Sofia to Istanbul Bus

Q: What is the distance between Sofia and Istanbul?

The distance between these two places is a total of 548 km.

Q: What is the average travel time between Sofia and Istanbul?

The average travel time between the stations is 08:07 hours.

Q: What is the ticket price for the journey from Sofia to Istanbul?

The price for the cheapest tickets begin at €29.

Q: How many daily departures are there from Sofia to Istanbul?

The average number of daily departures is 22. However, we would advise you to look up specific dates you're interested in so that you make sure to check the number of departures on the travel date you are interested in the most.

Q: Are all the buses direct on the route from Sofia to Istanbul?

The majority of the buses are direct buses, and if there is a bus change, you will see a notice on the website and there will be an icon indicating that there is a bus change involved.

Q: What are the amenities available on the buses departing from Sofia to Istanbul?

All the buses have air conditioning, reclining seats, luggage storage and they make breaks along the way to ensure all the passengers get enough resting time and can make a toilet break.

Q: How do I get from Sofia to Istanbul by bus?

To travel from Sofia to Istanbul by bus, select your preferred departure time and book your ticket on our platform. Detailed routes and schedules are available for you.

Q: How can I find out which buses run between Sofia to Istanbul?

Use our online ticket tool to find schedules, routes, and ticket prices for buses traveling between your chosen stations.

Q: When do the earliest and latest bus leave Sofia?

The earliest is at %firstDeparture% and the latest is at %lastDeparture%.

Q: Do I have to print my ticket for Sofia to Istanbul?

No, you don't have to print your ticket. You can show your QR code to the bus dirver, but keep track of your phone battery.

Sofia to Istanbul Istanbul to Sofia

Sofia to Istanbul Route Summary

Sofia to Istanbul bus is a popular way of traveling between Bulgaria and Turkey. We found up to 22 bus departures, including 22 night buses. The earliest bus departs from Sofia at 10:00h, arriving to Istanbul at 18:30h the same day. While latest bus departs at 23:59h, arriving at 08:50h the following day.

Departure station and country Sofia, Bulgaria

Arrival station and country Istanbul, Turkey

Travel Distance 548 km

Average Trip Duration 08h 07min

Total Departures 22

Popular Operators Huntur, FlixBus

Lowest Price €29

Transportation Options Bus

Popular Departures

Below you will find some of the most popular bus departures from Sofia to Istanbul:

TimetableTODAY TOMORROW

Sofia Serdika Bus Station

10h 15min

23:45Istanbul Esenler Otogari

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 35.9 EUR

Best offer on 20. Mar

pick a date

Sofia

9h 0min

19:00İstanbul Avrupa

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 29 EUR

Best offer on 09. Apr

pick a date

Sofia

8h 30min

22:00Istanbul

from 30 EUR

Best offer on 20. Mar

pick a date

Sofia Serdika Bus Station

8h 15min

04:15Istanbul Esenler Otogari

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 35.9 EUR

Best offer on 29. Mar

pick a date

Sofia Serdika Bus Station

10h 15min

05:15Istanbul Esenler Otogari

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 35.9 EUR

Best offer on 20. Mar

pick a date

Traveling by bus from Sofia to Istanbul

The shortest travel distance between Sofia and Istanbul is 548 km. The fastest bus which departs at 22:00 has a travel time of 05:59h. The longest travel time on the route is 10:15h. Depending on the selected departure, the following amenities are available: air condition, wifi and toilet.

Overnight buses

If you want to travel overnight and save money on accommodation or arrive in Istanbul earlier, there are 22 night buses from Sofia to Istanbul. The overnight buses depart between 19:00 and 23:59 and arrive between 04:05 and 09:45 the following day. Given the fact that both the distance and travel time between the two stations is 548 km and 05:51 respectively, all the bus departures for this route will include overnight travel. You can see some of them below.

TimetableTODAY TOMORROW

Sofia Serdika Bus Station

8h 15min

04:15Istanbul Esenler Otogari

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 35.9 EUR

Best offer on 29. Mar

pick a date

Sofia Serdika Bus Station

10h 15min

05:15Istanbul Esenler Otogari

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 35.9 EUR

Best offer on 20. Mar

pick a date

Sofia Serdica Bus Station

8h 30min

07:00Istanbul Büyük Otogari

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 30 EUR

Best offer on 20. Mar

pick a date

Sofia

8h 0min

06:00İstanbul Avrupa

M-TICKET ECOFRIENDLY

from 29 EUR

Best offer on 20. Mar

pick a date

Sofia

9h 5min

04:05Istanbul

from 30 EUR

Best offer on 20. Mar

pick a date

Bus companies

There is a total of 4 bus companies operating the routes. These bus companies have been rated 9 times. Here you can see the most popular bus companies operating this route and their overall rating.

Huntur

8.1

FlixBus

7.1

Arda - Tur

6.2

Luks Yonca

No reviews yet

Departure and arrival stations

If you're wanting more detailed information about either Sofia or Istanbul, including general information, station and stop information and other popular routes, you can follow the links below.

Sofia

You can see information about the departure station and stops Sofia here.

Istanbul

You can see information about the arrival station and stops Istanbul here.

Cheapest ticket prices

Adult ticket: €29 (One-Way) or €58 (Return).

Trip reviews from Sofia to Istanbul

Read all reviews here

Over 9 like-minded travellers have taken the time to leave their thoughts and review their trip from Sofia to Istanbul. The average rating based on recent reviews is 7.7. You can read a few of the user submitted reviews for the companies operating the route below.

Read all reviews here

Other popular destinations from Sofia

If you're wondering what other places you can visit when traveling from Sofia, these are some of the most popular combinations that other clients have purchased their tickets for:

Sofia to Skopje

Sofia to Plovdiv

Sofia to Thessaloniki

Sofia to Veliko Tarnovo

Other popular destinations from Istanbul

If you're looking for inspiration as to where to travel next once you've reached Istanbul, here is the list of the most popular travel combinations that our clients have previously purchased their tickets for:

Istanbul to Thessaloniki

Istanbul to Bucharest

Istanbul to Alexandroupoli

Istanbul to Canakkale

Istanbul to Eskisehir

Istanbul to Mostar

Istanbul to Xanthi

Istanbul to Tuzla

Istanbul to Banja Luka

Istanbul to Doboj

Istanbul to Maglaj

Istanbul to Medjugorje

Istanbul to Zepce

Istanbul to Visoko