← Blog

Kapitan Andreevo Border Crossing: Waiting Times and Transfers to Edirne and Istanbul

Private transfer to the Kapitan Andreevo border from €120 (Plovdiv) and to Istanbul Airport from €250 (Burgas). Border queues and documents.

Kapitan Andreevo, called Kapıkule on the Turkish side, is the main road crossing between Bulgaria and Turkey. If you are on holiday in Bulgaria and want to see Edirne or Istanbul, or have a flight from Istanbul Airport, this is the border you will cross. Everyone asks how long the wait will be. Nobody can tell you in advance, and we won’t pretend otherwise. Below: when queues usually build up, which papers to have ready, what your driver does at the border and what the trip costs.

* Prices are from the Unitrans price list and cover the whole car, not each passenger. Driving times do not include time at the border.

Where the border is and why there can be a queue

The checkpoint sits in the far south-east corner of Bulgaria, just past the town of Svilengrad. From Sofia and Plovdiv the road is motorway nearly all the way: the Trakia motorway east, then the Maritsa motorway down to the border. Edirne is about 20 km beyond the Turkish checkpoint.

Since Bulgaria is in the EU and the Schengen area, this is an external Schengen border. You pass two full checks, Bulgarian and Turkish, with passport control and customs on each side. On a quiet weekday the queue may be a handful of cars. At peak times it can take hours.

When it gets busy

• July and August. Many Turkish families living in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands drive home for the summer and back again. Weekends are the worst.
• Bayram holidays. Around Ramadan Bayram and Kurban Bayram, traffic is heavy in both directions.
• Bulgarian public holidays. Long weekends, Christmas and New Year, when many Bulgarians head to Edirne and Istanbul for shopping and short breaks.
• Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Fridays fill the lanes towards Turkey, Sundays the lanes back into Bulgaria.

Lorries use their own lanes. A long line of trucks on the road before Svilengrad usually is not the queue for cars.

What we will not promise

We cannot guarantee how long you will spend at the checkpoint. That depends on the border officers, traffic and the day, not on us. We can suggest a sensible departure time and tell you what we know before you set off. If you have a flight to catch, build in a generous buffer.

Documents to have ready

• Passport. Check the entry rules for Turkey for your nationality before you travel, including whether you need a visa or an e-visa. A passport valid well beyond your travel dates is the safe choice.
• Non-EU travellers. When you enter or leave the Schengen area you are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System, with a photo and fingerprints. The first registration takes a little longer.
• Children. Every child needs their own travel document. If a child travels with only one parent, carry a notarised consent letter from the other parent.

The vehicle papers are the driver’s job. You only need your own documents.

What your driver does at the border

• Before departure he checks how the crossing looks and suggests when to leave.
• If you want a coffee or a restroom stop, tell him before the border. It is easier to stop before the queue than in it.
• At the booth he hands over the documents and follows the officers’ instructions. Sometimes passengers are asked to step out for a luggage check, and your driver will tell you what to do.

Prices to the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint

A transfer to the checkpoint itself is handy if someone is collecting you on the Turkish side.

→ Taxi Plovdiv – Kapitan Andreevo border: route page

Day trip or transfer to Edirne

Edirne, the first Turkish city after the border, is known for the Selimiye Mosque and its covered bazaars. It is an easy day out from Plovdiv or Stara Zagora. Prices for Edirne are on request: tell us the address and how long you want to stay, and the dispatcher will quote you.

→ Taxi transfer Sofia – Edirne

Transfers to Istanbul Airport

Istanbul Airport (IST) lies north of the city, so from Bulgaria it is closer than the old town. These are our price-list fares to the new airport:

From Burgas to Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asian side the fare is €300 by car (380 km). Central Istanbul, the old Atatürk airport and addresses on the Asian side are quoted on request, as are trips from Istanbul back into Bulgaria. For a detailed Sofia–Istanbul guide, see Sofia to Istanbul transfer on Book Transfer.

Catching a flight from Istanbul

Work backwards from take-off: the driving time above, an unknown border wait, and at least three hours at the airport. Add more on summer weekends and around Bayram. Tell us your flight time and we will suggest when to leave. If we are collecting you from an airport, we track your flight, and if it is late your driver waits at the airport at no extra cost, with no time limit.

→ All transfers to and from Istanbul Airport

Why travel with Unitrans

• Dispatchers 24/7. A real person answers, in English by phone, or in your language in the chat.
• A vehicle for any group. Around 200 sedans, 50 minivans, 100 vans and 20 S- and E-class cars.
• No prepayment. The price is per car and agreed when you book.
• Travelling with kids. Infant carrier, child seat and booster are all free of charge.
• Pick-up from an address. Your driver waits 15 minutes at the address.

Frequently asked questions

How to book

Call +359 89 444 8441 at any hour, or message us on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram on the same number. Tell us the start and end points, date and time, number of people and suitcases, and your flight time if you fly from Istanbul. You can also book online.

Прочетете на български · Читать на русском