Istanbul to Sofia by car
548 km, about 6 hours of driving without breaks or border waits, 2 countries. Estimated total €73 (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 →- Turkey257 km · 47%
- Bulgaria290 km · 53%
Total estimated cost
€73 estimate
- Per person
- €37
- Per km (fuel only)
- €0.12
- Per km (tolls included)
- €0.13
- Distance
- 548 km
- Driving time
- 6 h 7 min
All amounts are estimates and do not replace official tariffs. Driving time leaves out breaks and waiting at borders. · Data as of: 5 October 2026
Return trip
€147
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.
By fuel
The same road, the same two people. Only the fuel and what it burns change. The consumption figures are round starting values for a mid-size car, not yours.
| Diesel6.5 L/100 km · Fuel €65 | €73 |
| Petrol7.5 L/100 km · Fuel €66 | €74 |
| LPG9.5 L/100 km · Fuel €36 | €44 |
| Electric, DC fast charging18 kWh/100 km · Charging €35 | €43 |
Tolls are the same on every row, €8.35.
The oldest price on each row: Diesel 5 October 2026, Petrol 5 October 2026, LPG 5 October 2026, Electric 5 September 2026.
Cost it with your own car's consumption →What each country charges
- Turkey: a closed motorway system, €3.05 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 | €2916.7 L (6.5 L/100 km) × €1.75 | €3.05 |
| |||
| Kapıkule – Kapitan Andreevo | |||
| Bulgaria | 290 km | €3618.9 L (6.5 L/100 km) × €1.89 | €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.
What we do not know
Every toll on this route comes from a published tariff. No line rests on an assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Istanbul to Sofia by car, and how long does it take?
The route we measured is 548 km. Driving time without stops is about 6 h 7 min. Breaks, border queues and traffic are not included.
How much does it cost to drive from Istanbul to Sofia?
An estimated €73 one way: €65 fuel and €8.35 tolls. Costed for a diesel car using 6.5 L/100 km with 2 people, €37 each. The oldest fuel price in the sum was read on 5 October 2026.
Which countries on the way charge tolls or a vignette?
Tolls and vignettes paid on this trip: Turkey €3.05 and Bulgaria €5.30.
How much is the round trip?
€147. 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.
How much is Istanbul to Sofia in a petrol, LPG or electric car?
An estimated one-way total of €74 on petrol, €44 on LPG, €43 for an electric car on DC fast chargers and €73 on diesel. The consumption figures are round values for a mid-size car. Tolls are the same for all of them.
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 Kapitan Andreevo; 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.
See the whole road, or one leg of it
This route is one piece of the corridor. Why each country charges differently, what changes at every border, and what all twelve routes come to side by side, on one page.
The whole road, country by country →Other routes
This route was measured on 26 August 2026. Prices are recalculated from current data on every deployment. · Every figure is an estimate, see where the data comes from