Barcelona to Istanbul by train
Travel from Barcelona (Spain) to Istanbul (Turkey) by train (2235km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Barcelona in Spain to Istanbul in Turkey, the main route leads via France, Germany or Switzerland, Hungary and Romania. 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.
- 1Barcelona (Spain) - Paris (France) - Munich (Germany) - Budapest (Hungary) - Bucharest (Romania) - Istanbul (Turkey)
- 2Barcelona (Spain) - Zurich (Switzerland) - Vienna (Austria) - Bucharest (Romania) - Istanbul (Turkey)
- 3Barcelona (Spain) - Milan (Italy) - Bari (Italy) - Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Istanbul (Turkey)
2235 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 Barcelona to Istanbul, 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
Istanbul - Barcelona / Barcelona - Ankara / Barcelona - Izmir / Madrid - Istanbul / Madrid - Ankara / Seville - Istanbul / Santiago de Compostela - Istanbul / Valencia - Istanbul / Alicante - Istanbul / Marbella - Istanbul1 Barcelona (Spain) - Paris (France) - Munich (Germany) - Budapest (Hungary) - Bucharest (Romania) - Istanbul (Turkey)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Barcelona (Spain) to Paris (France)
The fastest option to travel from Barcelona to Paris is by direct TGV high-speed-train. There are two direct trains with a journey time of about 6,5 hours. Train ticket fares start from 49 EUR. You find the exact schedule and saver-fares via our booking links. We recommend you to book early as otherwise the ticket prices are high.
The direct night train does not exist anymore. To travel overnight, travel first by "Rodalies Barcelona" from Barcelona Sants to Latour de Carol ("La Tor de Querol"). It is train line number 3. The ticket price is 12 EUR. Buy this ticket at a ticket machine. It is a very scenic journey of about three hours, in the middle of the Pyrenees. There you change to the night train from Latour de Carol to Paris. This ticket is available via our booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Barcelona to Paris?
Check times&prices 
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Cercanias (CER) / TGV Elipsos France - Spain (TGV Elipsos)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
ICN 3980 Latour-de-Carol - Paris
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Paris - Barcelona
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 Paris (France) to Munich (Germany)
Travel from Paris to Munich by ICE and TGV INOUI high-speed-trains. The ticket price starts at 39 EUR. The journey times is six hours. There are at least five train connections per day with only one change of trains.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Paris to Munich?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Intercity (IC) / IntercityExpress (ICE) / ICE Alleo Germany - France (ICE Alleo) / TGV Alleo France - Germany (TGV Alleo)
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Munich - Paris
1c Travelling from Munich (Germany) to Budapest (Hungary)
To travel from Munich to Budapest 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 seven hours. The Railjet trains offer at least five direct connections per day.
There is a night train available as well offering tickets from 29 EUR. The journey time of the night train is 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 Munich to Budapest?
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
Budapest - Munich
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 Budapest (Hungary) to Bucharest (Romania)
Travel from Budapest to Bucharest 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 Budapest is 19:10 and the arrival time in Bucharest is 12:30.
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 Budapest is at 07:10 and the arrival time in Bucharest is 23:59.
As third option there is the overnight train "Dacia Express". It offers sleeper compartments as well with shower and toilet. The departure station of the train is Vienna (Austria), therefore the arrival time in Bucharest is very late the next day at 16:00. The departure time in Budapest is 23:10. You can board the train already one hour earlier. The ticket fares are the same like mentioned above.
All in all it is a recommended rail trip trough the beautiful scenery trough Transylvania and of the Carpathian mountains.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Bucharest?
The following links could be interesting for you.
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
EN 347 Vienna - Bucharest / EN 473 Budapest - Bucharest
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Bucharest - Budapest
1e Travelling from Bucharest (Romania) to Istanbul (Turkey)
Travel from Bucharest to Istanbul by direct overnight train Bosphorus Express. This daily overnight train has a journey time of 18:30 hours. Train tickets start from 52 EUR.
At off-season (October to May) you have to use connection trains to get to Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria) where you can enter the overnight train. Travel from Bucharest via Ruse and Gorna Oryahovitsa to Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria) where the night train departs at 22:40. You have enough time to change trains at each of these railway station.
The direct overnight train Bucharest to Istanbul departs at "Bucharest Gara de Nord" railway station at 11:00. The arrival time in Istanbul Halkali railway station is at 05:20 in the morning. After midnight you have to leave the train at the Turkish border with all your luggage and put your luggage through an X-ray machine.
The ticket price is 38 EUR plus a supplement of 14 EUR for a berth in a 4 person compartment. Buy the ticket at the railway station in Bucharest or on the website of Romania railways CFR. Select "Halkali" as destination.
The arrival station Istanbul Halkali is located 25 kilometres outside of the historic city centre. Get by Marmaray suburban train directly to Istanbul Sirkeci railway station (the former historic railway station) and on to "Söğütlüçeşme", the departure station for the high-speed-trains in direction of Ankara. These suburban trains run every 15 minutes with a ticket fare of less than 2 EUR. The journey time from the Istanbul Halkali station to the historic city centre is 35 minutes.
Where to buy a ticket from Bucharest to Istanbul?
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
Istanbul - Bucharest
2 Barcelona (Spain) - Zurich (Switzerland) - Vienna (Austria) - Bucharest (Romania) - Istanbul (Turkey)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Barcelona (Spain) to Zurich (Switzerland)
Travel from Spain to Switzerland by train. Travel first from your departure railway station to Barcelona. From Barcelona you have three main travel routes to Switzerland: via Paris, via Lyon and via Geneva.
Usually you have to book two train tickets. Sometimes it is possible to book your hole journey just in one ticket. Just try.
1. One train ticket to travel from your departure railway station in Spain to Barcelona.
2. One train ticket from Barcelona to your travel destination in Switzerland. Calculate with a journey time of about 10 hours and ticket fares from 65 EUR.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking-links.
Where to buy a ticket from Barcelona to Zurich?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
TGV Lyria France - Switzerland (Lyria) / TGV Elipsos France - Spain (TGV Elipsos)
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Zurich - Barcelona / Barcelona - Basel / Barcelona - Bern / Barcelona - Geneva / Barcelona - St. Moritz / Madrid - Basel / Madrid - Zurich / Madrid - Geneva / Seville - Zurich / Santiago de Compostela - Zurich
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
2b Travelling from Zurich (Switzerland) to Vienna (Austria)
Travel from Zurich to Vienna by direct day train or overnight train.
There are at least four day train connections by "Railjet" trains. The journey time is 7:50 hours. Train tickets are available from 39 EUR. This saver fare ticket is called "Sparschiene".
The overnight train is called "Nightjet" and offers comfortable travel while you are sleeping. The journey time of the NJ467 is 10:20 hours. Train tickets start from 29 EUR for a seat. There a compartments with six seats available. More comfortable are the 6 or 4 persons couchette compartments. And the sleeper compartments which you can book with three, two or one bed. The departure time in Zurich is at 21:40. The arrival time in Vienna at 08:00.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Zurich to Vienna?
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.
ÖBB nightjet NJ467 Zurich - Vienna
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Vienna - Zurich
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
2c Travelling from Vienna (Austria) to Bucharest (Romania)
Travel from Vienna to Bucharest by overnight train. The journey time is 20:20 hours. Train ticket fares start from 49 EUR.
The overnight train "Dacia" (EN347) is comfortable and the recommended way of travel. There are the following service classes available:
- standard seats. Ticket fares from 49 EUR.
- couchettes: compartments with berths for 4 or 6 passengers. Ticket fares from 59 EUR.
- sleeper-wagon: private compartments with beds for 1 to 3 passengers and washbasin. Optional you can book these compartments with private shower and toilet. Ticket fares from 79 EUR for a bed in a 3-persons-compartment. And from 159 EUR for a private sleeper-compartment only for yourself.
The departure time in Vienna is 19:40 and the arrival time in Bucharest is 16:00.
Beside this direct overnight train you can travel first by Railjet day train from Vienna to Budapest. And change in Budapest to a night train to Bucharest.
All in all it is a recommended rail trip trough the beautiful scenery trough Transylvania and of the Carpathian mountains.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Vienna to Bucharest?
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 346 Bucharest - Vienna / EN 347 Vienna - Bucharest / EN 473 Budapest - Bucharest / EN 472 Bucharest - Budapest
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Bucharest - Vienna
2d Travelling from Bucharest (Romania) to Istanbul (Turkey)
Travel from Bucharest to Istanbul by direct overnight train Bosphorus Express. This daily overnight train has a journey time of 18:30 hours. Train tickets start from 52 EUR.
At off-season (October to May) you have to use connection trains to get to Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria) where you can enter the overnight train. Travel from Bucharest via Ruse and Gorna Oryahovitsa to Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria) where the night train departs at 22:40. You have enough time to change trains at each of these railway station.
The direct overnight train Bucharest to Istanbul departs at "Bucharest Gara de Nord" railway station at 11:00. The arrival time in Istanbul Halkali railway station is at 05:20 in the morning. After midnight you have to leave the train at the Turkish border with all your luggage and put your luggage through an X-ray machine.
The ticket price is 38 EUR plus a supplement of 14 EUR for a berth in a 4 person compartment. Buy the ticket at the railway station in Bucharest or on the website of Romania railways CFR. Select "Halkali" as destination.
The arrival station Istanbul Halkali is located 25 kilometres outside of the historic city centre. Get by Marmaray suburban train directly to Istanbul Sirkeci railway station (the former historic railway station) and on to "Söğütlüçeşme", the departure station for the high-speed-trains in direction of Ankara. These suburban trains run every 15 minutes with a ticket fare of less than 2 EUR. The journey time from the Istanbul Halkali station to the historic city centre is 35 minutes.
Where to buy a ticket from Bucharest to Istanbul?
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
Istanbul - Bucharest
3 Barcelona (Spain) - Milan (Italy) - Bari (Italy) - Igoumenitsa (Greece) - Thessaloniki (Greece) - Istanbul (Turkey)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
3a Travelling from Barcelona (Spain) to Milan (Italy)
To travel by train from Spain to Italy in one day is possible on the route Barcelona (Spain) to Milan (Italy).
A more relaxing way is to have an overnight stop in between, for example in Nice (France).
If you want to use a ferry, have a look at the connection from Barcelona (Spain) by overnight ferry to Civitavecchia (Italy) which is located one hour by train to Rome.
Find the exact schedules and book your tickets via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Barcelona to Milan?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Transport Express Régional (TER) / InterCity (IC) / TGV France - Italy (TGV) / TGV Elipsos France - Spain (TGV Elipsos)
ferry: Ferry connections that might be helpful.
Barcelona - Civitavecchia / Barcelona - Livorno
train company:
SNCF Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français / RENFE Renfe Operadora / TRENITALIA Trenitalia - Ferrovie dello stato
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Milan - Barcelona / Barcelona - Rome / Barcelona - Venice / Barcelona - Florence / Madrid - Milan / Madrid - Rome / Madrid - Venice / Madrid - Florence / Santiago de Compostela - Rome / Seville - Rome
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
3b Travelling from Milan (Italy) to Bari (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 Milan to Bari?
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
Bari - Milan / 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
3c Travelling from Bari (Italy) to Igoumenitsa (Greece)
Travel from Bari to Igoumenitsa 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 Bari from the train station to the ferry port:
It is a distance of 2 kilometers from „Bari Centrale“ railway station to the ferry terminal. You can either walk which will take about 25 minutes. Or you travel by bus line number 50. It is a circle line from „Bari Centrale“ (departure directly in front of the train station) to „Stazione Marittima“. The bus runs every 20 minutes and the ticket price is 1 EUR (buy the ticket inside of the train station). The bus journey time is 15 minutes.
The ferry port of Bari has two terminals.
1. „Terminal Crociere“ is for ferry departures in direction of Greece.
2. „Terminal Porto di Bari“ is for ferry departures other than Greece, for example in direction of 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.
How you get in Igoumenitsa from the ferry port to the bus station:
There is no railway station in Igoumenitsa. You have to take the bus to continue your journey. From the ferry terminal you have to walk 10 minutes to the south to get to the KTEL bus terminal. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops nearby.
There are daily bus connections for example to Thessaloniki with a journey time of 4 hours.
Where to buy a ticket from Bari to Igoumenitsa?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Igoumenitsa - Bari
3d Travelling from Igoumenitsa (Greece) to Thessaloniki (Greece)
Travel from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki by bus. There is no train connection available.
The bus journey time from Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki 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.
From the ferry terminal you have to walk 10 minutes to the south to get to the KTEL bus terminal. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops nearby so make sure that you buy a few snacks and drinks before leaving since there is no catering on board of the bus.
Once the 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.
Thessaloniki Macedonia Intercity bus station is one of the biggest and most impressive bus stations in Greece. To get from the bus station to the train station of Thessaloniki you have to use the urban bus lines 45, 45A or 45B. The departure is in front of the terminal. 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).
From Thessaloniki bus station you have three bus connections daily to Istanbul. 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 Igoumenitsa to Thessaloniki?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Thessaloniki - Igoumenitsa
3e Travelling from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Istanbul (Turkey)
Travel from Greece to Turkey by bus. There exists no direct train connection anymore. If you want to travel by train, travel from Thessaloniki to Sofia (Bulgaria) and from there to Istanbul. But it takes a lot more time than by bus.
There are several direct (overnight) bus connections available from the bigger Greek cities (Athens, Thessaloniki, ...) to Istanbul (Turkey). Find bus and train schedules via the booking links provided.
The bus journey time from Thessaloniki to Istanbul 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.
Athens = Atina
Thessaloniki = Selanik
Istanbul = Istanbul Avrupa
Where to buy a ticket from Thessaloniki to Istanbul?
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
Istanbul - Thessaloniki / Athens - Istanbul / Athens - Ankara / Athens - Izmir / Thessaloniki - Ankara / Alexandroupoli - Istanbul / Piraeus - Istanbul / Patras - Istanbul / Igoumenitsa - Istanbul / Larissa - Istanbul
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Do you have questions about the connection between Barcelona and Istanbul? 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.
