Tbilisi to Sofia by train
Travel from Tbilisi (Georgia) to Sofia (Bulgaria) by train (1769km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Tbilisi in Georgia to Sofia in Bulgaria, the main route leads via Turkey. An nice option is the ferry via the Black Sea. Please read the following information and blog posts.
There are two main routes. Compare them and decide which one feeds your needs best.
- 1Tbilisi (Georgia) - Batumi (Georgia) - Kars (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Sofia (Bulgaria)
- 2Tbilisi (Georgia) - Poti (Georgia) - Varna (Bulgaria) - Sofia (Bulgaria)
1769 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 Tbilisi to Sofia, 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
Sofia - Tbilisi / Tbilisi - Burgas / Tbilisi - Plovdiv / Tbilisi - Varna / Batumi - Sofia / Batumi - Burgas / Batumi - Plovdiv / Batumi - Varna / Poti - Sofia / Poti - Varna1 Tbilisi (Georgia) - Batumi (Georgia) - Kars (Turkey) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Sofia (Bulgaria)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Tbilisi (Georgia) to Batumi (Georgia)
Travel from Tbilisi to Batumi by direct train of Georgian railways. The journey time is 5:30 hours. The train ticket fare is 35 GEL (12 EUR) in 2nd class and 75 GEL (26 EUR) in 1st class.
The departure time in Tbilisi is 08:00. The arrival time in Batumi is 13:30.
Find the exact train schedule and buy your tickets via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Tbilisi to Batumi?
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.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Batumi - Tbilisi
1b Travelling from Batumi (Georgia) to Kars (Turkey)
To travel from Georgia to Turkey by train, you have to make a detour via Russia. Therefore a bus connection from Georgia to Turkey is a much faster option.
Therefore, take first a train from Tbilisi (Georgia) to Batumi (Georgia).
One bus line is from Batumi (Georgia) to Trabzon (Turkey) with at least four connections daily for about EUR 15. From Batumi (Georgia) to Istanbul (Turkey) at least two connections daily for about EUR 25. Buy this bus ticket online at Metro Turizm.
In Trabzon (Turkey) you do not have a connection to the rail network of Turkey. Therefore, the easiest way is to continue with the bus to Ankara or Istanbul.
An other option is by bus from Batumi (Georgia) to Kars (Turkey). In Kars (Turkey) you change to the train to Ankara and Istanbul.
Border crossing is currently: you leave the bus with the luggage before the border, cross the border by foot (easy) and after the border the bus picks you up again.
In future there will be a train connection from Georgia to Turkey, but it is still under construction.
Where to buy a ticket from Batumi to Kars?
Buy your ticket at the bus station or at the website of the bus company.
The following links could be interesting for you.
bus: Bus connections that might be helpful.
Batumi - Trabzon / Trabzon - Batumi
train company:
TCDD Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları / METU Metro Turizm
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Kars - Batumi / Batumi - Trabzon / Batumi - Istanbul / Tbilisi - Istanbul / Tbilisi - Ankara / Tbilisi - Izmir / Tbilisi - Adana
1c Travelling from Kars (Turkey) to Istanbul (Turkey)
To travel in Turkey by train, buy your ticket via the given booking links or locally at a train station. Via the links you also find schedules and ticket prices.
Turkey offers high-speed trains and long-distance trains which run overnight.
If no train connection is available, travel by one of the many bus connections. Bus tickets are also available via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Kars to Istanbul?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Optima Express (OPEX) / Standard (TCDD)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
Bosfor Istanbul - Bucharest / D 81032 Istanbul - Sofia
bus: Bus connections that might be helpful.
Istanbul - Athens / Istanbul - Thessaloniki
train company:
TCDD Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları / METU Metro Turizm
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Istanbul - Kars / Istanbul - Ankara / Istanbul - Izmir / Istanbul - Kars / Istanbul - Samsun / Istanbul - Edirne / Ankara - Istanbul / Ankara - Izmir / Ankara - Kars / Izmir - Ankara / Izmir - Istanbul
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 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
2 Tbilisi (Georgia) - Poti (Georgia) - Varna (Bulgaria) - Sofia (Bulgaria)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
Where to buy a ticket from Tbilisi to Poti?
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:
GEORG Sakartwelos Rkinigsa
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Poti - Tbilisi / Tbilisi - Batumi / Tbilisi - Kutaissi / Tbilisi - Tsqaltubo
2b Travelling from Poti (Georgia) to Varna (Bulgaria)
To travel from Georgia to Bulgaria, first travel by train to Poti (Georgia). In Poti you walk from the railway station to the port. Change to the ferry to Varna (Bulgaria). The journey time is about 54 hours. A ticket starts from Euro 100. In Varna take a taxi or bus to the railway station and continue your travels.
Where to buy a ticket from Poti to Varna?
Buy the ticket for the ferry directly at the ferry terminal or at the website of the ferry company.
The following links could be interesting for you.
ferry: Ferry connections that might be helpful.
Varna - Poti / Poti - Varna
train company:
BDZ Български държавни железници / GEORG Sakartwelos Rkinigsa / NAVIBUL Navibulgar
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Varna - Poti / Tbilisi - Sofia / Tbilisi - Burgas / Tbilisi - Plovdiv / Tbilisi - Varna / Batumi - Sofia / Batumi - Burgas / Batumi - Varna / Poti - Sofia / Poti - Burgas
2c Travelling from Varna (Bulgaria) to Sofia (Bulgaria)
Travel from Varna to Sofia by train. The journey time of the direct train is 7:30 hours. There are at least 4 daily direct train connections available and one by overnight train. The ticket price starts at 24 BGN (12 EUR) ins 2nd class and at 30 BGN (15 EUR) in 1st class. The travel distance is 543 kilometres.
The night train departure time in Varna is 21:40. The arrival time in Sofia is 06:50. A ticket for a standard seat costs 23 BGN (12 EUR). A ticket for a bed in a 1st class compartment costs 40 BGN (21 EUR).
Where to buy a ticket from Varna to Sofia?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Expresen Vlak (FastЗР) / Barz Vlak/Fast Train (BV) / Patnicheski Vlak (P)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
BV 3637 Sofia - Varna / BV 2627 Sofia - Varna
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Sofia - Varna
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Do you have questions about the connection between Tbilisi and Sofia? Does something not work as it should? Just ask in our forum and get competent answers from our rail travel experts.
