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Tickets for the Istanbul–Sofia Express have gone on sale online, expanding digital access for international rail passengers, according to information obtained from the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.
TCDD Tasimacilik AS began offering online ticket sales for the Istanbul–Sofia Express as of Friday, following the earlier launch of digital sales for the Van–Tehran train.
Previously sold only at a limited number of ticket counters, Istanbul–Sofia Express tickets are now available via the official website, mobile application and ticket offices across Türkiye.
The daily service operates on the Istanbul (Halkali)–Sofia–Istanbul (Halkali) route, providing rail connectivity between Türkiye and Europe.
The journey takes about half a day and includes stops at Halkali, Cerkezkoy, Edirne, Kapikule, Svilengrad, Dimitrovgrad and Sofia.
The train departs Istanbul at 8 p.m. and arrives in Sofia at 11:48 a.m. It leaves Sofia at 6:50 p.m. and reaches Istanbul at 9:56 a.m.
Passengers are offered several accommodation options. One-way fares from Halkali to Sofia are set at €36.4 ($43.04) per person in four-berth couchette wagons, €41.4 per person in two-berth sleeper wagons, and €74.60 for single-berth sleeper compartments.
During the summer season, additional couchette wagons provide a Bucharest connection.
One-way fares from Halkali to Bucharest are priced at €75.70 per person in four-berth couchette wagons. The train does not include a dining car.
Last year, the Istanbul–Sofia Express carried 31,000 passengers, while the Van–Tehran train transported 30,000 passengers from the resumption of services on March 9, 2025 through the end of the year.
Under the digital ticket system, passengers can present tickets printed in A4 format with visible barcodes or display PDF versions on mobile devices.
Refunds are available up to 24 hours before departure, with a 10% deduction for Europe-bound services and a 20% deduction for Middle East routes. Ticket changes can be made once without penalty within the same timeframe.
TCDD Tasimacilik AS first launched international digital ticket sales last year for the Van–Tehran route, which operates twice weekly in both directions.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said digital ticketing aligns Türkiye’s railways with global practices.
He noted that investments across all transport modes, combined with technological integration, aim to make rail travel safer, more comfortable and more accessible for both domestic and foreign passengers.
“With the local and national Passenger Transport Platform, we moved international train ticket sales to the digital environment so passengers can access tickets more easily,” Uraloglu said, adding that digital access has now been extended to the European rail line.
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