Cheapest€46.38
- FlixBus FB992206:5012h 45m19:35Ankara ASTISofia Central Bus Station
Door to door 13h 29mCO2 26.5 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Traveling from Ankara to Sofia costs €46.38 at the cheapest and takes 13h 29m 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 29m
- Average
- 14h 24m
- 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 September 28, 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | 13h 29m | 12h 45m | 44m | €55.73 | 26.5 kg | 1 |
- 13h 29mFastest, by Coach
- €55.73Cheapest, by Coach
- 26.5 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 981 kmDistance traveled
The cheapest and the fastest on September 28, 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€96.59
- TCDD Taşımacılık TC447107:302h 36m10:06Ankara GarIstanbul Halkali
- Pegasus Airlines PA385411:241h 7m12:31Istanbul ISTSofia SOF
Changes at Istanbul, with 78 minutes between services and a walk of about 14 minutes.
Door to door 6h 58mCO2 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 modeled until our booking connectors are live.
| Operator | Service | Departs | Arrives | Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otobus Metro Banliyo2 changes | 339-7 | 12:23 | 05:00 | 16h 48m |
| Otobus Metro Banliyo3 changes | 542 | 12:42 | 05:00 | 16h 30m |
| TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş.1 changes | 22001 | 19:00 | 08:48 | 37h 48m |
| Otobus Metro Banliyo2 changes | 339-7 | 19:28 | 16:30 | 21h 13m |
| FlixBus-tr1 changes | FlixBus KK0642 | 23:00 | 16:30 | 18h 48m |
| Otobus Metro Banliyo4 changes | 415-6 | 22:44 | 16:30 | 18h 3m |
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of traveling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Ankara to Sofia | TueSep 8 | WedSep 9 | ThuSep 10 | FriSep 11 | SatSep 12 | SunSep 13 | MonSep 14 | TueSep 15 | WedSep 16 | ThuSep 17 | FriSep 18 | SatSep 19 | SunSep 20 | MonSep 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €117.88 | €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 |
| Train | €149.39 | €152.69 | €199.99 | €147.19 | €151.59 | €152.14 | €138.39 | €91.09 | €101.54 | €125.19 | €115.84 | €130.69 | €100.99 | €99.34 |
| Flight | €226.11 | €167.70 | €255.02 | €204.28 | €190.71 | €151.77 | €155.31 | €125.81 | €138.20 | €159.44 | €165.93 | €145.87 | €145.28 | €96.31 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-28 · €46.38
That is the traveling done. What happens after you walk out into Sofia is not something we sell.
Looking for somewhere to stay in Sofia?
The search opens on Sofia with your nights already filled in, so it is one step to a real price.
Search Sofia 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 Ankara to Sofia
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €52.4390 days
- €43.0860 days
- €44.7345 days
- €39.7830 days
- €46.3821 days
- €60.1314 days
- €76.087 days
- €145.383 days
- €117.881 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 30 days ahead, at €39.78.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and most expensive lead time is 265 percent. The most expensive point is €145.38, 3 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 30 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 30 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
- €65.08Tue
- €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.
- €65.08Sep
- €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 Bucharest, Bursa, Istanbul, İzmir. The gap between arriving and leaving is 47 minutes, of which about 14 is walking.
- If the connection is missed
- The tightest connection we sell here has a 20 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 Ankara at 06:50 and the last at 06:50, across 1 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.
Ankara
Rail
- Ankara Gar
- Ankara railway station
- Ankara high-speed railway station
Bus
- Ankara ASTI
- Ankara Intercity Bus Station
Air
- ESB
Sofia
Rail
- Sofia Central
- Sofia-Sever
- Sofia railway station
Bus
- Sofia Central Bus Station
- спирка Ехо
Air
- SOF
SOF is not in Sofia, and the drive in from it is the part of the trip nobody plans. We sell the flight and stop at the terminal door.
Getting from SOF into Sofia?
A price agreed before you fly, a driver at arrivals, and a car big enough for the bags.
Book a ride from SOF 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 29m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power outlets, Restrooms, 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% |
A day in Sofia hauling a suitcase is a shorter day than it needs to be. We do not store bags.
Where to leave your bags in Sofia
Stores, cafes and hotels that take luggage, with the hours on the map so you know what is still open when you come back.
Check Sofia 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 Ankara to Sofia
The questions people actually ask about this trip, 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 Ankara to Sofia?
The fastest journey from Ankara to Sofia takes 13h 29m door to door, of which 12h 45m is spent moving, on the Coach. Most services take around 14h 24m, 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 Ankara to Sofia?
The cheapest fare from Ankara to Sofia is €46.38, checked on September 28, 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €68.93. 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 Ankara to Sofia?
The cheapest way from Ankara to Sofia is by Coach, at €55.73 for one passenger on September 28, 2026. That journey takes 13h 29m 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 Ankara to Sofia?
Fares from Ankara to Sofia bottom out around 30 days before departure, at €39.78. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive lead time is 265 percent, measured on September 28, 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Ankara to Sofia?
Wednesday is the cheapest day to depart from Ankara to Sofia, at €56.28. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on September 28, 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Ankara to Sofia?
February is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Ankara to Sofia, 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 service from Ankara to Sofia?
1 operators sell services from Ankara to Sofia 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 Ankara to Sofia?
20 percent of the services we sell from Ankara to Sofia are direct. The rest connect at Bucharest, Bursa, Istanbul, İzmir, with about 47 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 Ankara to Sofia use?
Services from Ankara to Sofia by Coach leave from Ankara ASTI and arrive at Sofia Central Bus Station. 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 Ankara to Sofia?
1 of the 1 operators we sell from Ankara to Sofia 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 modeled 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 Ankara to Sofia on September 7, 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 29m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
Our job ends at the platform. What fills the days in Sofia afterward does not belong to us.
Anything to book in Sofia before you go?
Day trips that leave Sofia in the morning and cover a good part of Bulgaria by evening.
See Sofia 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 Sofia
Leaving Sofia
- 119Places you can leave for
- 35Countries
- 39Operators
Plan a trip from here
Ask Ori for the same corridor under a different constraint, or for a longer trip that starts on it.