Istanbul to Sofia tickets

[Richard Scott]

Can anyone recommend a website or contact that can obtain tickets for the Istanbul to Sofia train in advance?
I found one (Discover by Rail) but I asked a few questions and he's thrown a strop on me, won't answer my questions and now asked me to stop contacting him without giving me a reason.

 

[SandsofEss]

Amber Travel Turkey can buy the tickets in Istanbul on your behalf.

The Sofia branch of Wasteels travel agency charges €20 to book tickets from Sofia to Halkali but can probably do the reverse journey too.

Both more knowledgeable, more friendly and more reasonably priced than Discover by Rail.

 

[Richard Scott]

Amber Travel Turkey can buy the tickets in Istanbul on your behalf.

The Sofia branch of Wasteels travel agency charges €20 to book tickets from Sofia to Halkali but can probably do the reverse journey too.

Both more knowledgeable, more friendly and more reasonably priced than Discover by Rail.

Thanks very much, I'll give them a go.

 

[SandsofEss]

Pleasure. I suspect Wasteels will work out the cheaper of the two but if you have time there’s no harm getting a quote from both.

Drop me a line if you have any questions. I travelled this route recently in reverse, so ended up doing quite a bit of research.

 

[Richard Scott]

Pleasure. I suspect Wasteels will work out the cheaper of the two but if you have time there’s no harm getting a quote from both.

Drop me a line if you have any questions. I travelled this route recently in reverse, so ended up doing quite a bit of research.

Thank you will do. We want to get tickets in advance as don't want to risk there being no availability when we arrive in Turkey. We have a day in Istanbul, are there any decent loco hauled routes which we can do out and back in a day? Looks like Ankara is all high speed trains now?

 

[SandsofEss]

Thank you will do. We want to get tickets in advance as don't want to risk there being no availability when we arrive in Turkey. We have a day in Istanbul, are there any decent loco hauled routes which we can do out and back in a day? Looks like Ankara is all high speed trains now?

Now that I don’t know I’m afraid. My onward travel from Istanbul was on a high speed train. The metro and trams are very modern too. There may be some local trains that are loco-hauled - possibly heading towards Edirne.

That said, if you’ve not been to Istanbul before it’s worth spending the day just soaking up the old town. Or, if other transport appeals, a ferry on the Bosporus from Sirkeci to Haydarpasa for the traditional experience.

 

[Richard Scott]

Now that I don’t know I’m afraid. My onward travel from Istanbul was on a high speed train. The metro and trams are very modern too. There may be some local trains that are loco-hauled - possibly heading towards Edirne.

That said, if you’ve not been to Istanbul before it’s worth spending the day just soaking up the old town. Or, if other transport appeals, a ferry on the Bosporus from Sirkeci to Haydarpasa for the traditional experience.

Thanks for info, we will have a day to spend there as well so will take note of your recommendations.

 

[Segedunum]

There are some loco-hauled trains but in general, the only vaguely-frequent long-distance rail service is the high-speed route to Ankara.

Just take the time to explore Istanbul - the Metro lines are fairly interesting, and there's two heritage tram routes (one on the Asian side, one on the European side) to try.

Regular "Marmaray" suburban rail services, too.

 

[railfan99]

In 2007, I purchased a good value, cheap Balkans All Lines Pass from the booking office at now closed Sirkeci railway station before boarding the short international overnight train. I wonder if these are available from Halkali station?

Why not try to travel on the branch from Septemvri to Dobrinsihe? It's very scenic: I did:

When the snow falls, here is where we go – to Velingrad with the narrow gauge railway, Bulgaria

This is a story of a lovely holiday in Velingrad in the winter. Just steps away from the nature and the beautiful snowy views. A snowy chapel in the forest, a narrow gauge railway train and other attractions in Velingrad. Why taking the train to Velingrad is the most romantic trip ever and what...

www.andrey-andreev.com

 

[Cross City]

When I did this journey, admittedly over 10 years ago now, it was far easier and cheaper to go on a very nice and modern Bulgarian coach.

 

[306024]

In 2007, I purchased a good value, cheap Balkans All Lines Pass from the booking office at now closed Sirkeci railway station before boarding the short international overnight train. I wonder if these are available from Halkali station?

Sirkeci station is very much open, it just doesn't have any trains at the moment. (Unless you count those downstairs in the tunnel). The international booking office window is still there which is probably the best place to get your reservation, assuming the train isn't sold out.

 

[railfan99]

Sirkeci station is very much open, it just doesn't have any trains at the moment. (Unless you count those downstairs in the tunnel). The international booking office window is still there which is probably the best place to get your reservation, assuming the train isn't sold out.

In 2007 the fellow there spoke excellent English. Highly likely the clerk will still do that.

 

[Richard Scott]

In 2007, I purchased a good value, cheap Balkans All Lines Pass from the booking office at now closed Sirkeci railway station before boarding the short international overnight train. I wonder if these are available from Halkali station?

Why not try to travel on the branch from Septemvri to Dobrinsihe? It's very scenic: I did:

When the snow falls, here is where we go – to Velingrad with the narrow gauge railway, Bulgaria

This is a story of a lovely holiday in Velingrad in the winter. Just steps away from the nature and the beautiful snowy views. A snowy chapel in the forest, a narrow gauge railway train and other attractions in Velingrad. Why taking the train to Velingrad is the most romantic trip ever and what...

www.andrey-andreev.com

Thanks, the branch is part of the plan. Have done a part of it before so always intended to go back.

 

[railfan99]

Thanks, the branch is part of the plan. Have done a part of it before so always intended to go back.

My main line train ran late, so I missed the connection. A kind male Bulgarian who'd just returned from England drove me to a station down the line: with ice on the footpath, I fell onto my back but was not injured, and then waited 20 minutes for the branch train to arrive. I gave the chap Eur20 for his kindness! (So lucky to meet him). No footpaths with ice or snow in major Oz cities anywhere so I admit to being a goose.

 

[JB_B]

In 2007 the fellow there spoke excellent English. Highly likely the clerk will still do that.

That was the case when we booked back to Bulgaria a fortnight ago.

 

[railfan99]

That was the case when we booked back to Bulgaria a fortnight ago.

If you've since travelled, how many used it?

 

[JB_B]

I’d guess maybe 30-40 passengers each way (Dimitrovgrad[BG] - Istanbul and vv) in mid May. We had no problem getting couchettes but no sleepers bookable though plenty of the cabins were unused.

 

[Richard Scott]

Amber Travel Turkey can buy the tickets in Istanbul on your behalf.

The Sofia branch of Wasteels travel agency charges €20 to book tickets from Sofia to Halkali but can probably do the reverse journey too.

Both more knowledgeable, more friendly and more reasonably priced than Discover by Rail.

Did go with Amber Travel in the end so thank you for that. Very helpful and cheaper than Discover by Rail. I wouldn't touch Discover by Rail with a barge pole after my experience.
We have a day or so in Istanbul are there local day travel tickets? If so what do they cover? Thanks in advance.

 

[Beebman]

We have a day or so in Istanbul are there local day travel tickets? If so what do they cover? Thanks in advance.

I've just returned from a few days in Istanbul. There's no day tickets, you have to use an Istanbulkart and pay for each journey by tapping in but there's a flat fare of 9.90 TRL on metros and trams which is only about 0.40 GBP. However I found that when changing lines you have to tap in again and get charged again. You can buy a card (and top up) at yellow machines at each station and tram stop.

 

[Richard Scott]

I've just returned from a few days in Istanbul. There's no day tickets, you have to use an Istanbulkart and pay for each journey by tapping in but there's a flat fare of 9.90 TRL on metros and trams which is only about 0.40 GBP. However I found that when changing lines you have to tap in again and get charged again. You can buy a card (and top up) at yellow machines at each station and tram stop.

Thanks that's really helpful.

 

[dutchflyer]

Whist now waiting for the plane to leave TR, Antalya, a +1 mln city with some trams but no trains:
1.This Balkan Pass should still be there, but its use is very,very limited, as only TR-BG and Serbije-Montenegro international trains are there and can be used. CFR the main ROmanian state operator as stepped out, in RO only an odd local ´private´ line accepts it.
And you get all the problems of finding REServation without ticket.
2.That chap at IST/Sirkeci must be the same one praised by Marc Smith from seat61 since dozens of yrs?
3.good site from an (ex, I think) TCDD official: railturkey.org. Also has all timetables, split up between types of trains.
( I myself though aiming for could not easily put in a longer train ride with visits to 4 cities with trams in the west-it was all bus, daft easy-just go to busstation and find next one out in a multitude of competing companies).

 

[JB_B]

Only one Istanbulkart machine at Halkali takes cards ( or at least was true when we came through last month) so you might save some queuing if you have some lira with you.

 

[SandsofEss]

Did go with Amber Travel in the end so thank you for that. Very helpful and cheaper than Discover by Rail. I wouldn't touch Discover by Rail with a barge pole after my experience.
We have a day or so in Istanbul are there local day travel tickets? If so what do they cover? Thanks in advance.

Glad you got it sorted.

As others have said, the Istanbulkart is the way to get around the city. Very similar to an Oyster card, though without free connections/transfers.

One thing to note - you can use one Istanbulkart for up to five people - just tap in once for each passenger.

You have to pay a fee to buy the card in the first place, so it's worth knowing you only need one.

EDIT: Earlier in the thread I recommended getting a local ferry to see the city from the water, and for the traditional way to cross between the continents. The Istanbulkart can be used on these too.

 

[Beebman]

EDIT: Earlier in the thread I recommended getting a local ferry to see the city from the water, and for the traditional way to cross between the continents. The Istanbulkart can be used on these too.

I didn't use the ferries but I did use Metrobus and the Marmaray Line to cross the Bosphorus. Metrobus is a very high-frequency bus service (typically one every 15-30 seconds!) which runs along bus lanes in the central reservation of a motorway but joins the main carriageway over the original Bosphorus Bridge. It has left-hand running so that the doors of the buses are alongside island platforms at stops but switches to right-hand running over the Bridge via underpasses. Note though that accessibility to stops is rather difficult with long, high footbridges having many steps, also drivers are VERY heavy with braking so hold on tight! But it's definitely worth a ride.

The Mamaray Line as I'm sure many people know is a Crossrail/Elizabeth Line-type service run by the TCDD which links existing surburban lines on the European and Asian sides. It, the Metrobus and the ferries have special fare tariffs with the Istanbulkart which I couldn't find at the time I was there but I've just found this article dated 4 days ago which lists them:

https://www.haberturk.com/istanbul-...etro-metrobus-marmaray-kac-tl-basiyor-3517078

The page is in Turkish but the tables showing Metrobus and Mamaray prices (scroll down) have labels in English and the fares are based on the number of stops travelled. (The maximum fare on Mamaray for up to 43 stations is 21.91 TRL which is still less than a quid!) The ferry fares appear to be individual to each route.

My own personal recommendation is to take a trip on tramway T3 on the Asian side in Kadıköy. This is a circular route using restored Tatra GT6 trams bought from Jena in Germany and although it's a heritage line it still has the feel of a regular service. There's also the T2 heritage tramway on the European side in Taksim which is also fun but just a little too 'touristy' for me.

 

[WideRanger]

A couple of notes:

• As pointed out by @Beebman you get charged seperately for each line you take. However, the second and subsequent trips within an hour or so are discounted.
• As mentioned by @SandsofEss you can use the card by more than one person. However, if you do that, you don't get the changing discount above.
• On the Marmaray and the Metrobus, it is in theory charged according to the number of stops. The way it does it is charge a maximum fare on entry, and then when you get off you go to a seperate machine (not the exit gate) and validate it, refunding the excess amount. However, this only works if your Istanbulkart is 'registered' which is quite a hassle and probably not worth it if you are only there for a few days.