Prices announced: Train travel to Europe from 1,900 TL

TCDD Taşımacılık AŞ, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, has made tickets for the express train that runs daily between Istanbul and Sofia available on digital platforms. Previously available only at specific ticket offices, the tickets are now accessible via the website, mobile application, and all ticket offices across Turkey, simplifying the process for passengers planning their travels.

The train, which operates between Istanbul (Halkalı) and Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, also stops at Halkalı, Çerkezköy, Edirne, Kapıkule, Svilengrad, and Dimitrovgrad along the route. The journey takes approximately 12 hours; the train departs from Istanbul at 20:00 and arrives in Sofia at 11:48 the next day. The return trip from Sofia starts at 18:50 and ends in Istanbul at 09:56 the following morning.

WAGON AND PRICE OPTIONS

Various wagon options are available for passengers. A one-way ticket in a four-person couchette wagon costs 36.40 euros (approximately 1,900 TL) per person, while the price increases to 41.40 euros for two-person sleeper wagons and 74.60 euros for a single-person sleeper wagon.

During the summer months, an additional couchette wagon is added to the train, providing a connection to Bucharest. Those wishing to travel in a 4-person couchette wagon between Halkalı and Bucharest must pay 75.70 euros for a one-way ticket. There is no restaurant wagon on these trains.

Last year, digital ticket sales, which were initiated on the train line operating between Tehran and Van, have now been expanded to include the Sofia Express. There are also reciprocal services twice a week on the Iran route, with a fee of 26.20 euros per person in couchette wagons.

Passengers who purchase their tickets digitally can print them in A4 format or show them as a PDF on their mobile phones or tablets during checks before starting their train journey. For refunds of digital tickets, if the transaction is made at least 24 hours before the train departs, a 10 percent deduction is applied for tickets on European routes, and a 20 percent deduction for Middle East routes. For ticket changes made within the same timeframe, no deduction is applied for the first change.

The Istanbul-Sofia Express served a total of 31 thousand passengers last year. The Van-Tehran line carried 30 thousand passengers from its relaunch in March 2025 until the end of the year.

THE ERA OF DOMESTIC PLATFORMS IN TECHNOLOGY

TCDD Taşımacılık has taken a major step toward digitalization with the "Passenger Transport Platform" it developed to offer modern facilities to passengers. Thanks to the platform, which won first place at the 2025 Turkey Informatics Awards, innovations such as online sales, mobile applications, contactless payments, and international integration have been implemented. Thus, with the digitalization of international train tickets, the European line has also taken its place in the system.

DIGITAL TICKET STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTER

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated the following on the subject:

"Pointing out that train tickets are sold online on railways around the world, he stated that work has been initiated within this scope for the digital sale of tickets for international trains serving on railways in Turkey.

Stating that tickets for the Van-Tehran Train were the first to be sold digitally through the 'Domestic and National Passenger Transport Platform' developed as a result of these efforts, Uraloğlu noted the following:

'In addition to the investments made in all modes of transport in recent times, our work on integrating developing technology into these transport modes continues rapidly. In this context, we have moved the aforementioned ticket sales to a digital environment to ensure that domestic and foreign passengers can access tickets more easily when choosing the safe and comfortable travel of the railway on Turkey's railways opening to the world. Thus, it has now become even easier to access the safe and comfortable travel of the railway.'"

News Source: 12punto