4 hours ago
2
October 15, 2025 — 5:00am
The Sofia-Istanbul Express
- Route Sofia, Bulgaria, to Istanbul, Turkey
- Distance 605km
- Operator Turkish State Railways (TCDD)
- Class Sleeper
- Frequency Nightly, departing 6.45pm
The journey
Sofia, Bulgaria to Istanbul, Turkey aboard TCDD’s Sofia-Istanbul Express sleeper train takes just over 15 hours, terminating at Halkali station at 9.56am. The evening section is a pleasant run past green, hilly countryside and red-roofed villages, and in the morning there’s rural scenery before arriving at Halkali on Istanbul’s western edge.
Boarding
Sofia Central station is a gleaming relic from the communist era, opened in 1974 as a modernist expanse of white marble and glass. With its fascinating ceiling of angled panels and a light sculpture resembling a tree made from steel lamps, it’s a suitably dramatic exit from the EU into Turkey. At 6pm, I head for Platform 5 to find the train ready for boarding. A relaxed attendant shows me to a compartment different from the number on my reservation. I take a photo of the new door number to remember it, then chill on the platform to escape the hot train interior. Here I chat to British fellow passenger Mick, who’s heading to Istanbul after attending a wedding in Sofia, and we both leap aboard when the train’s engines (and, thankfully, its air conditioning) roar to life.
The seat
I’ve booked a sleeper compartment for my sole use in a compartment which can accommodate two, and it’s a generous space within a relatively modern carriage built in 1998. It contains a cupboard, washbasin, mirror, power point, a table with a pull-out extension, and – unusually – a bar fridge. There’s also a lounge comprising two seats, which folds down to form a bed. Interestingly, one end of the carriage has a Western-style lavatory, the other a squat toilet. Once the bed is lowered I doze until midnight, when Bulgarian border guards collect passports for stamping. About 1am we arrive at the Turkish station of Kapikule, where all passengers must disembark with luggage for passport control and a security screening. Then it’s back on board to sleep as we head towards Istanbul.
Baggage
TCDD allows two items of luggage not exceeding 30kg, which are stored in your compartment.
Food + drink
There’s no catering on board beyond complimentary snacks: a chocolate bar, pretzels, fruit juice, and a bottle of water. For dinner and breakfast I buy some disappointing sandwiches from the supermarket next to Sofia Central, along with delicious freshly made sausage rolls which I instantly scoff. During the stop for passport control at Kapikule, the station shop is open, selling drinks and snacks.
One more thing …
From Halkali you can catch a suburban train on the Marmaray line to reach Istanbul’s historic Sirkeci station, where the Orient Express once terminated. First buy an Istanbul Card, the city’s public transport card, from machines on Halkali station’s concourse (they accept credit card payment). The card itself costs TRY165 ($6); add at least TRY60 credit to cover your onward travel.
The price
Sole use of a sleeper compartment costs €75 ($133), or share with another person for €41 ($73). Alternatively, a bed in a four-berth couchette compartment costs €36 ($64). Reservations on top of a Eurail pass are considerably cheaper. Sadly, it’s impossible to buy tickets for this service online, though British ticket agency Discover by Rail (discoverbyrail.com) can purchase them in advance on your behalf for a hefty mark-up.
Otherwise, visit the international ticket windows at Sofia Central or Istanbul Sirkeci stations.
The verdict
A memorable sleeper train service which would be greatly improved with the addition of a dining car, online ticketing, and onboard passport control. However, the compartments are comfortable and there’s attractive scenery on the way.
OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE
★★★
The writer travelled courtesy of Eurail and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
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