.  You can try checking times at the German Railways website int.bahn.de, but bear in mind that both Bahn.de and the Interrail/Eurail Railplanner app may have incomplete or even incorrect data for this route, for example there is no change of train at Kapikule or at Plovdiv.  The train runs direct from Sofia to Halkali via Plovdiv & Dimitrovgrad, exactly as I show above.

Route map

Sofia to Istanbul train route map

 

Click for larger map

Highlighted = Bucharest/Sofia to Istanbul train route.

Green = scenic sections of line

European Rail Timetable and mapReproduced from the excellent European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people.

I recommend buying a copy of the European Rail Map for your travels, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu with shipping worldwide.

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

The Sofia-Istanbul sleepers & couchettes have become popular and in summer and even autumn the train often leaves fully-booked.  I recommend booking in advance if you can, although there's no easy online booking for this route.  Read on for advice.

Eastbound, Sofia to Istanbul

Eastbound, Bucharest to Istanbul - when the direct couchette car operates

Eastbound, Bucharest to Istanbul - at all other times

Westbound, Istanbul to Sofia

Westbound, Istanbul to Bucharest in summer when couchette car operates

Westbound, Istanbul to Bucharest at all other times

What's the train like?

Sofia-Istanbul sleeping-cars

The Sofia-Istanbul Express has two Turkish TVS2000 sleeping-cars built in 1998 (car numbers 483 & 484) and can have a 3rd such car at busy times.  The car number is indicated on the steel destination plate attached to the side of the car towards one end.

Each sleeping-car is air-conditioned with 10 compartments.  Each compartment can be sold as a double (2nd class fare or railpass plus the double sleeper supplement) or single (1st class fare or railpass plus the single sleeper supplement).

Each compartment has an upper & lower berth, sink, table & fridge.  All necessary bedding is provided, along with soap and towel.  Berths fold away to reveal two armchairs for day use.  There are toilets at each end of the car.  There's a 2-pin power outlet intended for electric razors, but no power outlet specifically for mobiles & laptops.  These cars were built with a shower compartment at one end, but this is now used as a storeroom for bedding.  You may be able to buy tea or coffee from the sleeper attendant.

The Sofia to Istanbul train

The Sofia-Istanbul Express.  Photos in this section courtesy of @AndyBTravels & DiscoverByRail.com.

Turkish sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train   Turkish sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train

1 or 2 bed sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train, looking towards the window.  Larger photo.

 

1 or 2 bed sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train, looking towards the corridor side.  Larger photo.

Fridge & table in a Turkish sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train   Turkish sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train

The sleepers even have a fridge!

 

Lower berth made up for night time.  Larger photo.

Sofia-Istanbul & Bucharest-Istanbul couchette cars

In addition to the sleeping-cars, the Sofia-Istanbul Express has one Turkish TVS2000 air-conditioned couchette car built in 1996 or 2002 (car number 485).  The direct summer-only couchette car between Bucharest & Istanbul is of the same type (car 479).  The car number is indicated on the steel destination plate attached to the side of the car towards one end.  The car has 10 compartments each with 4 berths, two upper & two lower.  Sheets, pillow & blanket are provided, but you arrange these yourself.  The beds fold away to form seats for day use as shown below.  There are toilets at each end of the car.  There's a 2-pin power outlet in each compartment above the door to the corridor, but you'll need a 2m cable to use it whilst sitting down with your phone or laptop.  Photos courtesy of @Colcestrian and

Fridge & table in a Turkish sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train   Fridge & table in a Turkish sleeper on the Sofia-Istanbul train

4-berth compartment, seats mode. Larger photo.  Photo courtesy of @AndyBTravels

 

Lower couchette folded out & made up as bed.  Larger photoPhoto courtesy of @Colcestrian

What's the journey like?

Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad

Between June and October there's a direct couchette car from Bucharest to Istanbul.  Outside this period, you travel from Bucharest to Dimitrovgrad on a series of connecting trains, but it all works like clockwork and you won't be the only person making these connections.  The route & scenery are the same.

A few hours after leaving Bucharest's imposing Gara de Nord, the train reaches the Romanian border point, Giurgiu Nord.  It then crosses the Danube into Bulgaria on a 2.5 km long steel bridge, the longest steel bridge in Europe, built in 1954 and now fitted with a road deck above the railway.  It curves around off the bridge and arrives at Ruse, the Bulgarian border station on the other side.

When the Bucharest-Istanbul couchette car operates, it's attached to a direct Bucharest-Sofia train from Bucharest as far as Gorna Orjahovitsa - that Bucharest-Sofia train in fact runs for some weeks before and after this period, with no need to change at Ruse.  However, in the winter timetable, you take an air-conditioned Romanian express railcar from Bucharest to Ruse and change into a Bulgarian locomotive-hauled train bound for Sofia, taking it as far as Gorna.

The train then spends a lazy afternoon meandering along pleasant river valleys across rural Bulgaria, have your camera handy.  Pour yourself a beer or glass of wine (remember to bring your own food & drink), read away the hours & enjoy the trip.  The highlight is the journey through the lush green Shipka Pass.  The train from Gorna to Dimitrovgrad calls at Veliko Tarnovo, the ancient capital of Bulgaria - well worth a 24h stopover!

Scenery in the Shipka Pass, Bulgaria

Lush green scenery as the train descends the Shipka Pass.

Veliko Tarnovo station, Bulgaria   Craggy scenery in Bulgaria

Veliko Tarnovo station.

 

Crags near Veliko Tarnovo.

Sofia to Dimitrovgrad

The Sofia-Istanbul Express leaves Sofia's impressive communist-era central station and heads off across Bulgaria as night falls.  Remember to bring your own food & drink, maybe even a bottle of wine, as there's no catering on board.

The train to Istanbul boardiing at Sofia

Boarding at Sofia.  Courtesy of @AndyBTravels & DiscoverByRail.com.

Dusk in Bulgaria

Dusk falls on a summer evening, rolling across the plain east of Sofia with a backdrop of distant hills.

Dimitrovgrad to the Turkish border

At Dimitrovgrad, the Bucharest-Istanbul couchette car (when running) is attached to the Sofia-Istanbul Express.  When it's not running, passengers from Bucharest & Veliko Tarnovo change onto the sleepers & couchettes of the Sofia-Istanbul Express.

Border controls at Svilengrad, Bulgaria

Late at night, the train reaches the Bulgarian border point at Svilengrad.  You remain on the train, Bulgarian border guards come on board.  They collect all passports and take them off the train to check them, they come back on board and return them before the train leaves.  This happens in both directions, eastbound & westbound.

When Bulgarian controls and completed and passports returned, the train heads across the border into Turkey, reaching the Turkish border station of Kapikule well after midnight.

Border controls at Kapikule, Turkey

At Kapikule you need to leave the train for border formalities, in both directions:

Eastbound procedure:  Step off the train onto the platform, taking all your bags with you.  Step 1, go to the passport office further along the platform in the main building and get your passport stamped (see the photo below).  Step 2, get your bags X-rayed in the small white shed-like building on the platform to the left of the main station building.  After the train itself has been security checked, you can then re-board.  Note that until 2022 you had to do the X-ray check first and passport check second, but in 2022 it was reportedly switched round.  Feedback appreciated.

Tip:  You may find the station cafe open for the train arrival, it accepts contactless payment cards so enjoy a late night coffee or snack while you wait to reboard!

Westbound procedure:  Step off the train onto the platform, in this direction you can leave your bags on the train.  Go to the passport office on the platform in the main building, get your passport stamped (see the photo below).  You can then re-board the train. 

Remember that time zones change here:  From the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, Bulgarian & Turkish time is the same, GMT+3.  But Turkey has no Daylight Saving Time, so Turkish time is 1 hour ahead of Bulgarian time in winter.

The Turkish border at Kapikule   Passport office, Kapikule

At Kapikule after midnight you must get off to have your bags X-rayed...  Courtesy of Frédéric Pardé.

 

...and then get your passport stamped in the passport office.

X-ray & passport check at Turkish border

The train arrives at Kapikule on the platform shown above, adjacent to the station building.  X = X-ray baggage check shed.  P = passport office in main building.  Photo courtesy of Daniel Sterk.

Onwards to Halkali & Istanbul

In years gone by, the train used to make a dramatic entry into Istanbul through the Byzantine Walls of Theodosius, skirting the Sea of Marmara underneath the very walls of the Topkapi Palace into the beautiful Istanbul Sirkeci station, opened in 1888 in the heart of the city.  However, the train now terminates at a suburban station called Halkali some 25km west of Sirkeci, expect an arrival an hour or two late, so allow for this and enjoy the ride.  You then take one of the frequent Marmaray suburban trains into Istanbul Sirkeci as explained further down this page.  Sirkeci station is walking distance from all the sights, or you can hop into a taxi to the famous Pera Palas Hotel Map of Istanbul showing Sirkeci station.

Sunrise over Turkey

Dawn breaks as the train speeds east towards Istanbul.

The train at Halkali

The Sofia-Istanbul Express at Halkali.  Courtesy of John Mcnamara.

The train arrived at Halkali

The train arrived Halkali.  Courtesy of @AndyBTravels & DiscoverByRail.com.

The transfer bus from Halkali outside Istanbul Sirkeci station.

Istanbul Sirkeci station.  Courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

Travel tips

How to transfer from Halkali to Sirkeci

How to transfer from Sirkeci to Halkali

Marmaray ticket machine   Marmaray train in Istanbul

Ticket machine.

A Marmaray train in Istanbul.  Photo courtesy of Rémi Favre.


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