Istanbul to Lille by train
Travel from Istanbul (Turkey) to Lille (France) by train (2259km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Istanbul in Turkey to Lille in France, you have the following options.
First travel from Istanbul (Turkey) either via Bucharest (Romania) to Budapest (Hungary). Or from Istanbul via Sofia (Bulgaria) and Belgrade (Serbia) to Budapest.
Continue from Budapest either via Zurich (Switzerland) or Munich (Germany) to France.
There are three different travel routes. Have a look on them and decide which one fits best for you.
- 1Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Budapest (Hungary) - Zurich (Switzerland) - Lille (France)
- 2Istanbul (Turkey) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Budapest (Hungary) - Munich (Germany) - Lille (France)
- 3Istanbul (Turkey) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Bari (Italy) - Milan (Italy) - Lille (France)
2259 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 Lille, 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
Lille - Istanbul / Istanbul - Lyon / Istanbul - Marseille / Istanbul - Bordeaux / Istanbul - Strasbourg / Ankara - Paris / Ankara - Lyon / Ankara - Marseille / Izmir - Paris1 Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Budapest (Hungary) - Zurich (Switzerland) - Lille (France)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Istanbul (Turkey) to Bucharest (Romania)
Travel from Istanbul to Bucharest by direct overnight train. The daily overnight train has a journey time of 20:30 hours. The train ticket fare is 49 EUR.
At off-season (October to May) you have to leave the overnight train in Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria) at 04:30 in the morning and continue your journey via Gorna Oryahovitsa and Ruse to Bucharest.
The direct overnight train Istanbul to Bucharest departs at Istanbul Halkali station at 21:40 and arrives in Bucharest at 17:00. 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 38 EUR plus a supplement of 11 EUR for a berth in a 4 person compartment.
In off-season buy a ticket Istanbul to Dimitrovgrad. And the other tickets locally at the stations where you have enough time, at least one hour in Dimitrovgrad, Gorna Oryahovitsa and Ruse. It is also possible to buy the ticket in the train from the conductor.
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 Bucharest?
Check times&prices 
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
Bosfor Bucharest - Istanbul / Bosfor Istanbul - Bucharest
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Bucharest - Istanbul
1b Travelling from Bucharest (Romania) to Budapest (Hungary)
Travel from Bucharest to Budapest by overnight train or by day train. The journey time is 15 hours. Train tickets start from 29 EUR.
The overnight train is comfortable and the recommended way of travel. It offers couchettes for 4 or 6 persons per compartment with ticket fares from 39 EUR. And sleeper compartments for one to three travellers with ticket fares from 55 EUR. The departure time in Bucharest is 17:45 and the arrival time in Budapest is 08:50.
Beside the overnight train there is a comfortable air-conditioned Intercity train which run at daytime. Ticket fares start from 29 EUR. The departure time in Bucharest is at 05:45 and the arrival time in Budapest is 19:50.
As third option there is the overnight train "Dacia Express". It offers sleeper compartments as well with shower and toilet. Its travel destination is Vienna (Austria), therefore the arrival time in Budapest is very early at 04:50. The departure time in Bucharest is 14:00. The ticket fares are the same like mentioned above.
All in all it is a recommended rail trip trough the beautiful scenery of the Carpathian mountains and into Transylvania.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Bucharest to Budapest?
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.
EN 346 Bucharest - Vienna / EN 472 Bucharest - Budapest
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Budapest - Bucharest
1c Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Zurich (Switzerland)
There are direct train connections from Budapest to Zurich. During the day with the Railjet and overnight with the Nightjet night-train.
The travel time from Budapest to Zurich by train is just 10.5 hours.
Ticket prices for the Railjet start at 44 euros. For the nightjet night train, ticket fares start at 29 euros in the seating car, 49 euros in the couchette car and 69 euros in the sleeping car.
We personally recommend the train connection with the night-train. It saves you a hotel stay and is very convenient and comfortable.
It is worth booking early so that you can get saver-fares. You can find the current ticket prices and the timetable via our booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Zurich?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Railjet (RJ) / ÖBB Nightjet (NJ)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
EN 40467 Zurich - Budapest / EN 40462 Budapest - Zurich
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Zurich - Budapest
1d Travelling from Zurich (Switzerland) to Lille (France)
There are three main train routes from Switzerland to France. With the "TGV Lyria" high-speed train from Zurich and Basel to Paris. And with regional trains from Basel to Strasbourg and from Geneva to Lyon.
The ticket price for the "TGV Lyria" train starts from 40 EUR. Train tickets for the regional trains from Basel and Geneva to France start from 24 EUR.
You find the best route, timetable and ticket fares via our booking links.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
TGV Lyria France - Switzerland (Lyria)
train company:
SNCF Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français / SBB Schweizerische Bundesbahnen
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Lille - Zurich / Zurich - Paris / Basel - Paris / Zurich - Strasbourg / Basel - Strasbourg / Zurich - Lyon / Basel - Lyon / Zurich - Marseille / Basel - Marseille / Geneva - Paris / Lucerne - Paris
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
2 Istanbul (Turkey) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Budapest (Hungary) - Munich (Germany) - Lille (France)
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 Belgrade (Serbia)
Travel from Sofia to Belgrade by direct day train connection. In off-season (October to May) you have to change trains in Dimitrovgrad and Niš. Sometimes an overnight train is offered as well.
The journey time from Sofia to Belgrade by direct day train is 09:15 hours. Train tickets are available from 21 EUR in 2nd class. Buy your ticket locally at the railway station. The departure time in Sofia is 09:15. The arrival time in Belgrade (Topcider) is 18:30.
If no direct train is available, you have to travel in several steps:
1. Sofia to Niš.
2. Niš to Dimitrovgrad.
3. Dimitrovgrad to Belgrade.
Find the exact schedules via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Sofia to Belgrade?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Belgrade - Sofia
2c Travelling from Belgrade (Serbia) to Budapest (Hungary)
Travel from Serbia to Hungary by direct train on the route from Belgrade, Novi Sad to Budapest.
There are saver fare tickets available from 15 EUR.
2021: the direct route Belgrade, Novi Sad to Budapest is under construction. The best option is to travel by train from Belgrade to Zagreb and from Zagreb to Budapest if you want to avoid changes and buses.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your train tickets via the given booking websites.
Where to buy a ticket from Belgrade to Budapest?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
EuroCity (EC)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
B340 Belgrade - Budapest
train company:
MÁV Magyar Államvasutak - MÁV START
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Budapest - Belgrade / Novi Sad - Budapest
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
2d Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Munich (Germany)
To travel from Budapest to Munich by train use one of the direct Railjet trains. Train tickets are available as "Sparpreis Europa" (saver price) from 39 EUR. The journey times is about seven hours. The Railjet trains offer at least five direct connections per day.
Beside the day trains there is a night train offering seats from 29 EUR. There are first class sleepers available as well. The journey time of the night train is about 9:30 hours.
Find ticket prices and schedules via our booking links. The ticket price depends on your travel date.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Munich?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Railjet (RJ)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
EN 463 Munich - Budapest / EN 462 Budapest - Munich
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Munich - Budapest
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
2e Travelling from Munich (Germany) to Lille (France)
To travel from Germany to France by train, use a route either via Cologne to Lille/Paris by Thalys train. Or from Frankfurt or Stuttgart via Saarbrücken/Strasbourg to Paris by TGV/ICE. There is also a direct train from Frankfurt in direction of Marseille. Please use the given booking links to find schedules and ticket prices. Prices are usually the same, but sometimes vary slightly.
If you want to use a night train, have a look at the Russian night train Moscow to Paris (enter in Berlin). A very nice experience and high quality, but does not run daily!
The Europe Special price of Deutsche Bahn (German railways) is available from EUR 39. As earlier you book, as cheaper the ticket prices are.
Where to buy a ticket from Munich to Lille?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
THALYS (THY) / ICE Alleo Germany - France (ICE Alleo) / TGV Alleo France - Germany (TGV Alleo)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
EN 23J/452 Moscow - Paris
train company:
DB Deutsche Bahn / SNCF Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français / THALYS Thalys
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Lille - Munich / Berlin - Paris / Cologne - Paris / Düsseldorf - Paris / Frankfurt am Main - Paris / Hamburg - Paris / Hanover - Paris / Leipzig - Paris / Munich - Paris / Nuremberg - Paris / Stuttgart - Paris
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn / Omio planer
3 Istanbul (Turkey) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Bari (Italy) - Milan (Italy) - Lille (France)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
3a 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?
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
3b 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
3c Travelling from Igoumenitsa (Greece) to Bari (Italy)
Travel from Igoumenitsa to Bari by ferry. The journey time is 8 hours. The ticket price starts at 35 EUR. The ferry companies Superfast Ferries, ANEK Lines and Grimaldi Lines serve this route.
You will find these service categories on board of the ferry:
- standard inclinable seats which are the cheapest travel option
- shared cabins with beds: you share the cabin and the shower and toilet with other travellers.
- private cabins: from standard to luxury cabins with private bed, shower and toilet. This is the best option if you want privacy, travel with your family or friends.
The check-in time is two hours prior to departure.
How you get in Igoumenitsa from the bus station to the ferry port:
There is no railway station in Igoumenitsa. You will arrive in Igoumenitsa by bus. From the KTEL bus terminal you have to walk 10 minutes to the north to get to the ferry terminal. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops along the way.
How you get in Bari from the ferry terminal to the train station:
It is a distance of 2 kilometers from the ferry terminal to „Bari Centrale“ railway station. You can either walk which will take about 25 minutes. Or you travel by bus line number 50. It is a circle line from „Stazione Marittima“ to „Bari Centrale“ (arrival directly in front of the train station). The bus runs every 20 minutes and the ticket price is 1 EUR. The bus journey time is 15 minutes.
The ferry port of Bari has two terminals.
1. „Terminal Crociere“ is for ferry arrivals from Greece.
2. „Terminal Porto di Bari“ is for ferry arrivals other than Greece, for example from Croatia.
Between these two ferry terminals runs a free shuttle bus.
If you want to visit Bari old-town, use the lockers at the train station. These are better than the ones at the ferry terminal due to the opening times.
Where to buy a ticket from Igoumenitsa to Bari?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Bari - Igoumenitsa
3d Travelling from Bari (Italy) to Milan (Italy)
To travel in Italy by train, buy your train ticket online via the following booking links. There you find exact schedules and ticket prices. Italian state railways Trenitalia and the private operator Italo offer several types of advance fare tickets (Economy and Super Economy fares). A ticket price may vary a lot and depends on the type of train, class and time of you travel. For long-distance travel use a high-speed train, also a night train can be a good option for you.
Where to buy a ticket from Bari to Milan?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
DB ÖBB Eurocity (DB ÖBB EC) / InterCity (IC) / Frecciabianca (FB) / Frecciargento (FA AV) / Frecciarossa (FR AV) / EuroCity (IT) (EC) / TGV France - Italy (TGV) / Regionale Veloce (RV) / Italo (ITALO) / Eurocity Thello (THELLO)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
TH 220 Venice - Paris / ÖBB nightjet NJ294 Rome - Munich / ÖBB nightjet NJ40294 Rome - Vienna / ÖBB nightjet NJ236 Venice - Vienna / ICN 1559 Rome - Palermo / ICN 1963 Milan - Syracuse / ICN 765 Milan - Lecce
ferry: Ferry connections that might be helpful.
Ancona - Patras / Civitavecchia - Barcelona / Livorno - Barcelona / Ancona - Split / Bari - Dubrovnik
train company:
TRENITALIA Trenitalia - Ferrovie dello stato / THELLO Thello / NTV Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori / MINO Minoan Lines / GRIM Grimaldi Lines / BLUELINE Blueline Ferries
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Milan - Bari / Rome - Ancona / Rome - Bari / Rome - Bologna / Rome - Florence / Rome - Milan / Rome - Naples / Rome - Venice / Milan - Venice / Venice - Florence / Venice - Rome
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
3e Travelling from Milan (Italy) to Lille (France)
To travel from Italy to France, the main hub to leave Italy is Milan. Milan is very well connected to most regions of Italy. On the main travel route to France, from Milan to Marseille and Paris, you have frequent direct trains.
We recommend you the night train from Venice via Milan to Paris. It saves you travel time and it is very comfortable.
To find the exact train-schedules and ticket fares, use our booking links. As earlier you book, as cheaper the tickets are.
Where to buy a ticket from Milan to Lille?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
TGV France - Italy (TGV) / Eurocity Thello (THELLO)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
TH 220 Venice - Paris
train company:
SNCF Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français / THELLO Thello
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Lille - Milan / Rome - Paris / Venice - Paris / Milan - Paris / Milan - Marseille / Rome - Lyon / Milan - Lyon / Rome - Bordeaux / Florence - Paris / Palermo - Paris / Turin - Paris
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
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Do you have questions about the connection between Istanbul and Lille? 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.
