Bulgaria - Istanbul

[laird]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to find a way of reserving a place on the Bosfor Express for a journey next month between Ruse and Istanbul and then from Istanbul to Sofia.
If the CFR/BDZ document was correct I'd be able to get a sleeper cabin Ruse-Istanbul-Stara Zagora. Or failing that a couchette Ruse-Istanbul-Sofia.

Has anyone managed to make a booking from the UK, and if so how?

I've been through the usually helpful companies, Wasteels Bucharest, Ffestiniog, International Rail, Voyages SNCF, E Rail, European Rail, Rail Canterbury but without luck. DB came close the trains are in their system but all show no availability.

Thanks for any thoughts, advice or tips.

 

[Squaddie]

seat61.com reports that replacement buses are running again on this route, in both Turkey and Bulgaria, due to major engineering works. Here's what it says (as of late summer 2014):

Summary: OK, so the Sofia-Istanbul 'train' is currently a train-bus-train-bus, and the Bucharest-Istanbul 'train' is currently train-bus-bus-train-bus (I think...). The situation keeps changing and I'm no longer going to keep up with it. Just go, and expect buses or trains as you find them.

 

[dutchflyer]

its even worse- on a well-informed German forum (DSO-there is a very knowledgeable man working in IST) due to extreme low demand, its from next week ALL bus in Turkey too!
On the usual traveller-sites these Qs are always met by: dont bother, the train is more empty as full, just pay conductor, or ''I was the only 1 in the whole car''.
Instead of all these changes bus/train, I would opt for a direct bus (from about any major town in either ROM or BG) to IST, from f.e. Sofia there are up to 6-8/day. DO get your Turkey tourist-entry visum before travel online!!

 

[33056]

DO get your Turkey tourist-entry visum before travel online!!

Just to add, do make sure that you use the official Turkish Government website to do this, https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/, there are some sites out there that will rip you off for a processing fee in addition to the cost of the visa. The process is really easy and the visa gets issued as a PDF file almost immediately and is valid for six months for as many visits as you like not exceeding 90 days.

 

[Squaddie]

It would be nice if the OP were to return to this thread and let us know how he got on.

 

[laird]

I've made it back alive, well and having enjoyed Istanbul.

The Bucharest to Sofia service is operating (by day). Passengers for stations to Dimitrovgrad Sever and Istanbul change trains at Gorna Oryahovitsa. A two coach loco hauled train travels over the recently relayed track. On arrival at Dimitrograd Sever there is quite a rush to get everyone aboard the bus to Kapikule.

The Bulgarian bus then calls at all the local stations from Dimitrovgrad Sever to the border. The roads are not smooth and large sections of the journey are made along narrow single track sections leading to the smaller stations.

Arrival at the border means waiting with lots of stops and starts, getting in and out of the coach as you first go through Bulgarian Passport control, then Turkish passport control and lastly customs.
My journey through was delayed by an American backpacker who started insisting that his tax refund claim form was stamped by the Bulgarian passport control officer. The officer seemed to take a dislike to this insistence and then took the passport away for a more detailed examination. Eventually the decision was made to leave the American and his friend behind at the border post.

Kapikule station is adjacent to the Turkish side of the border. On arrival the far nicer Turkish coach was waiting, toilets are provided at the station. Arrival at Sirkeci station was a little before 6am.

On the return journey the Turkish coach departed on time at 10pm, stopping twice at the equivalent of motorway services before depositing the passengers into the waiting room at Kapikule station.

From Kapikule it was the Bulgarian bus, this time I stayed on to Yabalkovo, a small modern station where a train to Plovdiv was awaiting our arrival.

At Plovdiv a connection is made with a service to Sofia.

No reservations are required for the services. With the exception of Bucharest to Sofia 1st class is available.