Bled to Ankara by train
Travel from Bled (Slovenia) to Ankara (Turkey) by train (1675km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Bled in Slovenia to Ankara in Turkey, the main route leads via Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria. Please read the following information and blog posts.
Your travel route could be like that.
1675 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 Bled to Ankara, 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
Ankara - Bled / Ljubljana - Ankara / Ljubljana - Izmir / Bled - Istanbul / Bled - Izmir1 Bled (Slovenia) - Zagreb (Croatia) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Ankara (Turkey)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Bled (Slovenia) to Zagreb (Croatia)
Travel from Slovenia to Croatia by train. There are several saver ticket fares available. The train tickets have to be purchased at a railway station.
The most important railway line between Slovenia and Croatia is the main line from Ljubljana to Zagreb via the Dobova border crossing. The journey time from Ljubljana to Zagreb is three hours. You have at least two direct trains daily. The ticket fare is 9 EUR.
Other major international train lines run from Ljubljana to Rijeka and from Ljubljana to Pula.
Find the exact train schedules and ticket fare information via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Bled to Zagreb?
Check times&prices 
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
EuroCity (EC) / Mednarodni vlak (MV)
train company:
SŽ Slovenske železnice / HŽ Hrvatske Željeznice Putnički Prijevoz
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Zagreb - Bled / Ljubljana - Zagreb / Ljubljana - Pula / Ljubljana - Split / Ljubljana - Rijeka / Ljubljana - Dubrovnik / Ljubljana - Osijek / Bled - Split / Bled - Pula
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
1b Travelling from Zagreb (Croatia) to Belgrade (Serbia)
Travel from Croatia to Serbia by direct train. There is one daily train connection on the main railway line between Zagreb and Belgrade. The journey time is seven hours. The train ticket fare is 29 EUR.
The departure time in Zagreb is 11:00. The arrival time in Belgrade 18:15.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your train ticket via the given booking links.
Important note (2023): the direct train connections from Croatia to Serbia are currently suspended.
Where to buy a ticket from Zagreb to Belgrade?
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 company:
HŽ Hrvatske Željeznice Putnički Prijevoz / SV Srbija Voz
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Belgrade - Zagreb / Zagreb - Novi Sad / Zagreb - Niš / Dubrovnik - Belgrade / Osijek - Belgrade / Pula - Belgrade / Rijeka - Belgrade / Split - Belgrade / Zadar - Belgrade / Knin - Belgrade
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
1c Travelling from Belgrade (Serbia) to Sofia (Bulgaria)
Travel from Belgrade to Sofia by direct day train connection. In off-season (October to May) you have to change trains in Nis and Dimitrovgrad. Sometimes an overnight train is offered as well.
The journey time from Belgrade to Sofia by direct day train is 11:30 hours. Train tickets are available from 21 EUR in 2nd class. Buy your ticket locally at the railway station. The departure time in Belgrade (Topcider) is 09:15. The arrival time in Sofia is 20:45.
If no direct train is available, you have to travel in several steps:
1. Belgrade to Nis. It might be the case that you have to stay overnight in Nis.
2. Nis to Dimitrovgrad.
3. Dimitrovgrad to Sofia.
Find the exact schedules via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Belgrade to Sofia?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Sofia - Belgrade
1d 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
1e Travelling from Istanbul (Turkey) to Ankara (Turkey)
Travel from Istanbul to Ankara by direct high-speed-train. The journey time is 4:30 hours. The train ticket prices start from 75 TRY (9 EUR) in 2nd class and 105 TRY in 1st class (12 EUR).
On the train journey from Istanbul to Ankara you will travel by a "Yüksek Hızlı Tren" (YHT) high-speed-train with a top-speed of 250 km/h. There are at least six train connections daily. The travel distance is 530 kilometres. You have to be at the train platform at least 15 minutes before departure due to X-ray scan of your luggage.
The departure train stations are "Istanbul Söğütlüçeşme" and "Istanbul Pendik". You reach "Söğütlüçeşme" by Marmaray suburban train from "Sirkeci" station. Frequent trains every 10 minutes. The journey time is 10 minutes for a ticket fare of less than 1 EUR.
"Istanbul Haydarpaşa" is under construction and maybe the YHT will start from there as well one day.
The arrival station is Ankara central railway station.
Find the exact train schedules and book your train ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Istanbul to Ankara?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Yüksek Hızlı Tren (YHT)
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Ankara - Istanbul
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Do you have questions about the connection between Bled and Ankara? 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.
