4.9
4.6Travel optionsfrom Istanbul to Sofia
How to get from Istanbul to Sofia by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Istanbul to Sofia is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
FlixBusCheapest
6461377Fastest
PC271Other options
6461681FlixBus
RO264 · RO291
TK1029RO9164 · RO291Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
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FAQs: Travel from Istanbul to Sofia
Travel to Sofia easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Istanbul to Sofia.
You can get to Sofia from Istanbul 2 different ways: bus or flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Istanbul to Sofia is a bus with an average price of $32 (€29).
This is compared to other travel options from Istanbul to Sofia:
A bus is $16 (€15) less than a flight with an average ticket price of $48 (€44) from Istanbul to Sofia.
The fastest way from Istanbul to Sofia is by flight with an average journey time of 1 h 20 min.
There are alternative travel options to Sofia that take longer:
Taking a bus requires on average 9 h of travel time.
The distance is approximately 311 miles (501 km) from Istanbul to Sofia.
The average frequency per day from Istanbul to Sofia is:
- 8 buses per day.
- Around 21 flights per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your journey from Istanbul to Sofia as scheduled services by bus or flight can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Istanbul to Sofia:
- Buses from Istanbul to Sofia most often leave from Istanbul, Buyuk Otogar (Esenler) and arrive in Sofia, Centralna Avtogara (София, Централна Автогара).
- Flights mostly depart from Istanbul Airport and arrive in Sofia Airport.
Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Istanbul to Sofia:
- You can take a bus from Istanbul to Sofia with City Lines, FlixBus, Infobus, Alpar Turizm or Citylines. Cheap tickets can be found for $32 (€29) with FlixBus from Istanbul to Sofia.
- You can travel by plane from Istanbul to Sofia with Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Aegean Airlines, Air Serbia, LOT Polish Airlines or TAROM, and you can find Pegasus Airlines Istanbul to Sofia tickets for $48 (€44) on Omio.
Yes, there are direct routes from Istanbul to Sofia with the following travel companies:
- You can check for a direct bus to Sofia with City Lines, FlixBus, Infobus, Alpar Turizm or Citylines with 8 direct buses per day.
- You'll find 3 direct flights a day to Sofia with Turkish Airlines.
Direct services to Sofia tend to save you time and add more convenience as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking tickets for your journey.
Travelling from Istanbul to Sofia: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
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