We scored ourselves a new one, you guys.
To all our fellow train enthusiasts out there, this year is truly the year Europe took its Rail Renaissance to the next level. Every other month now, a new route launches between two unlikely cities – in some cases, sometimes from Switzerland all the way to Scandinavia.
If you’re ditching the chaos of airside travel this summer, this new overnight service will connect 3 of the Old Continent’s most exciting, yet arguably underrated cities, from Byzantine Orthodox cathedrals to towering Ottoman minarets… this summer and spring only.
Direct Trains From Europe To Turkey Are Back On Track
After a 6-year suspension, since, ahem, COVID—remember her?—direct international trains are finally relaunching from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, via Sofia, its Bulgarian counterpart, all the way to… Istanbul in Turkey!
The start date is June 12, 2026, with daily operations set to run smoothly through October 12.
Now, chances are you’re probably only somewhat familiar with the latter, while having vaguely heard of the other ones—unless you’re a Travel Off Path reader, of course—so don’t worry, we’ll get to those in a bit.
First, let’s have a look at this shiny, new, revamped train, operated by Romania’s national rail company CFR Călători. To keep it brief, it will work like this:
- This will be a single departing train, starting from Bucharest Nord
- It will have different destination sections (wagons) that split en route
It is ‘direct’ in passenger terms, in the sense you won’t need to hop on and off the train at different stops to reach your final destination, if that is Istanbul, but if we’re being exact, it’s not a single, unified train all the way (in the physical sense of the word).
Sounds complicated? Let’s break this town:
Everything You Need To Know About The New Romania To Turkey Train
The ‘full train’ will depart Bucharest Nord at 10:46 am daily, arriving at Giurgiu Nord, the Romania-Bulgaria border crossing, at 1:08 pm.
Unlike half a decade ago, when border officers would hop on the train, collect your passport, and you’d wait anywhere between 1–2 hours to get it back stamped, there are no longer border checks between Romania and Bulgaria.
That is because both countries are now part of the Schengen Area, and passport control for traveling between them no longer applies.
The train’s arrival in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is set for 8:41 pm, and that’s when the overnight stretch officially begins.
The train stops for a longer scheduled break, when it is checked, reorganized, and party-reconfigured. The cars used by passengers who have Sofia as their destination get detached and parked in the Bulgarian capital, and that’s the end of their journey.
For the Istanbul section, overnight sleeper/couchette cars are kept and prepared for the night run to Turkey, with the arrival at Istanbul, the final destination, scheduled for 9:56 the next day.
Contrary to the Bulgaria–Romania border, however, you will need to undergo border checks going into Turkey as it is not part of the Schengen Area.
If those contrasting travel rules across different European countries confuse you, verify the regulations that apply to U.S. passport holders on the Entry Requirements Checker.
To sum it up:
- Is it a direct, southbound train from Romania all the way to Turkey? Yes.
- Do passengers traveling the full length of the route have to change in Bulgaria? No.
- Is it a single continuous train set? No*
*If you’ve booked a standard seat for the daytime section between Romania and Bulgaria, and a couchette for the overnight stretch, you will need to briefly exit the train in Sofia and change carriages.
The 3 Balkan Powerhouses: Which City Break To Go For?
Bucharest, Sofia or Bucharest?
Bucharest, Romania
- Recommend length of stay: 3 days
- Perfect for: budget-friendly weekends out, park strolls, gastronomy tours
- Not to miss: the Romanian Parliament, the Paris-inspired Historic Center, and the Brașov day trip
The sprawling capital of Romania, which has just recently started hosting Transatlantic flights from New York, by the way—especially in case, you know, you need an alternative entry point into the Balkans this summer—Bucharest is the most unusual, quirkiest, offbeat European city break there is.
Some call it the Paris of the East, due to the tree-lined streets lined with Haussmann-inspired edifices that resemble the City of Lights, but that’s a bit of an overstatement.
You don’t really go to Bucharest for the beauty of it or the architectural grandeur, unless you’re into giant concrete blocks and massive Brutalist Parliaments—thanks, communism—but rather for the buzzing social scene, hidden art galleries, and park strolls.
Plus, it’s just a steal of a deal.
A beer in a local pub will cost you as little as $2–3, and if you’ve never tried Romanian food before, boy oh boy, you’re in for a treat: a hearty ciorbă, paired with mici and some homemade mint lemonade, costs on average $10–15 at any downtown restaurant.
Bucharest is also a great starting point for exploring Romania: if you’re looking for an easy day trip, Brasov, one of the prettiest medieval cities in Europe, is a short 2.5-hour train ride away (and from Brasov itself, you can easily hop over to Bran, the ‘Dracula Castle’).
Sofia, Bulgaria
- Recommend length of stay: 3 days
- Perfect for: ancient ruins, carefree city strolls, café culture
- Not to miss: the Rotunda Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Boyana Church (on the edge of town)
Sofia feels a little like Bucharest in terms of the Soviet-inspired cityscape, and the rows upon rows of grayed-out apartment blocks, with a bit of a twist.
It just happens to be one of Europe’s most ancient cities, and having been shaped by all of the major civilizations, from the Thracians, to the Greeks, to the Romans, and the Ottomans, there are bits and bobs of each era literally scattered all around town.
It’s not exactly the most homogenous, aesthetically-pleasing cityscape, if you only know Europe for places like Paris or Milan: the gems and all that Old World beauty are hiding in plain sight amidst the oppressive 20th-century communist blight.
Think Saint George Rotunda, for instance, an early Byzantine church tucked away in a secretive courtyard surrounded by modern buildings, which still holds baptisms to this day, the ruins of Serdica, the ancient Roman settlement that preceded Sofia, right beside the metro stop of the same name, and of course, the architectural centerpiece, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
With its blend of golden domes, green copper roof, and impressive mosaics, it’s probably the most impressive Orthodox cathedral I’ve seen myself… after the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, of course.
Unlike Mother Russia, however, Americans have very few safety concerns visiting Sofia: the Traveler Safety Index is the best tool for gauging safety levels around Europe, and Bulgaria scores an impressive 89 out of 100.
Istanbul, Turkey
- Recommend length of stay: 5–7 days
- Perfect for: bazaar shopping, hamman treatments, landmark-packed sightseeing
- Not to miss: the Rotunda Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Boyana Church (on the edge of town)
The culmination of your overnight journey, Istanbul is not somewhere you actually want to rush through.
Between the European and Asian sides, split by the busy Bosphorus Strait, there’s an entire world to discover, from the ancient Roman cisterns to the Byzantine churches, and finally the bustling bazaars and soaring Ottoman minarets blasting out the call to prayer from dusk to dawn.
I’ve been to Istanbul myself 10+ times—yes, I love Turkey that much—and the reason I keep coming back is that, similarly to places like Rome or London, this is a city of endless layers that I feel I could never uncover fully.
Every time I go, I see something new and different that I hadn’t before.
If you’re asking me which landmarks are an absolute must-see for your introductory visit to Istanbul—trust me, you’ll be back—I’d say Hagia Sophia, the former early Christian basilica with the iconic red dome, the Blue Mosque just facing it, and Galata Tower, sitting atop a hill across the water from the Historic Peninsula, are 3 of the top attractions.
No Istanbul district feels the same either:
The Historic Peninsula is where you go for the ancient stuff and monument-hopping, Beyoğlu (particularly off Taksim) is the primary hub for shopping and cafe-hopping.
Balat and Fener are where you’ll find the most beautiful cluster of Ottoman porches and pastel-hue facades, nestled at the foot of a striking-red Greek Orthodox school.
Now, if you’re looking for those hidden spots locals themselves like to escape to on the weekend, you should take the ferry out to the Princes’ Islands, an archipelago part of Istanbul’s metropolitan zone—your metro ticket works for going there too!—and spend a full day visiting beaches and exploring the Ancient Greek heritage of Büyükada.
From Romania, through Bulgaria, all the way to Istanbul: this is the closest to an Orient Express experience you’ll get in 2026.
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
