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Travel Information
Compare bus and flight for Istanbul to Sofia
Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Istanbul to Sofia among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $37. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 2h 35m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the bus is your best bet as it emits only 0.5 - 1.3kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $37, and a flight costs an average of $50.
Distance: 311 miles (502 km)
Compare bus with
Most popular Bus | Flight |
|---|---|
$42 Average price Cheapest | $223 Average price |
9h 44m Average total duration 9h 14m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 5h 35m Average total duration Fastest 2h 35m Onboard + 3h 0m Additional time* |
0.5 - 1.3kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 1.5 - 3.0kg CO2 emissions |
 Most popular bus company |  Most popular airline |
Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
Travel 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.
FlixBus11:00 AM8h30Istanbul, Buyuk Otogar (Esenler)7:30 PMСофия, Централна Aвтогара 2 (Sofia, Centralna Avtogara 2)$491One-way0 transfers
Cheapest
67300378:00 PM9h31Istanbul, Buyuk Otogar (Esenler)5:31 AMSofia (София)$431One-way0 transfers
Fastest
- PC27111:25 AM1h20Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport12:45 PMSofia Airport$1701One-way0 transfers
Other options
67072322:30 PM8h00Istanbul, Buyuk Otogar (Esenler)10:30 PMSofia (София)$461One-way0 transfers- 662143911:30 PM8h10Istanbul, Buyuk Otogar (Esenler)7:40 AMSofia (София)$451One-way0 transfers
- FlixBus11:00 PM9h00Istanbul, Buyuk Otogar (Esenler)8:00 AMСофия, Централна Aвтогара 2 (Sofia, Centralna Avtogara 2)$491One-way0 transfers
RO266 · RO29111:15 PM10h20Istanbul Airport9:35 AMSofia Airport$5661One-way1 transfer- RO262 · RO29110:15 AM23h20Istanbul Airport9:35 AMSofia Airport$8201One-way1 transfer
- RO9162 · RO2911:20 PM20h15Istanbul Airport9:35 AMSofia Airport$10361One-way1 transfer
Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights
Compare bus and flight prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.
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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.
This is compared to other travel options from Istanbul to Sofia:
A bus is $13 (€10) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Istanbul to Sofia costing on average $50 (€40).
Other travel options to Sofia take longer:
Bus takes on average 9h 0m.
- Around 16 flights per day.
- Around 5 buses per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Istanbul and Sofia as scheduled services by bus and flight can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from Istanbul Airport and arrive in Sofia Airport.
- Buses mostly depart from Istanbul, Buyuk Otogar (Esenler) and arrive in Sofiya, Avtogara Serdika (София, Автогара Сердика).
- Travel with Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Aegean Airlines, Air Serbia, tarom, LOT Polish Airlines to go to Sofia by flight.
- Travel with City Lines, ArdaTur, FlixBus, Infobus, Citylines, Alpar Turizm, Kamil Koc to go to Sofia by bus.
- 4 direct flights per day with Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines.
- 5 direct buses per day with City Lines, ArdaTur, FlixBus, Infobus, Citylines, Alpar Turizm, Kamil Koc.
Travelling from Istanbul to Sofia: related information
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