The incredible Haghia Sofia just 10 minutes walk from Istanbul Sirkeci station. |
This page explains how to travel by train from Istanbul to other key European cities, and how to buy the cheapest tickets. Click here to for journeys starting in another city. Information current for 2025. Recommended hotels in Istanbul.
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Before you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Do I need to book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". Click here to understand how far ahead you can buy train tickets.
European train travel FAQ
Istanbul to Ankara, Izmir & other destinations in Turkey
Istanbul to Sofia & Belgrade
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The excellent Istanbul-Sofia Express runs every night with sleeping-cars & couchettes, see the Istanbul to Sofia & Bucharest page.
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For onward connections from Sofia to Belgrade, see the Sofia to Belgrade page.
Istanbul to Veliko Tarnovo & Bucharest
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A direct couchette car links Istanbul with Veliko Tarnovo, Gorna, Ruse & Bucharest June-October, see the Istanbul to Sofia & Bucharest page.
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At other times of year you take the overnight Istanbul-Sofia Express from Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad in Bulgaria, from where a series of connecting trains takes you to Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse & Bucharest, see the Istanbul to Sofia & Bucharest page.
The Istanbul to Bucharest couchette car, safe, comfortable and air-conditioned.
Bucharest-Istanbul couchette compartment in daytime and night-time modes.
Istanbul to Budapest & Vienna
Option 1, fastest, taking 2 nights with a same-day connection in Bucharest
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Day 1, travel from Istanbul to Bucharest as shown on the Istanbul to Bucharest page.
You first take a Marmaray suburban train from Istanbul Sirkeci to Halkali. From June to October, you then take a direct couchette car from Halkali to Bucharest. At other times of year you take a sleeper or couchette from Halkali to Dimitrovgrad and connecting trains to Bucharest.
In both cases, you leave Halkali at 20:00 and arrive Bucharest Nord 17:32 next day (day 2)
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Day 2, travel from Bucharest to Budapest by sleeper train Muntenia, leaving Bucharest Nord at 19:45, arriving Budapest Keleti 12:50.
The Muntenia has 4 & 6-berth couchettes and ordinary seats. A Romanian sleeping-car is attached from Bucharest as far as Arad (arrive 08:41). There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at €40 with a couchette in 6-berth or €47 with a couchette in 4-berth. These are limited-availability advance-purchase fares.
Book this at the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
If you want the comfort & privacy of a proper sleeper from Bucharest to Arad, (1) book berths in a 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper from Bucharest Nord to Arad at the Romanian Railways domestic website bilete.cfrcalatori.ro and print your own ticket. A single sleeper all to yourself costs as little as €59. Then (2) book a 2nd class seat from Arad to Budapest from €17 using the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en (you print your own ticket) or using the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (you print your own ticket or can show it in the MAV app). Booking opens 60 days ahead.
Important: The Istanbul-Bucharest train can easily arrive 60-90 minutes late, but the connection with the Muntenia in Bucharest is reasonably safe under normal circumstances. However, the Muntenia is occasionally retimed to leave earlier, reducing the connection time to just over an hour. If this happens on your date, or if the train from Istanbul runs significantly late, get off the Istanbul-Bucharest train at Videle, 70 minutes before Bucharest. You can then board the Muntenia when it stops at Videle, 70 minutes after leaving Bucharest. Or consider option 2!
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Day 3, travel from Budapest to Vienna by EuroCity train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 14:40, arriving Vienna Hbf 17:20.
An earlier connection is possible, but I'd allow for delay and book this one.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, international credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Option 2, more robust, taking 3 nights with an overnight stop in Bucharest - recommended
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Day 1, travel from Istanbul to Bucharest as shown on the Istanbul to Bucharest page.
You first take a Marmaray suburban train from Istanbul Sirkeci to Halkali. From June to October, you then take a direct couchette car from Halkali to Bucharest. At other times of year you take a sleeper or couchette from Halkali to Dimitrovgrad and connecting trains to Bucharest.
In both cases, you leave Halkali at 20:00 and arrive Bucharest Nord 17:32 next day (day 2).
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Stay overnight in Bucharest. The Hotel MyContinental Bucuresti Gara de Nord, Hello Hotels Gara de Nord & Euro Hotel Grivita are all just a 350m 5 minute walk from the station, inexpensive with good reviews. I personally didn't get on with the Grivita in spite of its good reviews, perhaps try Hello Hotels Gara de Nord. Ibis Styles Bucharest Center is an 18-minute hike from the station (see walking map), but would be a reliable choice.
However, if you want a landmark hotel in the city centre, go for the Athenee Palace Hotel, see why I love that hotel here.
Enjoy a morning in Bucharest and have lunch there.
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Day 3, take the Dacia Express leaving Bucharest Nord at 15:07, arriving Budapest Keleti 05:00 & Vienna Hbf 08:20.
The Dacia Express has a modern air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car of the latest type, some deluxe sleeper compartments have a private toilet & shower. It also has a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments.
A sleeper is the recommended option, you'll be safe and snug, although couchettes are fine. A bar car should be attached between Bucharest and Simeria, serving inexpensive drinks & snacks, but I recommend taking your own food & wine. In spring & summer when it's light, it's a wonderful scenic ride through the Carpathian mountains between Ploesti & Brasov.
Fares start at €39 with a couchette in 6-berth, €46 with a couchette in 4-berth, €69 with a bed in a 3-bed sleeper, €84 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €162 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself. All prices per person per berth.
Alternatively, you can travel from Bucharest to Budapest on the sleeper train Ister, leaving Bucharest Nord at 17:58, arriving Budapest Keleti 08:50.
The Ister has a safe & comfortable air-conditioned Romanian sleeping-car with 1, 2 or 3 bed compartments with washbasin and a Romanian couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments, and ordinary seats.
Book these sleeper trains at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro.
Booking usually opens 90 days ahead. Click EN top right for English. For Bucharest enter Bucuresti.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone.
Step 1, Istanbul to Bucharest by direct couchette car.
Bucharest-Istanbul couchette compartment in daytime and night-time modes.
The Istanbul-Bucharest train crosses the Danube from Bulgaria to Romania over a 2.5 km long steel bridge, the longest steel bridge in Europe, built in 1954 and now also provided with a road deck above the railway.
Step 2, Bucharest to Budapest & Vienna by Dacia Express. This is the sleeping-car at Bucharest Nord and 2-bed sleeper. Larger photo.
The Dacia Express couchette car at Bucharest Nord. Larger photo.
Transylvania: The Dacia Express passes villages in rural Transylvania. Courtesy of @PaliparanDotCom.
Carpathians: Alpine scenery as the Dacia Express passes through the Carpathian mountains. Courtesy @PaliparanDotCom.
Istanbul to Paris & London
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See the London to Turkey page for train times & prices in either eastbound or westbound directions.
Istanbul to all other European destinations
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Step 1, travel from Istanbul to either Budapest or Vienna as shown above.
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Step 2, travel from Budapest or Vienna to your final destination.
For Zagreb, Ljubljana, Krakow, Warsaw, change at Budapest, see the Trains from Budapest page for details.
For Prague, Bratislava, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, change in Vienna, see the Trains from Vienna page for details.
I'd allow at least an hour or two between trains in Budapest or Vienna.
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For journeys from Istanbul to western Europe, an Interrail pass (or if resident outside Europe, Eurail pass) often makes sense given the flexibility it offers.
Istanbul to Athens, Thessaloniki & Greece
Option 1, by train via Sofia & Thessaloniki with overnight stop in Thessaloniki
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Step 1, travel from Istanbul to Sofia by daily overnight train as shown on the Istanbul to Sofia page.
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Step 2, the Sofia-Thessaloniki train is currently only running between Sofia and Kulata, next to the Greek border. The Kulata-Thessaloniki part is cancelled. Make your own way, or use a Sofia-Thessaloniki bus, these take 5h, see www.flixbus.com.
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Stay overnight in Thessaloniki.
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Step 3, travel from Thessaloniki to Athens by intercity train in around 4 hours, check times & buy a ticket at the Greek Railways website www.hellenictrain.gr.
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Alternatively, you can travel by ferry from southern Turkey to Rhodes then Rhodes to mainland Greece, see the Train travel in Turkey page.
Option 2, by ferry via a Greek island
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Step 1, take a bus to Marmaris.
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Step 2, take a ferry from Marmaris to Rhodes in Southern Turkey, see www.ferriesingreece.com.
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Step 3, take a ferry from Rhodes to Piraeus (port of Athens), see www.ferriesingreece.com.
Istanbul to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan
Istanbul to Tehran & Iran
Istanbul to Odessa & Ukraine
Hotels in Istanbul
See the advice on hotels in Istanbul here, if your budget allows I recommend the famous Pera Palas Hotel.
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & VPN
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.