Cheapest€46.38
- FlixBus FB769406:5014h 3m20:53Sofia Central Bus StationAnkara ASTI
Door to door 14h 47mCO2 26.5 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Travelling from Sofia to Ankara costs €46.38 at the cheapest and takes 13h 34m door to door at the fastest, across 1 mode and 1 operator. The route covers 981 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Coach.
At a glance
- Distance
- 981 km
- Fastest
- 13h 34m
- Average
- 14h 32m
- Services per day
- 5
- Cheapest
- €46.38
- CO2 per passenger
- 26.5 kg
Every way to make this journey
Journey times below are door to door, so they include getting to the terminal and away from it at the other end. Fares are the cheapest we currently sell on 28 September 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | 14h 47m | 14h 3m | 44m | €48.58 | 26.5 kg | 4 |
- 14h 47mFastest, by Coach
- €48.58Cheapest, by Coach
- 26.5 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 981 kmDistance travelled
The cheapest and the fastest on 28 September 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€122.27
- Pegasus Airlines PA717507:301h 8m08:38Sofia SOFIstanbul IST
- TCDD Taşımacılık TC581310:122h 28m12:40Istanbul HalkaliAnkara Gar
Changes at Istanbul, with 94 minutes between services and a walk of about 14 minutes.
Door to door 7h 7mCO2 138.8 kgChanges 1Fixed, no changes
Today's real departures
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modelled until our booking connectors are live.
| Operator | Service | Departs | Arrives | Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş.1 changes | 12504 | 15:50 | 03:37 | 35h 47m |
| FlixBus-tr2 changes | FlixBus N1999 | 20:00 | 12:25 | 16h 39m |
| FlixBus-tr3 changes | FlixBus N1999 | 20:00 | 11:10 | 15h 16m |
| FlixBus-tr2 changes | FlixBus N1999 | 08:00 | 04:48 | 21h 2m |
| FlixBus-tr3 changes | FlixBus N1999 | 08:00 | 02:31 | 18h 43m |
| TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş.1 changes | 12504 | 15:50 | 03:37 | 35h 47m |
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of travelling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Sofia to Ankara | Wed9 Sept | Thu10 Sept | Fri11 Sept | Sat12 Sept | Sun13 Sept | Mon14 Sept | Tue15 Sept | Wed16 Sept | Thu17 Sept | Fri18 Sept | Sat19 Sept | Sun20 Sept | Mon21 Sept | Tue22 Sept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €78.83 | €145.38 | €94.78 | €81.03 | €102.48 | €76.08 | €65.08 | €55.73 | €94.23 | €84.33 | €64.53 | €68.93 | €60.13 | €48.58 |
| Flight | €206.05 | €282.16 | €219.62 | €191.30 | €181.86 | €158.85 | €144.10 | €142.33 | €165.34 | €157.08 | €157.08 | €147.05 | €104.57 | €101.62 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-28 · €46.38
The coach gets you into Ankara. It does not get you a bed, and neither do we.
Looking for somewhere to stay in Ankara?
The search opens on Ankara with your nights already filled in, so it is one step to a real price.
Search Ankara on Booking.comOr compare on Expedia
Partner links. We do not sell accommodation. We earn a commission when a booking completes, and it never changes what you pay.
When to book Sofia to Ankara
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €48.0390 days
- €43.6360 days
- €43.6345 days
- €58.4830 days
- €46.9321 days
- €48.5814 days
- €65.087 days
- €94.783 days
- €78.831 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 60 days ahead, at €43.63.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and dearest lead time is 117 percent. The dearest point is €94.78, 3 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 60 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 45 days ahead. You are inside that window.
Which departure day costs least
Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.
- €68.93Sun
- €60.13Mon
- €48.58Tue
- €56.28Wed
- €94.23Thu
- €84.33Fri
- €70.03Sat
How the fare moves month by month
The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.
- €65.08Sept
- €61.23Oct
- €47.48Nov
- €50.78Dec
- €52.98Jan
- €34.28Feb
The route
What the journey actually looks like
Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.
- Direct or connecting
- 20% of the services we sell on this corridor run through without a change. The remaining 80% involve one connection.
- How far it really runs
- The route covers 981 km against 853 km in a straight line, a detour of 15 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
- Where the change is
- Connections are made at Bursa, Bucharest, Istanbul, İzmir. The gap between arriving and leaving is 63 minutes, of which about 14 is walking.
- If the connection is missed
- The tightest connection we sell here has a 15 percent chance of not being made on the timetable alone. Part of this journey is a self transfer between separate tickets, so leave more time than the minimum and expect to check in again.
- First and last departure
- The first service of the day leaves Sofia at 06:50 and the last at 07:30, across 4 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Where you leave from and where you arrive
The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.
Sofia
Rail
- Sofia Central
- Sofia-Sever
- Sofia railway station
Coach
- Sofia Central Bus Station
- спирка Ехо
Air
- SOF
Ankara
Rail
- Ankara Gar
- Ankara railway station
- Ankara high-speed railway station
Coach
- Ankara ASTI
- Ankara Intercity Bus Station
Air
- ESB
The fare from ESB into Ankara is the one price on this journey we cannot show you, because it is not ours.
Getting from ESB into Ankara
A price agreed before you fly, a driver at arrivals, and a car big enough for the bags.
Book a transfer from ESB with Welcome PickupsOr check Daytrip
Partner links. We do not operate transfers. We earn a commission on a booking, and the fare is the same as going direct.
Who runs this route
Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.
| Operator | From | Fastest | Typical speed | Flexibility | On board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 FlixBus | €46.38 | 13h 34m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power sockets, Toilets, Wi-Fi |
What the fare is made of
Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operator fare | €39.00 | 84% |
| Taxes | €3.90 | 8% |
| Supplier fees | €1.49 | 3% |
| Our service fee | €1.99 | 4% |
| Total you pay | €46.38 | 100% |
The coach gets in hours before any room is ready. Holding a bag is not what we sell.
Somewhere to leave the bags in Ankara?
Shops, cafes and hotels that take luggage, with the opening hours on the map so you know what is still open when you come back.
Check Ankara on StasherOr try Bounce
Partner links. We do not run these networks. We earn a commission on a booking, and the price is the same as going direct.
Questions about Sofia to Ankara
The questions people actually ask about this journey, answered from the same prices and times the page above is built on rather than written once and left to go stale.
How long does it take to get from Sofia to Ankara?
The fastest journey from Sofia to Ankara takes 13h 34m door to door, of which 14h 3m is spent moving, on the Coach. Most services take around 14h 32m, because that average includes slower stopping services and journeys with a connection. Times include reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end.
How much does it cost to travel from Sofia to Ankara?
The cheapest fare from Sofia to Ankara is €46.38, checked on 28 September 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €65.08. Both figures are the total for one passenger, including taxes, supplier fees and our service fee, so nothing is added at checkout.
What is the cheapest way to get from Sofia to Ankara?
The cheapest way from Sofia to Ankara is by Coach, at €48.58 for one passenger on 28 September 2026. That journey takes 14h 47m door to door. Cheaper is rarely faster on this corridor, and the comparison table on this page shows what each mode costs against what it saves.
When should I book Sofia to Ankara?
Fares from Sofia to Ankara bottom out around 60 days before departure, at €43.63. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the dearest lead time is 117 percent, measured on 28 September 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Sofia to Ankara?
Tuesday is the cheapest day to depart from Sofia to Ankara, at €48.58. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on 28 September 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Sofia to Ankara?
February is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Sofia to Ankara, at €34.28 for one passenger. Each month is priced on its fifteenth, so the comparison is like for like rather than a mix of weekends and midweek departures.
Who runs services from Sofia to Ankara?
1 operators sell services from Sofia to Ankara across 1 modes: FlixBus. Journey times, fares and fare conditions differ between them, and the operator table on this page compares all of them on speed, flexibility and what is provided on board.
Is there a direct service from Sofia to Ankara?
20 percent of the services we sell from Sofia to Ankara are direct. The rest connect at Bursa, Bucharest, Istanbul, İzmir, with about 63 minutes between the two services. Both legs are sold on one booking, so a missed connection is rebooked at no charge.
Which station or terminal do services from Sofia to Ankara use?
Services from Sofia to Ankara by Coach leave from Sofia Central Bus Station and arrive at Ankara ASTI. Allow about 44m in total for reaching the departure terminal and leaving the arrival one, which is already included in every door to door time on this page.
Can I change or refund a ticket from Sofia to Ankara?
1 of the 1 operators we sell from Sofia to Ankara allow a change or a refund. A change on a changeable fare costs €5.00. The operator table on this page names which is which, and the condition is shown again before you pay.
Where these numbers come from
Derived from service area No carrier record names this exact pair. The operators listed publish a service area covering both places at a distance their mode plausibly carries people, which is evidence that the corridor is served and not evidence of a specific service. Pages state which, because presenting the two as the same thing would be dishonest.
Schedules, seat counts and fares are generated by our own model until the supplier contracts are signed. Places, coordinates, operators, which operator serves which pair, and every distance are real. We would rather say that on every page than let a modelled number pass for a filed one.
Defined in full at Door to door, Fares, The booking window, Carbon, Distances
- On this page
- Every figure above was computed for Sofia to Ankara on 8 September 2026: 981 km of route against 853 km in a straight line, 5 services a day, 1 operators, a cheapest fare of €46.38, and 13h 34m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
Our job ends on the platform. What fills the days in Ankara afterwards does not belong to us.
Anything to book in Ankara before you go?
Timed entry, guided walks and half-day trips out of Ankara, with free cancellation on most of it.
See Ankara on GetYourGuideOr browse Viator
Partner links. We do not sell tours or tickets. We earn a commission on a booking, and it never changes the price.
Other ways to make this journey
Arriving in Ankara
Leaving Ankara
- 128Places you can leave for
- 33Countries
- 18Operators
Plan a trip from here
Ask Ori for the same corridor under a different constraint, or for a longer trip that starts on it.