site.btaTurkish Catamaran Operator Opens Istanbul - Burgas Ferry Line

The Istanbul-Burgas ferry line was opened by Istanbul Deniz Otobusleri (İDO) Director Murat Orhan on Thursday with an official ceremony held in the Turkish city, the DHA news agency said.

The schedule of upcoming trips from Istanbul to Burgas and back has already been published on the operator's website, with the first one taking place on June 24. Regular ferry services will start from July, when the passenger catamarans will depart from Istanbul every Thursday and Sunday and from Burgas every Monday and Friday.

The standard price of a one-way ferry ticket is EUR 60, and EUR 99 for a two-way ticket. For children from 6 to 12 years old, the ticket costs EUR 50 in one direction and EUR 80 for a round trip.

The idea of a ferry service between Istanbul and Burgas has been on the minds of the mayors of the two cities for several years. However, the COVID-19 epidemic delayed the implementation of the project. The first trip was expected to take place in October 2024, but the Turkish company announced that they were postponing the start of the ferry line due to expected adverse weather conditions.

Turkiye has extensive experience in catamaran travel, the development of which began in 1995. Catamarans there are called "deniz otobusu", which translates to "sea bus". They have a capacity for about 400 people and are particularly popular for travel to various destinations in Istanbul and also for intercity travel in the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean. Dozens of ferry lines also connect Turkish ports with the Greek Aegean islands.