Izmir to Saint Petersburg by train
Travel from Izmir (Turkey) to Saint Petersburg (Russia) by train (2404km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Izmir in Turkey to Saint Petersburg in Russia, the main route leads via Romania and Ukraine. Please read the following information and blog posts.
There are three different travel routes. Have a look on them and decide which one fits best for you.
- 1Izmir (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Chisinau (Moldova) - Moscow (Russia) - Saint Petersburg (Russia)
- 2Izmir (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Budapest (Hungary) - Kyiv (Ukraine) - Moscow (Russia) - Saint Petersburg (Russia)
- 3Izmir (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Budapest (Hungary) - Warsaw (Poland) - Moscow (Russia) - Saint Petersburg (Russia)
2404 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 Izmir to Saint Petersburg, 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
Saint Petersburg - Izmir / Istanbul - Saint Petersburg / Istanbul - Vladivostok / Istanbul - Yekaterinburg / Ankara - Moscow / Ankara - Saint Petersburg / Ankara - Yekaterinburg / Ankara - Vladivostok / Izmir - Moscow1 Izmir (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Chisinau (Moldova) - Moscow (Russia) - Saint Petersburg (Russia)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Izmir (Turkey) to Istanbul (Turkey)
To travel from Izmir to Istanbul, there are two route options.
1) Train:
Izmir to Eskişehir by night train (Izmir Mavi Treni). Journey time is 10 hours.
Eskişehir to Istanbul Pendik by train. Journey time is 3 hours.
You can leave Izmir at 18:00h and arrive in Istanbul at 09:00h.
2) Train and ferry:
Izmir Basmane to Bandirma Gar by train. Journey time is 6 hours.
Bandirma Sehir to Istanbul Yenikapi by ferry. Journey time is 2,5 hours.
You can leave Izmir at 08:50h and arrive in Istanbul at 18:00h.
Tickets are available via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Izmir to Istanbul?
Check times&prices 
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Izmir
1b 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?
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
1c Travelling from Bucharest (Romania) to Chisinau (Moldova)
Travel from Romania to Moldova by overnight train on the route from Bucharest to Chisinau. The journey time is 14 hours. The train ticket price starts from 25 EUR. The train route runs via Iași (Romania) and Ungheni (Moldova).
The overnight train Bucharest to Chisinau offers the following service categories:
- 2nd class: 4-bed compartments. The ticket price 135 RON (28 EUR).
- 1st class: 2-bed compartments. The ticket price 290 RON (60 EUR).
The departure time in Bucharest is 19:15. The arrival time in Chisinau is 09:30.
Additionally there are local trains from Iași (Romania) across the border to Ungheni (Moldova). Regular train connections are available from Ungheni to Chisinau.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Bucharest to Chisinau?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
402/106 Bucharest - Chisinau
train company:
CFR Căile Ferate Române / CFM Calea Ferată din Moldova
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Chisinau - Bucharest
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn / CFR
Where to buy a ticket from Chisinau to Moscow?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train company:
RZD Российские железные дороги
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Moscow - Chisinau / Chisinau - Saint Petersburg
1e Travelling from Moscow (Russia) to Saint Petersburg (Russia)
You can travel from Moscow to Saint Petersburg by Sapsan high-speed-train or by night train. The fastest travel time is 3:30 hours by Sapsan. A journey by overnight train takes 8 to 9 hours. There are 20 to 25 train connections daily around the clock. Train tickets are available from 30 EUR. You can find these train tickets as well as the exact timetable via the given booking links.
In addition to the fast Sapsan train, overnight travel is very interesting: the night trains offer many comfort categories from basic seats to luxury sleeping cabins.
Where to buy a ticket from Moscow to Saint Petersburg?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Saint Petersburg - Moscow
2 Izmir (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Budapest (Hungary) - Kyiv (Ukraine) - Moscow (Russia) - Saint Petersburg (Russia)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Izmir (Turkey) to Istanbul (Turkey)
To travel from Izmir to Istanbul, there are two route options.
1) Train:
Izmir to Eskişehir by night train (Izmir Mavi Treni). Journey time is 10 hours.
Eskişehir to Istanbul Pendik by train. Journey time is 3 hours.
You can leave Izmir at 18:00h and arrive in Istanbul at 09:00h.
2) Train and ferry:
Izmir Basmane to Bandirma Gar by train. Journey time is 6 hours.
Bandirma Sehir to Istanbul Yenikapi by ferry. Journey time is 2,5 hours.
You can leave Izmir at 08:50h and arrive in Istanbul at 18:00h.
Tickets are available via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Izmir to Istanbul?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Izmir
2b 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?
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
2c 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
2d Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Kyiv (Ukraine)
Travel from Hungary to Ukraine by direct overnight train. It is the most comfortable way of travel between Budapest and Lviv/Kiev with a journey time of 15/22 hours.
You can also travel first with a ticket from Hungarian railways MAV to Zahony. Then buy a ticket locally at the train station from Zahony to Chop. And from Chop a ticket of Ukrainian railways to your travel destination. There are several daily trains crossing the border between Zahony and Chop.
Find the exact train schedules for your travel journey and buy your train tickets via the given booking websites. The train tickets are also available at a station.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Kyiv?
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 types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
InterCity (IC) / Sebesvonat (S)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
IC 34/82 Budapest - Kyiv
train company:
MÁV Magyar Államvasutak - MÁV START / UZ Укрзалізниця
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Kyiv - Budapest / Budapest - Lviv
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn / MAV Hungary / Ukraine Railways
2e Travelling from Kyiv (Ukraine) to Moscow (Russia)
Travel from Kiev to Moscow by direct train. There are 3 to 4 train connections daily with an average travel time of 13 hours. Train tickets are available from 60 EUR. The overnight trains offer 2 and 4 berth compartments.
Find train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Kyiv to Moscow?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Moscow - Kyiv
2f Travelling from Moscow (Russia) to Saint Petersburg (Russia)
You can travel from Moscow to Saint Petersburg by Sapsan high-speed-train or by night train. The fastest travel time is 3:30 hours by Sapsan. A journey by overnight train takes 8 to 9 hours. There are 20 to 25 train connections daily around the clock. Train tickets are available from 30 EUR. You can find these train tickets as well as the exact timetable via the given booking links.
In addition to the fast Sapsan train, overnight travel is very interesting: the night trains offer many comfort categories from basic seats to luxury sleeping cabins.
Where to buy a ticket from Moscow to Saint Petersburg?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Saint Petersburg - Moscow
3 Izmir (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Bucharest (Romania) - Budapest (Hungary) - Warsaw (Poland) - Moscow (Russia) - Saint Petersburg (Russia)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
3a Travelling from Izmir (Turkey) to Istanbul (Turkey)
To travel from Izmir to Istanbul, there are two route options.
1) Train:
Izmir to Eskişehir by night train (Izmir Mavi Treni). Journey time is 10 hours.
Eskişehir to Istanbul Pendik by train. Journey time is 3 hours.
You can leave Izmir at 18:00h and arrive in Istanbul at 09:00h.
2) Train and ferry:
Izmir Basmane to Bandirma Gar by train. Journey time is 6 hours.
Bandirma Sehir to Istanbul Yenikapi by ferry. Journey time is 2,5 hours.
You can leave Izmir at 08:50h and arrive in Istanbul at 18:00h.
Tickets are available via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Izmir to Istanbul?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Izmir
3b 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?
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
3c 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
3d Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Warsaw (Poland)
Travel from Budapest to Warsaw by train. There exists one direct day train and one direct overnight train. More train connections are available with a change of trains. The journey time is 10:30 hours. The ticket price starts at 19 EUR.
1) Travel by day train connection.
The journey time is 10:30 hours. The departure time in Budapest is 08:40. The arrival time in Warsaw is 19:10. The ticket price starts at 19 EUR.
2) Travel by overnight train EN476.
The departure time in Budapest is 19:25. The arrival time in Warsaw is 09:10. The train offers the following service categories:
- standard seats from 19 EUR.
- shared compartments with 4 or 6 beds from 49/59 EUR.
- private compartments with 3, 2 or 1 bed (optional with private shower and toilet) from 69/89/129 EUR.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Warsaw?
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.
EN 476/456/406 Budapest - Warsaw / EN 407/477 Warsaw - Budapest
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Warsaw - Budapest
3e Travelling from Warsaw (Poland) to Moscow (Russia)
Travel from Warsaw to Moscow by direct train. The journey time is 15 hours. Train tickets are available from 150 EUR. The trains run overnight via Belarus and offer compartments with 1, 2 or 4 berths. They are very comfortable and high quality.
If you want to avoid Belarus, you can travel via Ukraine.
First travel from Warsaw to Kiev by day or overnight train. The journey time is 15 hours, tickets are available from 45 EUR. Then travel from Kiev to Moscow. The journey time is 13 hours and tickets are available from 70 EUR.
Find train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Warsaw to Moscow?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Moscow - Warsaw
3f Travelling from Moscow (Russia) to Saint Petersburg (Russia)
You can travel from Moscow to Saint Petersburg by Sapsan high-speed-train or by night train. The fastest travel time is 3:30 hours by Sapsan. A journey by overnight train takes 8 to 9 hours. There are 20 to 25 train connections daily around the clock. Train tickets are available from 30 EUR. You can find these train tickets as well as the exact timetable via the given booking links.
In addition to the fast Sapsan train, overnight travel is very interesting: the night trains offer many comfort categories from basic seats to luxury sleeping cabins.
Where to buy a ticket from Moscow to Saint Petersburg?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Saint Petersburg - Moscow
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