Romania’s national rail operator, CFR Călători, has resumed its seasonal international train service connecting Bucharest with Bulgaria and Turkey for the 2026 summer travel season. The service, known as “România,” restarted on June 12 with the Bucharest-Varna route, followed a day later by direct connections to Sofia and Istanbul. All three routes will run daily until October 12, with the exception of the Varna route, whose final outbound departure is October 11.
The trains depart daily from Bucharest Nord station at 10:46 and offer second-class fares starting at EUR 27 to Varna, EUR 33.60 to Sofia, and EUR 57.80 for a berth in a four-bed couchette compartment to Istanbul. Tickets can be booked up to 90 days in advance through CFR Călători’s online platform, ticket offices, and authorized international travel agencies. The operator says the routes are intended to give travelers a direct rail alternative to short-haul flights during peak summer demand in the Balkans and along the Black Sea coast.
Schedules and Fares for the Three Routes
VARNA
- The international train „România” 461 (461/9623): București Nord (departure hour 10:46) – Varna (arrival hour 19:56), will run from 12.06.2026 to 11.10.2026;
- The international train „România” 460 (9620/460): Varna (departure hour 09:30) – București Nord (arrival hour 16:56), will run from 13.06.2026 to 12.10.2026.
The price of a ticket on the route București Nord – Varna (or back), at 2nd class, is 27 euros.
SOFIA
- The international train „România” 461: București Nord (departure hour 10:46) – Sofia (arrival hour 20:41), will run from 13.06.2026 to 12.10.2026;
- The international train „România” 460 (20231/460): Sofia (departure hour 07:00) – București Nord (arrival hour 16:56), will run from 13.06.2026 to 12.10.2026.
The price of a ticket on the route București Nord – Sofia (or back), at 2nd class, is 33,6 euros.
ISTANBUL / HALKALI
- The international train „România” 461 (461/465/493/12504): București Nord (departure hour 10:46) – Istanbul/Halkali (arrival hour 09:56), will run from 13.06.2026 to 12.10.2026;
- The international train „România” 460 (12503/492/464/460): Istanbul/Halkali (departure hour 20:00) – București Nord (arrival hour 16:56), will run from 11.06.2026 to 10.10.2026.
The Istanbul service is the longest of the three, covering approximately 23 hours and 10 minutes via the city’s Halkalı railway station. A berth in a four-bed couchette carriage on this route starts at EUR 57.80.
The price of a ticket on the route București Nord – Istanbul/Halkali (or back), for a 4-seat berth car, is 57,8 euros.
Tickets for international journeys can be purchased up to 90 days in advance from the CFR Călători stations and agencies open to international traffic, as well as online, directly from the webpage www.cfrcalatori.ro, in the international traffic purchase section – https://bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/ro/booking/search
For destinations in Bulgaria and Turkey, tickets can be collected from the train station or delivered by courier within Romania. For trips to Bulgaria, tickets can also be received in PDF (A4RT) format, directly on your mobile phone.
Also, for trips to Bulgaria and Turkey, the Interrail offer can be used both in continuous and flexi versions. Interrail tickets are available at ticket offices of CFR Călători stations and agencies with sales in international traffic.
