Home Routes İstanbul to Saint Petersburg
İstanbul to Saint Petersburg: route, cost and stops
İstanbul to Saint Petersburg across 3 countries, with every leg costed. This is the planner's own output for the corridor — 9 stops, 9 legs, 34h on the move.
Modelled estimates, not live fares. Last rebuilt 2026-09-23.
This is one version of the corridor. Change the budget, the pace, the dates or the bed type and the route rebuilds around them.
Open this route in the plannerThe route, leg by leg
Each row is the mode the planner picked as the best balance of time and money. Alternatives on every leg — including night trains and coaches — are in the planner itself.
| Leg | Mode | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| İstanbul → Adapazarı | Coach | 2.6h | €5–€5 |
| Adapazarı → Bursa | Coach | 2.7h | €5–€10 |
| Bursa → Eskişehir | Coach | 2.7h | €5–€10 |
| Eskişehir → Ankara | Coach | 3.8h | €5–€10 |
| Ankara → Göreme | Coach | 4.2h | €5–€10 |
| Göreme → Kayseri | Coach | 1.5h | €4–€5 |
| Kayseri → Kryvyy Rih | Flight | 4.8h | €25–€135 |
| Kryvyy Rih → Kyiv | Coach | 6.3h | €10–€15 |
| Kyiv → Saint Petersburg | Flight | 4.9h | €25–€135 |
What it costs
| Component | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | €89 | €163 | €335 |
| Beds | €201 | €236 | €302 |
| Daily spending | €486 | €608 | €821 |
| Total per person | €871 | €1,113 | €1,580 |
Dorm beds, two people sharing where a room is cheaper than two dorm bunks. Daily spending is food and local transport, modelled per city rather than averaged across the trip.
Where you stop
İstanbul, Türkiye
Worth the time: Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Bosphorus ferry
Eating: Balık ekmek €3; esnaf lokantası €6
Beds near the centre:
Cheers Hostel · hostelÖzel Ayasofya Yüksek Öğrenim Erkek Öğrenci Y · hostelTerace Guesthouse · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Gülhane Pazarı · marketRoofstar Bosphorus · marketEYÜL MARKET · market
Bursa, Turkey
Beds near the centre:
Asmaaltı Guesthouse · guest houseBursa Şahin Hotel · hotelHoliday inn Bursa City Centre · hotel
Eskişehir, Turkey
Beds near the centre:
Bulvar Hotel · hostelHoteleski · hostelEskişehir Polis Evi · guest house
Ankara, Turkey
Beds near the centre:
Deeps Hostel · hostelDeeps Hostel Ankara 2 · hostelTEDAŞ Misafirhanesi · guest house
Göreme, Türkiye
Worth the time: Cappadocia valleys, balloons, cave churches
Eating: Testi kebab €7
Beds near the centre:
Homestay Cave Hostel · hostelCappadocia Center Cave Hostel · hostelPanoramic Cave · guest house
Markets and cheap eats:
Pumpkin · turkishOrganic Cave Kitchen · turkish中国蘭州拉麺 · chinese
Kayseri, Turkey
Beds near the centre:
Vatan Konukevi · guest houseNovotel · hotelIbis · hotel
Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine
Beds near the centre:
Аврора · hotelАрена · hotelУкраїночка · hotel
Kyiv, Ukraine
Beds near the centre:
TIU Kreschatik · hostelHostel Na Maidane · hostelMaison Blanche · guest house
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Beds near the centre:
Freak boutique · hostelДворик Ангела · hostelНевский 3 · guest house
Worth a detour
Places just off the corridor, priced against the route you already have — the extra time and the extra money each one actually adds.
| Place | Fits | Extra time | Extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherkasy, Ukraine | after Kryvyy Rih | +38m | +€50 |
| Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine | after Kayseri | +2.7h | +€53 |
| Dnipro, Ukraine | after Kayseri | +2.9h | +€55 |
| Konya, Turkey | after Kayseri | +5.8h | +€55 |
Common questions
How long does the İstanbul to Saint Petersburg trip take?
Moving time is about 34h spread over 9 legs. Allowing 2 nights in each of the 9 stops, the whole corridor works as a 18-day trip. You can compress it by skipping stops, but the travelling time itself does not shrink much.
How much does it cost?
About €1,113 per person for 18 days in dorms, sharing with one other. That splits into roughly €163 of transport, €236 of beds and €608 of daily spending. The realistic range is €871 to €1,580 depending on how early you book and how much you eat out.
Can you do it without flying?
Yes. An all-surface version runs about 65h of travel and €1,133 in total — €20 more than the version above. Switch on avoid flying in the planner to see it.
Which countries does it cross?
Türkiye, Ukraine, Russia — 3 in total. Check visa requirements for your own passport before you commit to the route; this planner does not model them.
What transport does it use?
Coach, Flight. Every leg is costed with a walk-up fare and an advance fare, so the range on each row is the booking-window spread, not uncertainty about the route.
Adjust it for your own dates, budget and party size.
Plan İstanbul → Saint Petersburg