Istanbul to Ljubljana by train
Travel from Istanbul (Turkey) to Ljubljana (Slovenia) by train (1292km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Istanbul in Turkey to Ljubljana in Slovenia, the main route leads via Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia. Please read the following information and blog posts.
Your travel route could be like that.
1292 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 Ljubljana, 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
Ljubljana - Istanbul / Istanbul - Bled / Ankara - Ljubljana / Ankara - Bled / Izmir - Ljubljana / Izmir - Bled1 Istanbul (Turkey) - Sofia (Bulgaria) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Zagreb (Croatia) - Ljubljana (Slovenia)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a 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?
Check times&prices 
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
1b 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
1c Travelling from Belgrade (Serbia) to Zagreb (Croatia)
Travel from Serbia to Croatia by direct train. There is one daily train connection on the main railway line between Belgrade and Zagreb. The journey time is eight hours. The train ticket fare is 29 EUR.
The departure time in Belgrade is 10:00. The arrival time in Zagreb 18:15.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your train ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Belgrade to Zagreb?
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
Zagreb - Belgrade / Belgrade - Dubrovnik / Belgrade - Osijek / Belgrade - Pula / Belgrade - Rijeka / Belgrade - Split / Belgrade - Zadar / Novi Sad - Zagreb / Novi Sad - Dubrovnik / Novi Sad - Split
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
1d Travelling from Zagreb (Croatia) to Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Travel from Zagreb to Ljubljana by direct train. The journey time is 2:30 hours. There are at least two direct train connections daily. The train ticket fare is 9 EUR. Buy your train ticket at a railway station.
The departure times in Zagreb are 06:30 and 12:30. The arrival times in Ljubljana are 08:50 and 15:15.
Find the exact train schedules and information to the train tickets via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Zagreb to Ljubljana?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Ljubljana - Zagreb
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Do you have questions about the connection between Istanbul and Ljubljana? 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.
