What is the best way to get from Dubrovnik to Istanbul?
There are many possible routes; all of the overland routes are quite time-consuming; and the journey should ideally be done with plenty of time to stop along the way. 1. There are no direct flights. One possibility is to first fly to Zagreb with Croatia Airlines. Another is to get a bus to Sarajevo (6 hours) and fly directly from there – some people have reported finding fairly cheap fares on the Sarajevo-Istanbul route. 2. Travel via Montenegro to either Belgrade or Ni. Then get a direct train to Istanbul (one train daily, 18/23 hours from Ni/Belgrade). 3. Travel via Bosnia to Belgrade. Then get a direct train to Istanbul. 4. The previous two suggestions can be modified by leaving the train at Sofia or Plovdiv and catching one of the many buses to Istanbul (8-10 hours). This may end up being faster than the train, unless you are unlucky with traffic at the Turkish border.
