Hi everyone,

I’m planning to travel from Istanbul to Sofia this summer by the Sofia-Istanbul Express overnight train. The train should be departing from Istanbul Halkali station at 8pm on the 29th of August and arrive at Sofia at 9.37 am the next day. However, when I try adding this trip to the rail planner app, I can only find a train with a connection in Plovdiv (in Bulgaria) between 5.41am and 6.35am on the 30th of August. Therefore I should have to use two travel days to make this trip.

I’ve read on the seat61 website that this train is supposed to be direct between the two cities and therefore only cost a travel day. 

Has anyone done this trip recently and know how I can manage to book it on the rail planner app?

Thanks in advance,

Arthur