The Sofia Express (tr: Sofya Ekspresi), otherwise known as the İstanbul – Sofia night train is one of the most popular Interrail routes.

Tickets & Reservations

The Sofia Express, as with all other TCDD international services, can neither be booked nor reserved online or through ticket counters abroad. Bulgarian ticket offices in Sofia and the international ticket counters in İstanbul (there are currently three counters active, two in Sirkeci and one in Halkalı) are the only places where this train can be booked. Passholder reservations are also only available at these places. Prices are as follows (accurate as of April 2024):

	Bed in 4-berth couchette	Sleeper double occupancy per person	Sleeper single occupancy
Passholder Reservation	€10,-	€15,-	€35,-
Combined Ticket + Reservation	€36,40	€41,40	€76,40

Border control process

As Turkey is not a Schengen or EU member state, border controls take place on this train. Most EU citizens do not need a visa for their stays in Turkey up to 90 days, but please confirm border particulars with your local embassy or consulate. Turkish citizens who are not holders of a “Hususi Pasaport” (green cover), “Diplomatik Pasaport” (black cover), a “Hizmet Pasaportu” (gray cover), or a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen state will need a visa as of April 2024.

For the Turkish border check, you will need to get out of the train (if traveling into Turkey, you will also need to take your bags with you and deliver them to be x-rayed) and queue up at the passport checkpoint. The line can take very long if the train is full.

For the Bulgarian border check, border police will come and collect your passports. You can stay in the train. You may also be asked to open your luggage for customs inspection

Halkalı

Halkalı is a neighborhood of Küçükçekmece, which is a district of İstanbul. All westbound services depart from and terminate at this station of the same name. There are currently no plans for the Sofia Express or any other TCDD service to be extended back to Sirkeci.

From Halkalı, you can take city buses or the Marmaray commuter line to your final destination. Your Interrail pass or TCDD long distance ticket does not entitle you to a ride on the Marmaray.

To use the Marmaray line, city buses, or any other form of public transport; you will need to acquire an istanbulkart. As of 2022, tourists may only load 500₺/month on their istanbulkarts, so it is strongly recommended that you buy an “Istanbul City Card” instead, a time-based unlimited transport card.

The Marmaray will take you along the southern coast of İstanbul, useful for destinations like Bakırköy, Sirkeci, Karaköy, or Kadıköy. If you want to directly connect to domestic TCDD services from İstanbul, these depart from Söğütlüçeşme, or for the Ada Ekspresi, from Gebze – both on the Marmaray.

If your destination is far from the southern coast, buses will bring you to many other transit stops in a short amount of time. Those worth a mention are:

• 79Y: Useful if your destination is on the M1A or the Metrobüs, connects to Yenibosna station
• MR50-MR51-MR52: Useful if your destination is on the M3 or M9, connects to Şehir Hastanesi Station

Sirkeci

Sirkeci is the former rail terminus in the historic center of İstanbul. The station is currently not used by any long distance trains, which is why it’s mostly unimportant to the traveler, except for the Marmaray-T1 stations around it and the international ticket counter inside it.

The Sirkeci international ticket counter operates every day from 09 to 16, with a midday pause. This is the main station for international ticket sales. Turkish Lira or Euros are the preferred currency.

Söğütlüçeşme

Söğütlüçeşme on the Asian side is the current terminus for most long distance trains that serve İstanbul. The station is also on the Marmaray and the Metrobüs, providing easy access. Most buses to/from Kadıköy (usually numbered 19+suffix) also stop 100m from the entrance of the station, making access quite easy. The intercity platforms are signposted. There is a security check before boarding that may take up to 20 minutes at peak time. No security check is required for access to the Marmaray or Metrobüs platforms. Ticket checks happen before boarding, right after the security check. Turkish citizens may use their ID in lieu of their ticket, everyone else must either show the ticket physically or as a QR code on the TCDD app.

The Söğütlüçeşme Metrobüs station is just across from the entrance of the Marmaray/rail station. There is a specific etiquette when queueing for these buses: You will see 4 lines when you enter, these are for the four doors of the bus. Choose which door you want to use and join the line. With each bus, a portion will go in and find a seat. After the seats are full, you may cut the line if you want and travel standing. If you want a seat, stay in line until you can board a bus with free seats remaining. Do not prevent other people from cutting the line to board a bus whose seats are all full.