How to: Istanbul to Sofia by overnight train

So you want to dig deeper into Eastern Europe. Or perhaps you’re already in Eastern Europe and want to see what Turkey has to offer. Sure, you can take the easy route and fly, but where’s the fun in that?

Getting from Istanbul to Sofia or vice versa can seem really daunting at first, especially since there seems to be absolutely nothing online.

Notice: I took this trip in 2018 so there may be slight differences

The first thing you’re going to need to do is go buy the ticket at the station. In Istanbul this is the Sirkeci Train Station. The ticket can only be bought in person so I recommend going in the morning just in case the train fills up.

You have a couple options for your seat on the train:

• Sleeper
• Couchette

The sleepers are two big seats that fold out into a slightly uncomfortable bed. There is a top “bunk” and a bottom “bunk” and the staff provides you with freshly packaged sheets to use. There is a sink and electrical sockets inside the “cabin”. The couchettes are 4 or 6 seats all together in a cabin. They don’t fold out and you don’t have a sink, but there are still sockets so you can charge your phone. Since I was a female traveling alone, I opted for the sleeper.

Once it’s time for your train you will be loaded onto a bus to transfer to Halkali, where your train awaits. Alternatively, you can make your way to Halkali yourself. I recommend to bring a laptop or tablet to watch movies, as well as a blanket or heavier clothes because the air conditioning can get really cold.

At first I thought I had lucked out and gotten a cabin to myself. However, after a few stops along the route this sweet Bulgarian lady moved into my cabin. She didn’t speak English, and I didn’t speak Bulgarian, but we soon discovered that we both had a mediocre level of French and were able to somewhat communicate for the duration of the train ride.

Sometime in the middle of the night, you will be woken up by the train workers at the Turkish-Bulgarian border. Here you will have to wait outside in a line in order to go through customs. This can take up to two hours. I know. It’s awful.

Once you’re past the border, you may still be woken up by train workers or border patrol, so keep your passport handy. In my trip we were woken up twice within the span of two hours. Not the most restful night but hey, whoever said traveling was easy?

In the morning, a loud speaker will wake you up as the train arrives in Sofia’s main train station. From here, you can take a metro or taxi to your hotel or next destination.

You did it! You survived! And now you know that maybe next time, taking a flight won’t be so bad.