Sofia to Istanbul transfer with a private driver

A private transfer from Sofia to Istanbul Airport (IST) costs 420 € for a sedan with up to 4 passengers, 550 € for a minivan with up to 6 and 620 € for a minibus with up to 8. The route is about 530 km and our price list gives around 5 hours 30 minutes of driving, plus the time at the Kapitan Andreevo – Kapıkule border. Addresses in the city of Istanbul, Sabiha Gökçen Airport and the Asian side are priced on request. The price is per vehicle, the same from Sofia Airport, with no prepayment and drivers available 24/7.

How to book: orders in English by phone, or in the chat in your language on WhatsApp, Viber or Telegram. We answer the chat almost instantly, day and night.

Updated: 12.10.2026

How much does a transfer from Sofia to Istanbul cost?

420 € to Istanbul Airport for the whole car, not per person. The table shows the three vehicle sizes from our Sofia and Sofia Airport price lists, with Edirne as a second column for travellers who only need to cross into Turkey. The price covers the driver and the whole drive, and it does not change with traffic, the time of day or the amount of luggage.

What is on request. The old city (Sultanahmet, Taksim and the other central districts), Sabiha Gökçen Airport and addresses on the Asian side are further from the border than the new airport, and our price list shows them as on request. Send us the exact address and we confirm a fixed price before you book. The same applies to a Mercedes E-Class or S-Class and to coaches for groups larger than 8.

From Sofia Airport the price is the same: 420, 550 or 620 € to Istanbul Airport. The way back from Istanbul to Sofia has its own price list, and we confirm that price when you book.

How long is the drive from Sofia to Istanbul?

About 5 hours 30 minutes of driving for roughly 530 km, according to our price list, plus the time you spend at the border. In practice most of our passengers plan for a full half-day on the road, with one or two short breaks.

The road is motorway almost all the way. From Sofia the driver takes the Trakia motorway east, past Pazardzhik and Plovdiv, then the Maritsa motorway past Haskovo, Harmanli and Svilengrad to the border at Kapitan Andreevo. On the Turkish side the motorway continues past Edirne and across Eastern Thrace towards Istanbul. The new Istanbul Airport lies on the European side, north of the city, so you do not have to cross the Bosphorus to reach it.

Which border crossing do we use?

Kapitan Andreevo on the Bulgarian side and Kapıkule on the Turkish side. It is the main road crossing between Bulgaria and Turkey and the direct way from Sofia to Edirne and Istanbul.

This is not a Schengen internal border like the ones with Greece or Romania. Turkey is outside the EU, so there are full passport and customs checks on both sides, and every passenger shows their document. The crossing is busy with trucks and holiday traffic, and the waiting time changes from hour to hour, so we cannot promise a fixed time. Queues are usually longer on summer weekends and around Bulgarian and Turkish holidays. If you have a flight from Istanbul, tell us the departure time and we plan the pick-up in Sofia with a good margin.

What documents do I need to travel to Turkey?

A valid passport is the safe choice for everyone. Turkey sets its own entry rules: citizens of some countries enter without a visa, others need an e-Visa before the trip, and a few EU countries may use a national ID card. Check the official Turkish rules for your own citizenship before you book, and remember that children need their own travel document.

Keep the documents with you in the car, not in the suitcase in the boot, because the border officers ask for them at the window. Our guide What documents do you need for border transfers explains the general points for trips out of Bulgaria.

Where does the driver pick me up and drop me off?

At any address in Sofia or at Sofia Airport, and at the departures terminal of Istanbul Airport or at the address you give us in Istanbul. In Sofia the driver is there on time and waits up to 15 minutes at the address. At Sofia Airport he meets you in the arrivals hall. We track your flight, and if it is delayed, waiting is free and has no time limit.

Not everyone on this route is going to Istanbul itself. They fly home from IST because it has more direct flights, or they land in Sofia and continue to a hotel in Istanbul. Both work the same way: one car, one driver, from door to door.

Stopping in Edirne

Edirne is the first Turkish city after the border, about 315 km and 3 hours 45 minutes from Sofia, and the transfer there costs 240 € by sedan. Some travellers end the trip in Edirne; others like a short break for lunch and a look at the Selimiye Mosque before the last part of the drive. If you want a longer stop on the way to Istanbul, mention it when you book, so we agree the extra time and the price in advance.

Child seats, luggage and groups

• Child seats at no extra cost: infant carrier, child seat and booster. Tell us how many children are travelling.
• Luggage: a sedan takes 4 passengers, but four adults with big suitcases are more comfortable in a minivan. Tell us about skis, bikes or a pushchair, and we send a vehicle where everything fits.
• Groups: up to 8 people travel together in one minibus. For bigger groups we arrange a larger bus or several cars; ask for a quote.

Private transfer, flight or night coach

There are direct flights from Sofia to Istanbul and night coaches between the two bus stations. For one person with hand luggage they are cheaper. A private transfer makes sense when you are a family or a small group with luggage, when you want to leave from your own door at your own time, or when you are going to the airport and do not want to depend on a bus timetable. Split between four people, the sedan price is close to a coach ticket, and you only cross the border once, in the same car.

Who will drive you

True Drivers was started in 2015 by two drivers, Pavel and David. Today we work with around 200 sedans, 50 minivans, 100 buses and 20 Mercedes S-Class and E-Class cars, so a family, a company or a wedding party can cross the border together. Besides trips all over Bulgaria, we drive to the neighbouring countries: Turkey, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia and Romania. Our site is in five languages, and in the chat you can write to us in your own.

Book your transfer in three steps

1. Send us the date, the pick-up address or flight number in Sofia, the address or flight in Istanbul and the number of passengers.
2. We confirm the fixed price and the pick-up time in the chat or by e-mail.
3. Your driver picks you up. You pay at the end of the trip.

Route details are also on our page taxi transfer Sofia – Istanbul new airport, and all our prices from the capital are in the Sofia price list. You can book online with the booking form.

More questions

Is the price per person?

No, the price is for the whole vehicle. Four people in a sedan to Istanbul Airport pay 420 € together, not 420 € each.

Do I have to pay in advance?

No, there is no prepayment. You book, we confirm the fixed price, and you pay the driver at the end of the trip. If you need an invoice, tell us when you book.

Can we leave Sofia at night to catch a morning flight from Istanbul?

Yes. We work 24/7, so night departures are possible at the same fixed price. Give us the flight time and we suggest a pick-up time that leaves room for the border.