Istanbul to Sofia by car
548 km, about 6 hours of driving, 2 countries. Estimated total €66 (one way).
What this estimate assumes
Diesel, 6.5 l/100 km, 2 people, one way, passenger car (class 1), a 14-day trip. Starting from the European side of İstanbul — the Bosphorus charge depends on which bank you set off from.
Calculate for your own car →Total estimated cost
€66
- Fuel
- €57
- Tolls
- €8.72
- Per person
- €33
- Per km (fuel only)
- €0.10
- Per km (tolls included)
- €0.12
- Distance
- 548 km
- Duration
- 6 h 7 min
All amounts are estimates and do not replace official tariffs. · Data as of: 2026-08-17
Return trip
€132
Exactly twice the one-way figure. No vignette on this route lasts long enough to cover a 14-day return, so each direction buys its own.
What each country charges
- Turkey: a closed motorway system, €3.42 by entry and exit gate.
- Bulgaria: motorways are paid by vignette, which comes to €5.30 for this trip.
Country breakdown
| Country | Distance | Fuel | Tolls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 257 km | €2416.7 L × €1.42 | €3.42
|
| Kapıkule – Kapitan Andreevo | |||
| BulgariaThe vignette is required on most first-class national roads, not just motorways. Prices include the increase of 1 August 2026. The weekend vignette is valid only from Friday 12:00 to Sunday 23:59. | 290 km | €3318.9 L × €1.77 | €5.30
|
Lines naming a toll plaza are the published price of a plaza the route actually drives through. Lines reading "tolled road" have their distance measured from the route but charge a national average rate; lines reading "motorway (assumed)" assume the distance too, because plaza-level data does not exist yet for that country. Bridge, tunnel, vignette and published transit prices are actual prices.
About this route
The shortest of these crossings and the only one that needs a single vignette. Out of İstanbul on the O-3 to Kapıkule, then Kalotina; on the Bulgarian side motorways are paid by vignette rather than at a booth, and the shortest one on sale covers this trip several times over. Close enough for a weekend, yet the gap between the two countries' pump prices still makes filling up before the border worth it.
What this figure leaves out
Accommodation, food, waiting at borders, tyres and wear, green card insurance, parking. Only fuel and the charges on the road itself are counted.
Other routes
Route geometry measured on 2026-08-25. Prices are recalculated from current data on every deployment. · estimate