Romanian railway company CFR to directly connect Bucharest to Sofia, Istanbul over summer

Romania’s national railway company CFR Călători announced on Thursday, May 22, that it will provide a daily direct connection from Bucharest to Varna starting June 13, and to Sofia and Istanbul/Halkali starting June 14.

According to the cited source, the train will run on the new route from June 13 to October 13, 2025, and a ticket for the Bucharest Nord – Varna route (or return), in 2nd class, will cost EUR 32. The trip between Bucharest to Sofia will cost EUR 33, and to Istanbul / Halkali, in a sleeper car with four beds, costs EUR 57, the company said on Facebook.

The operation schedule will be as follows:

• Bucharest Nord (departure 10:11) – Varna (arrival 20:55) – operating period June 13 – October 12, 2025;
• Varna (departure 7:45) – Bucharest Nord (arrival 17:32) – operating period June 14 – October 13, 2025;
• Bucharest Nord (departure 10:11) – Sofia (arrival 20:35) – operating period June 14 – October 12, 2025;
• Sofia (departure 6:50) – Bucharest Nord (arrival 17:32) – operating period June 13 – October 12, 2025;
• Bucharest Nord (departure 10:11) – Istanbul/Halkali (arrival 9:56) – operating period June 14 – October 13, 2025;
• Istanbul/Halkali (departure 20:00) – Bucharest Nord (arrival 17:32) – operating period June 12 – October 11, 2025

CFR Călători representatives mention that the advance purchase period for international travel train tickets is 90 days.

Tickets can be purchased from CFR Călători stations and travel agencies open to international traffic, as well as online, with ticket pickup from the station or delivery by courier within the country, for destinations in Bulgaria and Turkey. For destinations in Bulgaria, the ticket can also be received in pdf format (A4RT) on a mobile phone.

(Photo source: CFR Calatori on Facebook)