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Date of the journey:- September 2019
Distance travelled:- 261 miles
The journey from Plovdiv, our last stop in Bulgaria, to Istanbul in Turkey, was completed by bus. Whilst in Plovdiv, we had visited Yug bus station to purchase our bus tickets in advance of our journey.
We opted to transfer to Istanbul by bus during the day, as opposed to overnight or by train. This afforded us the opportunity to see more of these two beautiful countries also the bus was considerably cheaper than the train.
There were a number of different bus companies plying this route. After a considerable amount of research, we used Metro Turizm, a Turkish bus company that runs daily bus services to and from Istanbul. Buses going to Plovdiv daily at 1100, 1400, 1900, 2230, and 0100 hrs.
Tickets were purchased for 40 Bulgarian Lev per person for the 7.5-hour journey.
A very smart Mercedes bus arrived at the bus station 25 minutes later than scheduled (1100 hrs). Within minutes, our backpacks were stowed under the bus and we were on our way.
Having just settled down into our comfortable seats, we were given a piece of cake, a cup of chilled water, followed by a choice of tea or coffee. Well, a packet of powdered 3 in 1, coffee, milk & sugar, to which the onboard steward added hot water.
Quite quickly we were on a dual carriageway, which we think was the Bulgarian motorway. Passing through the very flat countryside once again.
We settled down for our long journey, no WiFi or toilet on the bus meant we had to do that old fashioned thing and talk to each other.
“You don’t see many birds here,” Tania said, then there was a large thud, blood, guts, and feathers on the windscreen, “no” replied Guy “one less to see now”.
After about an hour and twenty minutes, we pulled off the motorway for the first stop at a place called Haskovo. Picking up some passengers this gave Tania a chance to check out the bus station toilet facilities. At 0.5 Bulgarian Lev charge about 25p, doesn’t get you a toilet, just 2 footprints straddling a hole. Not very clean either but, you get given a sheet of toilet paper……..
Not long after leaving Haskovo, the steward started passing through the bus, asking the passengers questions. When he got to us, we just looked at him blankly as we didn’t understand and his English was about as good as our Bulgarian and Turkish, non-existent.
Luckily a woman behind us spoke fluent English and advised that we were being asked if we had any alcohol in our luggage. It is prohibited to take alcohol into Turkey because it is a Muslim country.
That issue sorted, the steward went through the bus offering further tea/coffee.
About 40 minutes after leaving Haskovo, the bus stopped again at a supermarket/restaurant for a 15-minute break. Toilets being free on this occasion.
Border
On arrival at the Bulgarian Turkish border, everyone had to disembark the bus to present their passports to the Bulgarian immigration control. It was back on the bus for the 1-minute ride to the Turkish immigration control.
Immediately before the Turkish control point is the duty-free outlet, in which there is an ATM and a money exchange kiosk if you need to get some local currency. Everyone is required to get off here this time, with the luggage. All of which went through a scanner.
Visa
Required for entry into Turkey. A 90-day e-visa is available online for 20 USD. It can be printed off prior to arrival and presented at immigration on arrival. Make sure your passport has a dated entry stamp before you leave the border crossing area. Trying to leave Turkey without an entry stamp will be very difficult.
This all took about an hour in total. With the temperature now reaching 30 degrees, it was a warm process.
With both the Bulgarian exit stamp and the Turkish entry stamp in our passports we were free to go. So back on board the bus and we were on our way. Another cold drink was offered by the steward as we settled back down for the remainder of the trip.
Another coffee, one more comfort break, and we found ourselves stuck in 6 lanes of heavily congested Istanbul traffic. The outskirts of this massive city are made up of mainly new, high rise buildings, sprinkled with the minarets of multiple mosques. An awesome sight.
Finally arriving at the Esenler Otogari bus station in Bayrampasa district, a huge, busy bus station. The metro station of Otogar Istasyonu on the M1A line is located at the bus station so our transfer into the city was a simple process.