Sofia

A switch in gears before returning to my Bayram/Antalia trip.

I have recieved a residency permit from my employer, which makes it easier to live in a country which expects you to leave every 3 months, if you're Canadian that is. The residency permit had been issued for 6 months and cost me 188 lira only since the rest was covered by the employer. My only question is why doesn't the government issue residency permints for the whole year? The prices are the same yet apparently the initially issued visas are for 6 months only and can be extended or renewed for a year after that. I am not entirely sure why that is.

Since my wife does not have a residency permit, we took a trip to Sofia, Bulgaria. There are several busses running a day between Istanbul and Sofia. It's possible to call a bus company and ask them in English, some have English service, about the ticket prices or just go into one of the offices. The quote I recieved for a one way fare with the METRO bus company was 50 lira one way. METRO is apparently one of the cheapest ones, if not THE cheapest. I've traveled with them on several occasions and their service is alright.
It is also possible to take a train from the train station located in between Eminunu and Sultanahmed. I've hear rumours that thetrains aren't running these days due to some constructions. Not so between Istanbul and Sofia.

Train tickets between the two sities can be purchased on the spot, but just to make sure you get the seats visit in advance. Many sites list prices starting at 41 lira which is for seaters, and which are unavailable on this particular train which only runs at 22:00. There are only 4 or 5 cars and the tickets are 62 lira one way.
The return tickets from Sofia are 74 Leva which, depending on the exchange rates, may or may not be more than purchasing them in Istanbul. Bus tickets from Sofia to Istanbul can be purchased for 40 Leva which, depending on the exchange rate, may or may not be cheaper.




If you have any questions regarding living in Istanbul or the city in general, just leave it in the comment section. I will try and do my best to answer your question.