Istanbul to Igoumenitsa by train
Travel from Istanbul (Turkey) to Igoumenitsa (Greece) by train (758km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel from Istanbul in Turkey to Igoumenitsa in Greece, 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.
- 1Istanbul (Turkey) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Igoumenitsa (Greece)
- 2Istanbul (Turkey) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Igoumenitsa (Greece)
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 Istanbul to Igoumenitsa, 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
Igoumenitsa - Istanbul / Istanbul - Thessaloniki / Istanbul - Alexandroupoli / Istanbul - Larissa / Istanbul - Patras / Istanbul - Iraklion / Ankara - Athens / Ankara - Thessaloniki / Ankara - Alexandroupoli / Izmir - Athens1 Istanbul (Turkey) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Igoumenitsa (Greece)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Istanbul (Turkey) to Thessaloniki (Greece)
Travel from Turkey to Greece by bus. There exists no direct train connection anymore. If you want to travel by train, travel from Istanbul to Sofia (Bulgaria) and from there to Thessaloniki. But it takes a lot more time than by bus.
There are several direct (overnight) bus connections available from Istanbul (Turkey) to bigger Greek cities (Athens, Thessaloniki, ...). Find bus and train schedules via the booking links provided.
The bus journey time from Istanbul to Thessaloniki 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.
Istanbul = Istanbul Avrupa
Thessaloniki = Selanik
Athens = Atina
Where to buy a ticket from Istanbul to Thessaloniki?
Check times&prices 
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
Thessaloniki - Istanbul / Istanbul - Athens / Istanbul - Alexandroupoli / Istanbul - Igoumenitsa / Istanbul - Iraklion / Istanbul - Larissa / Istanbul - Patras / Ankara - Athens / Ankara - Thebes / Izmir - Athens
1b Travelling from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Igoumenitsa (Greece)
Travel from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa by bus. There is no train connection available.
The bus journey time from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa 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.
The Thessaloniki Macedonia Intercity bus station is one of the biggest and most impressive bus stations in Greece. To get from Thessaloniki railway station to the bus station you have to use the urban bus lines 45, 45A or 45B. The departure is in front of the railway station. 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).
Once the KTEL long-distance 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.
To get from Igoumenitsa bus station to the ferry terminal you have to walk 10 minutes to the north. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops nearby so make sure that you buy a few snacks and drinks before you board the ferry.
There are hree bus connections daily from Istanbul to Thessaloniki. 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 Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Igoumenitsa - Thessaloniki
2 Istanbul (Turkey) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Igoumenitsa (Greece)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Istanbul (Turkey) to Sofia (Bulgaria)
Travel from Istanbul to Sofia by direct overnight train. The daily train has a journey time of 12 hours. Train tickets start from 29 EUR.
The train departure time in Istanbul Halkali station is at 21:40 and the arrival time in Sofia is 08:40. Buy your train ticket locally at the Istanbul Sirkeci train station (ticket window 4). This is not the departure station Istanbul Halkali. 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 there is a control at the border.
The departure station Istanbul Halkali is located 25 kilometres outside of the historic city centre. Buy your ticket for the overnight train at Istanbul Sirkeci railway station and get by Marmaray suburban train directly to Istanbul Halkali 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 come by train from Ankara, the Marmaray suburban train station is "Söğütlüçeşme". From there you get directly to "Istanbul Sirkeci" (buy the overnight train ticket) and on to "Istanbul Halkali" (departure of the overnight train).
Where to buy a ticket from Istanbul 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.
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
Sofia - Istanbul
2b Travelling from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Thessaloniki (Greece)
Travel from Sofia to Thessaloniki by direct day train. The journey time is 8:30 hours. Buy your train ticket for 35 BGN (18 EUR) at the train station in Sofia.
The departure time in Sofia is 15:00. The arrival time in Thessaloniki is 23:30. There are always seats available therefore it is no problem to buy the ticket at the day of departure.
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 Sofia to Thessaloniki?
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
Thessaloniki - Sofia
2c Travelling from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Igoumenitsa (Greece)
Travel from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa by bus. There is no train connection available.
The bus journey time from Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa 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.
The Thessaloniki Macedonia Intercity bus station is one of the biggest and most impressive bus stations in Greece. To get from Thessaloniki railway station to the bus station you have to use the urban bus lines 45, 45A or 45B. The departure is in front of the railway station. 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).
Once the KTEL long-distance 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.
To get from Igoumenitsa bus station to the ferry terminal you have to walk 10 minutes to the north. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops nearby so make sure that you buy a few snacks and drinks before you board the ferry.
There are hree bus connections daily from Istanbul to Thessaloniki. 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 Thessaloniki to Igoumenitsa?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Igoumenitsa - Thessaloniki
Need a cheap place to sleep? We recommend booking.com
Find a cheap flight! Compare prices on Kiwi.com
Do you have questions about the connection between Istanbul and Igoumenitsa? 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.
