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Daily buses connect Istanbul with major cities in Bulgaria, including Sofia, Plovdiv and Haskovo, and with towns in northeastern Bulgaria. Other routes run to Romania, Macedonia and Kosovo.

Many of these buses operate from the Emniyet Garajı bus terminal, but tickets are also on sale at Istanbul's Büyük Otogar (Main Bus Terminal)

My friends at Efendi Travel may be able to help you to buy bus tickets, as well as all other travel services. More...

You may need a Bulgarian visa.

Here's how to buy bus tickets in Turkey. Efendi Travelsells tickets for buses and trains to Bulgaria, Greece and Europe. More...)

Here are the companies (with their Istanbul Büyük Otogar ticket office numbers):

Alpar Turizm (No. 37)
Buses to Plovdiv and Sofia, as well as to Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania (Kosova, Arnavutluk, Sqiperi).
Tel +90 (212) 658 3540, -3541, -2, -3; Fax 658 3956
Agents in Sofia, Tel +359 (2) 525004; in Plovdiv, Tel (2) 631 948

Derya Tur (Office No. 57)
Tel: +90 (212) 658 0292, -0293, -0298, -0299
Routes from Istanbul to K. Andreevo, Itaskovo, Stara Zagora, Gabrovo and Lovec, Bulgaria; and Tirana, Albania.

Drina Trans (No. 88)
Buses to Macedonia: Gostivar, Kumanovo, Skoplje (Üsküp) and Tetovo.
Tel +90 (212) 658 1851, office@drinatrans.com

Fatih Turizm (No. 156)
Daily buses to Haskovo and Kardzali (Kırcalı).
Toll-free Tel (within Turkey only): 444 0139

Huntur Turizm (No. 126)
Daily buses from Istanbul, Bursa and Izmir to Sofia, Plovdiv, Haskovo, Ruse, Kirdzali (Kırcalı) and Silistra.
Tel +90 (212) 658 0061

Metro (International Routes: No. 107)
Daily buses from Istanbul to Sofia via Svilengrad, Haskovo and Plovdiv, depart at 09:00 am, 12:00 noon, 17:30 (5:30 pm), 20:30 (8:30 pm), 21:30 (9:30 pm) and 23:00 (11 pm).

From Sofia to Istanbul, departures are at 07:15 and 09:00 am, 12:00 noon, 17:00 (5 pm), 20:30 (8:30 pm) and 23:00 (11 pm).

Daily buses from Istanbul to Silistra via Svilengrad, Topolovgrad, Elhovo, Yanbol, Peteloçka, Kotel, Omurtak, Targoviste, Sumen, Razgrad, Isperih, Duolvo and Alfatar departing at 09:00 am.

Another daily bus goes from Istanbul to Silistra via Dereköy, Malko Tarnovo, Burgaz, Aytos, Lülekovo, Sumen, Venetz, Kliment, Isperih and Dulovo, departing at 20:00 (8 pm).

Daily buses from Istanbul to Dobriç via Burgaz and Varna departing at 09:30 am.
Tel +90 (212) 658 1050, -1051
In Sofia: Tel +359 (2) 325131, 333281; in Plovdiv, (32) 620063.

Morava (No. 81)
Buses from Istanbul daily except Monday and Saturday to Kapıkule border crossing and the northeastern Bulgarian towns of Kotel, Omurtag, Targoviste, Sumen, Razgrad, Isperih, Dulovo, and Silistre. Return trips depart Bulgaria daily except Monday and Thursday. Morava also runs buses from Istanbul to Kosovo, and Tirana, Albania.
Tel +90 (212) 658 0657, -8, -9; Fax 658 0960.

Nisikli Turizm (No. 159)
Buses to the eastern Bulgarian towns of Aytos, Burgas, Dulova, Isperih, Razgrad, Silistra, Sumen, Tervel and Dobriç.
Tel +90 (212) 658 0469, -0470
Fax +90 (212) 658 3965

Özlem Tur (No. 97)
Buses to Burgas, Dobriç, Razgrad and Varna, also to Romania (Braila, Constanta, Galati and Tulcea).
Tel +90 (212) 658 0522, -0524

Öz Varol Turizm (No. 161)
Three buses daily to Sofia via Haskovo and Plovdiv, departing Istanbul at 10:00 am, 6 and 9 pm (18:00 and 21:00), and each evening to Kırcalı
Tel +90 (212) 658 3436, -0179
Fax +90 (212) 658 1836
Agents: Fara Tour, Sofia, Tel +359 (2) 316087 or 315763; Plovdiv, Tel +359 (32) 638065
Materik Tour, Sofia, Tel +359 (2) 831 2107 or 315763; Plovdiv +359 (32) 638065

Varan Turizm (No. 15-16)
One of Turkey's best bus companies operates daily buses between Istanbul and Burgas, Dobrich, Haskovo, Plovdiv, Sofia, Tervel and Varna. More...

Vardar Turizm (No. 85)
iletisim@vardarturizm.com.tr
Istanbul: Tel +90 (212) 658 3350, 658 2034; Fax 658 3062; Vardar has an office near Beyazıt Square: Dibekli Cami Sokak No. 10; and also offices at the Emniyet Garajı near Aksaray Square.
Buses from Istanbul to Macedonia via Gostivar, Kumanovo, Skoplje (Üsküp) and Tetovo daily at 18:00 (6 pm).

Buses from Istanbul to Kosovo (Kosova: Prizren and Pristina) twice weekly, and from Istanbul to Germany on Tuesday at 17:00 (5 pm).
Prizren: Dardania Tours, Tel: 00381 29 22 358 -00381 29 44 968
Ipek: Tel: 00381 39 43 2326

Some of these buses also depart from the Eminyet Garajı at the southern end of Abdullah Çavuş Sokak just southwest of Aksaray Square in Old Istanbul (map).

Train Istanbul - Bulgaria - Europe

What about taking the train instead? I don't recommend it. The train equipment is old and in poor condition. More...

If you decide to dare it, the direct train to Sofia departs each evening at 22:00 (10 pm), train No. 81032/468/492 departs Istanbul's Sirkeci Station for Dimitrovgrad, arriving at 06:37 the next morning (if it's on time). At Dimitrovgrad,this train continues toward Plovdiv and Sofia , but some cars are routed toward Bucharest as Train no. 490/492. More...

Buses are faster, probably more comfortable, and perhaps safer.

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A good book to read on the bus...