A Night Aboard the Istanbul-Sofia Express
All aboard the night train
Technically, this is not a travel blog, though it has begun to feel that way at times lately. But today I'm going to do my best to write an actual travel blog-style post, because the Istanbul- Sofia Express was a cool, unique experience, but it's hard to find comprehensive information about it online.
The Istanbul-Sofia Express is an overnight train that runs both directions between the bustling metropolis of Istanbul, Turkey, and the underrated Eastern European gem of Sofia, Bulgaria. I only took the train from Istanbul to Sofia, so I won't be able to comment on the service going east, but my journey out of Turkey into Bulgaria was unlike any journey I've taken before.
For starters, you can't buy tickets online, you have to go in person to Sirkeci station (located conveniently in the old city, not too far from Topkepi Palace) to purchase your spot from the International Tickets desks. When I went to buy my ticket, there was only one person working the entire ticket booth, both domestic and international, but when I asked him he simply moved seats from one side of the booth to the other and the booking went smoothly.
Prices were very affordable; I paid roughly $75 for a private sleeper cabin, and it's about half that for a shared sleeper, and even cheaper still for a non-sleeping car ticket. Supposedly, there is one way to book online via DiscoverbyRail, and they'll even deliver your tickets to your hotel, but I didn't use that service (and it adds additional fees to your ticket cost). However, I was traveling in April, and it's possible that it would be more advisable to book in advance in the summer months.
One thing I did not realize when I purchased my ticket is that while you can buy your ticket at Sirkeci, the train leaves from Halkali station, on the outskirts of town. There are commuter trains from Sirkeci to Halkali, but I took an Uber for convenience (Ubers are also pretty cheap in Istanbul; it cost me less than $30 for the 45 minute ride to Halkali station from Sultanahmet). Halkali station is simple and unassuming, but nice; though the waiting area for the train only had one power outlet, so be sure to charge up before you go or have enough battery to last until you get aboard the train.
The train was scheduled to depart at 8pm, and around 7:30pm we were allowed to go through a routine security screening and board the train. My ticket was checked multiple times, which made me feel a bit more secure that I was in the right place each time as I found my cabin. The train departed just after 8, running smoothly and right on time. However, this would be the last thing that went smoothly for a while.
Almost immediately, it became clear that the car I was in had electrical problems. None of the lights worked, and me and my fellow passengers in the surrounding sleeper cars wondered if we would ever get electricity. To his credit, the train manager very quickly moved us into available cabins in another car, but it would have been a very dark, difficult night if the train had been full.
Once I was settled into my new compartment, the real fun of an overnight train experience began. I was able to get a few hours of sleep on the surprisingly comfortable bed of the cabin, but around 1:30am we were awakened and asked to disembark to go through customs. While I only had to be out of the compartment for a little while, it took at least an hour for them to get through everybody and get us on our way. On the plus side, this was really the first opportunity to get to know my fellow passengers, and I got to chat with a friendly student who is from Dallas but studies in Istanbul.
After we finally moved on from the customs stop and crossed the border into Bulgaria, we stopped yet again for an extended period. This time, customs officers came aboard and collected our passports, and returned them about 45 minutes later. Although it was close to 3am by this point, I didn't want to sleep until my passport was safely returned. Thankfully, because of the time difference with home I was able to follow along with the Padres game while waiting for the train to get moving again.
That reminds me to mention, though, that the amenities aboard the train were a strange mix of comfort and austerity. There was no wifi, which meant my service and access to information on my phone were spotty throughout the journey. But there was a power station available (once I was in a car with power, of course), as well as a mini-fridge with some water and a few snacks. The water and snacks came in very handy because there was no food available aboard the train; the only opportunity to stock up was from a little shop open near the customs office while we waited for everyone's passports to be checked.
Once we finally got past the Bulgarian customs stop, things moved a bit more smoothly. I was able to get a few more hours of sleep, and awoke to beautiful countryside in the heart of Bulgaria. I'm not sure how common the experience is, but our train seemed to stop for quite a while at small stops, which led to a bit of a delay getting to Sofia. While the scenery over the final few hours is mostly very nice, I did start to get a bit antsy as the delay became clear. We were scheduled to arrive in Sofia at 9:40am, but didn't actually arrive until about 11am.
Once in Sofia, the central station is close to metro and tram stops, which made it fairly simple to get into the heart of Sofia. I was a bit exhausted, and in need of a shower, but thankfully my airbnb let me check in early so I could drop off my things and clean up before grabbing a much-needed coffee and lunch.
All in all, I enjoyed my experience on the Istanbul-Sofia express, despite its oddities. Yes, it's a bit of a pain to have to be up for a few hours in the middle of the night; and yes, the delays were a bit frustrating; but it's also a trip unlike any other. I certainly saw more of Bulgaria than I otherwise would have, and a bit of Turkey, too (even though it was dark by the time we left the station). As the final surviving remnant of the Orient Express (at least, in theory), it has a strange charm about it. For an adventurous traveler, it's the perfect way to travel the outskirts of Europe.