08.02.2026 23:21
The relevant organization of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ, has also started selling tickets for the Istanbul-Sofia Express online as of today, following the Van-Tehran Train within the scope of international passenger transportation. With the addition of sleeper cars to the train during the summer season, a connection to Bucharest is also provided. Tickets are offered to citizens at affordable prices.
According to information obtained from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ aims to increase passenger satisfaction and adapt railway transportation to the requirements of the age. With its infrastructure works, it has expanded international ticket sales to all channels.
ISTANBUL-SOFIA EXPRESS TICKETS ON SALE
Thus, the Istanbul-Sofia Express tickets, which were previously available only from a limited number of ticket offices, are now available for sale through the website, mobile application, and all ticket offices across Turkey. The Istanbul-Sofia Express operates daily round trips between Istanbul (Halkalı) and Sofia, providing railway transportation between Turkey and Europe. The journey, which takes approximately half a day, takes place along the route of Halkalı, Çerkezköy, Edirne, Kapıkule, Svilengrad, Dimitrovgrad, and Sofia. The train departs from Istanbul at 20:00 and arrives in Sofia at 11:48, while it departs from Sofia at 18:50 and arrives in Istanbul at 09:56.
FARE AND COACH OPTIONS
Passengers on the Istanbul-Sofia Line are offered different accommodation options. One-way ticket prices from Halkalı to Sofia are 36.40 Euros per person in a 4-person sleeper coach, 41.40 Euros per person in a 2-person sleeper coach, and 74.60 Euros in a 1-person sleeper coach.
BUCHAREST CONNECTION ALSO PROVIDED
During the summer season, sleeper coaches have been added to the train to provide a connection to Bucharest. The one-way ticket price from Halkalı to Bucharest is set at 75.70 Euros per person in a 4-person sleeper coach, while there is no restaurant car in the train composition.
VAN-TEHRAN SERVICES CONTINUE
International digital ticket sales were first launched by TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ for the Van-Tehran Train last year. The Tehran-Van train departs from Tehran every Wednesday and Sunday at 12:35 and arrives in Van at 11:00, while the Van-Tehran train departs from Van every Monday and Thursday at 21:00 and arrives in Tehran at 18:00. Tickets for the route, which operates two days a week in both directions, are available for sale at ticket offices and online, with the one-way sleeper coach fare set at 26.20 Euros per person.
DIGITAL TICKET CONTROL AND REFUND CONDITIONS
As part of the digital ticket application, passengers can present their tickets printed in A4 format with the barcode visible or in PDF format via mobile devices to the control officers. Ticket refunds are made with a 10% deduction for European routes and a 20% deduction for Middle Eastern routes, provided they are made at least 24 hours before the train's departure. Ticket changes can be made without deduction once within the same period. A total of 31,000 passengers traveled with the Istanbul-Sofia Express last year, and 30,000 passengers were transported from the date of the resumption of services on March 9, 2025, with the Van-Tehran Train.
TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ continues to bring railway travel in line with the requirements of the age through its "Passenger Transport Platform," developed with domestic and national resources, which won the first prize at the Turkey Informatics Awards 2025, along with its online sales platform, mobile applications, contactless transaction infrastructures, and digital integration efforts on international routes. With the opening of online sales for the Istanbul-Sofia Express, the company has also brought digital access to international passenger transportation to the European line.
"REACHING A SAFE AND COMFORTABLE RAILWAY TRAVEL HAS BECOME EASIER"
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, in a statement regarding the matter, drew attention to the fact that train tickets are sold online on railways around the world, and stated that studies have been initiated for the digital sale of tickets for international trains operating on Turkey's railways.
Uraloğlu noted that the "Domestic and National Passenger Transport Platform" developed as a result of these studies was first used for the digital sale of Van-Tehran Train tickets, and added: "In addition to the investments made in all modes of transportation recently, our efforts to integrate developing technology into these modes of transportation are continuing rapidly. In this context, we have moved the ticket sales to a digital platform to ensure that domestic and foreign passengers on Turkey's railways, which open to the world, can more easily access tickets for safe and comfortable railway travel. Thus, reaching a safe and comfortable railway travel has become even easier."