Igoumenitsa to Istanbul by train
Travel from Igoumenitsa (Greece) to Istanbul (Turkey) by train (758km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel from Igoumenitsa in Greece to Istanbul in Turkey, the easiest and fastest way is by bus. There is no direct train connection anymore between these two countries. Please read the information bellow.
There are two main routes. Compare them and decide which one feeds your needs best.
- 1Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Istanbul (Turkey)
- 2Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Istanbul (Turkey)
758 km
How to use the following information: we show you the best routes and where to buy tickets. On longer routes you may need more than one ticket. Book your tickets step by step as explained. If you have questions about the route from Igoumenitsa to Istanbul, please ask in our forum. Of course, sometimes there are as well other travel routes possible.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections : popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Igoumenitsa / Athens - Istanbul / Athens - Izmir / Thessaloniki - Istanbul / Thessaloniki - Ankara / Thessaloniki - Izmir / Alexandroupoli - Istanbul / Iraklion - Istanbul / Larissa - Istanbul / Patras - Istanbul1 Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Istanbul (Turkey)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Igoumenitsa (Greece) to Thessaloniki (Greece)
Travel from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki by bus. There is no train connection available.
The bus journey time from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki is 4 hours with a stop half the way. Buy your bus ticket from 38 EUR. There are normally 3 buses per day. The KTEL bus network in Greece offers comfortable, air-conditioned buses.
From the ferry terminal you have to walk 10 minutes to the south to get to the KTEL bus terminal. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops nearby so make sure that you buy a few snacks and drinks before leaving since there is no catering on board of the bus.
Once the bus arrives you just give your luggage to the driver who puts it in the designated luggage compartment. You then show your ticket to the driver and board the bus. Your seat number is printed on your bus ticket.
Thessaloniki Macedonia Intercity bus station is one of the biggest and most impressive bus stations in Greece. To get from the bus station to the train station of Thessaloniki you have to use the urban bus lines 45, 45A or 45B. The departure is in front of the terminal. The journey time is 10 minutes with a ticket price of 1 EUR. The bus runs every hour. If you want to walk, it is a way of 30 minutes (2,5 kilometres).
From Thessaloniki bus station you have three bus connections daily to Istanbul. The journey time is 10 hours and ticket fares start at 45 EUR.
Find the exact bus schedules and buy your tickets via the given booking links. Or use this website: www.ktel-thesprotias.gr
Where to buy a ticket from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki?
Check times&prices 
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Thessaloniki - Igoumenitsa
1b Travelling from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Istanbul (Turkey)
Travel from Greece to Turkey by bus. There exists no direct train connection anymore. If you want to travel by train, travel from Thessaloniki to Sofia (Bulgaria) and from there to Istanbul. But it takes a lot more time than by bus.
There are several direct (overnight) bus connections available from the bigger Greek cities (Athens, Thessaloniki, ...) to Istanbul (Turkey). Find bus and train schedules via the booking links provided.
The bus journey time from Thessaloniki to Istanbul is 10 hours. Buy your bus ticket for this travel route from 45 EUR.
To book your ticket, use the following city names to find connections.
Athens = Atina
Thessaloniki = Selanik
Istanbul = Istanbul Avrupa
Where to buy a ticket from Thessaloniki to Istanbul?
The following links could be interesting for you.
bus: Bus connections that might be helpful.
Istanbul - Athens / Athens - Istanbul / Thessaloniki - Istanbul / Istanbul - Thessaloniki
train company:
TCDD Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları / OSE TRAINOSE / METU Metro Turizm / CRZH Crazy Holidays
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Thessaloniki / Athens - Istanbul / Athens - Ankara / Athens - Izmir / Thessaloniki - Ankara / Alexandroupoli - Istanbul / Piraeus - Istanbul / Patras - Istanbul / Igoumenitsa - Istanbul / Larissa - Istanbul
2 Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Istanbul (Turkey)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Igoumenitsa (Greece) to Thessaloniki (Greece)
Travel from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki by bus. There is no train connection available.
The bus journey time from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki is 4 hours with a stop half the way. Buy your bus ticket from 38 EUR. There are normally 3 buses per day. The KTEL bus network in Greece offers comfortable, air-conditioned buses.
From the ferry terminal you have to walk 10 minutes to the south to get to the KTEL bus terminal. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops nearby so make sure that you buy a few snacks and drinks before leaving since there is no catering on board of the bus.
Once the bus arrives you just give your luggage to the driver who puts it in the designated luggage compartment. You then show your ticket to the driver and board the bus. Your seat number is printed on your bus ticket.
Thessaloniki Macedonia Intercity bus station is one of the biggest and most impressive bus stations in Greece. To get from the bus station to the train station of Thessaloniki you have to use the urban bus lines 45, 45A or 45B. The departure is in front of the terminal. The journey time is 10 minutes with a ticket price of 1 EUR. The bus runs every hour. If you want to walk, it is a way of 30 minutes (2,5 kilometres).
From Thessaloniki bus station you have three bus connections daily to Istanbul. The journey time is 10 hours and ticket fares start at 45 EUR.
Find the exact bus schedules and buy your tickets via the given booking links. Or use this website: www.ktel-thesprotias.gr
Where to buy a ticket from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Thessaloniki - Igoumenitsa
2b Travelling from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Sofia (Bulgaria)
Travel from Thessaloniki to Sofia by direct day train. The journey time is 8:30 hours. Buy your train ticket for 18 EUR at the train station in Thessaloniki.
The departure time in Thessaloniki is 05:50. The arrival time in Sofia is 14:20. There are always seats available therefore it is no problem to buy the ticket at the day of departure, even very early in the morning at Thessaloniki railway station.
Note (2022/2023): currently the train traffic is interrupted and you have to travel by bus. The bus ticket price is 15-20 EUR. Buy it via the given links or on union-ivkoni.com
No discount with Interrail/Eurail.
Where to buy a ticket from Thessaloniki to Sofia?
Buy the train ticket at a railway station. Note: in some countries you have to pay a service fee at the ticket counter. The ticket can be purchased at a station in the country of departure, also sometimes in other countries.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Sofia - Thessaloniki
2c Travelling from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Istanbul (Turkey)
Travel from Sofia to Istanbul by direct overnight train. The daily train has a journey time of 11 hours. Train tickets start from 29 EUR.
The departure time in Sofia is 18:30 and the arrival time in Istanbul is 05:30. Buy your train ticket locally at the railway station of Sofia. The ticket price is 19 EUR plus a supplement of 10 EUR for a 4-berth couchette or 15 EUR for a 2-bed sleeper. The private sleeper compartment for one single traveller is 28 EUR plus a supplement of 35 EUR. In the middle of the night at the border, you have to get out of the train with all your luggage put it through an X-ray machine.
The arrival station is Istanbul Halkali which is located 25 kilometres outside of the historic city centre. Get by Marmaray suburban train in direction of the city centre, to the old Istanbul Sirkeci railway station. These suburban trains run every 15 minutes with a ticket fare of less than 2 EUR. The journey time is 35 minutes.
If you want to continue your journey in direction of Ankara, continue by Marmaray suburban train until the station "Söğütlüçeşme. Here is the departure of the high-speed-trains to Ankara.
Where to buy a ticket from Sofia to Istanbul?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
D 493 Sofia - Istanbul / D 81032 Istanbul - Sofia
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Sofia
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Do you have questions about the connection between Igoumenitsa and Istanbul? Does something not work as it should? Just ask in our forum and get competent answers from our rail travel experts.
Eurail: if you want to travel this route by Eurail instead of train tickets, have a look here for reservation fees and further information.
