Transportation in Bulgaria
Bulgaria is well connected by air, trains and road. All the major tourist hubs are easily accessible by public transport systems. Most locals favour bus travel, but taxis are also easily available.
The larger towns and cities of Bulgaria also offer a rather unique tram and trolley service to get around.
[read more]This transportation in Bulgaria page will tell you all you need to know about travelling in and around Bulgaria. Use our Bulgaria Destination Guide or click on our Bulgaria Country Guide if you want to know more about travelling to beautiful Bulgaria. For further local information, visit our Sofia page.
Bulgaria Transportation Guide
Getting around in Bulgaria
Best connections: Local bus services in Bulgaria are cheap and services connect airports and train stations to town centres and tourism hubs in most locations.
Most unusual way to get around: The trolley and tram services are a great way for the first-time visitor to explore the towns in an offbeat and quaint form of transport.
DIY: For travellers looking for an independent holiday experience in total comfort, the rent-a-car option is available across the country.
Long distances: If you're heading to a location that isn't connected by local flights, then the next best way to get there in comfort is by train. Bulgaria has train services to most major cities and towns and you should find it easy to get to the tourist spots from there.
Flying to Bulgaria
Sofia Airport
Most tourists enter Bulgaria through the Sofia Airport which is a short drive from the city centre of Sofia. The airport is small but is in the process of being modernized and upgraded. The Sofia airport web site http://www.sofia-airport.bg/ is a useful resource to plan your arrival. Click through for another useful resource for travellers looking for flights to Bulgaria.
Getting into Sofia from the Airport - To get to town from the airport, head for the taxi rank in Arrivals - you'll spot it easily enough, look out for the O.K. SUPERTRANS booth. Fares run from about 3 Euros to the city centre. If you'd like something a little less expensive, rent a seat on a coach service to the city or get your hotel to send a shuttle for you. An even cheaper alternative is the public bus service (hop on the ‘84' service) from outside the Arrival terminal which gets you to Sofia University for just 0.25 Euro. The buses run between 5am and 11pm. The airport authority has a public car park facility available 24/7.
Bourgas Airport
If you're heading to the Black Sea, on the south east coast of Bulgaria, chances are you'll fly in to Bourgas on a chartered flight. Tour groups are ferried to their hotels by buses organized by the tour operator. For those winging it on their own, the public bus service (No 15) heads into town as do the taxis available outside Departures. If you need more information, the airport web site http://www.bourgas-airport.com/ is a good place to explore.
Varna Airport
Varna airport operates charters and scheduled flights during summer. Bulgaria Air flies in from London and Austrian Airlines from Vienna. Inter city services connect Varna to Sofia by air (cutting the six hour road journey to under an hour by air). The airport is just 7.5km from the city of Varna. Read more about the airport at their web site http://www.varna-airport.bg/
Other international airports you may choose to fly into are Plovdiv International Airport in the south and the Gorna Oryahovitsa (which is a great hub to visit the historical town of Arbanasi) in the north.
Visit our partner Air Valid for Airline Reviews and Information about Bulgaria.
By Train
Bulgaria's train network connects smaller villages to the big cities, so you'll be able to explore more of the country by train. Be prepared for less than luxurious settings though, since most trains are quite old.
Sofia's Central Railway Station (Tzentralna Gara) connects to all major districts. Local yellow taxi cabs are available but take care to check for the meter or price card before you board. Fares average between 0.39 and 0.45 BGN a kilometre. The stations at Bourgas, Plovdiv and Varna also have good public transport links.
All trains to Bulgaria require passengers to go through customs and passports checks at the border, on board the train.
Bulgaria connects by rail to Greece, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
By Bus
Sofia connects to most major European cities, and travel by bus is actually better than by train - both quicker and more comfortable, since buses come with amenities like coffee service, television and video screens and air conditioning. The Central Bus Station (Maria Luiza Boulevard) in Sofia operates for both national and international buses, has 57 booking counters, ample parking and is air conditioned. You'll find it easy to hail a cab outside; again, do watch out for taxis without meters.
Bus drivers gather up passenger passports at the border and have them checked for you. The procedures at the border are a bit time consuming since luggage is checked as well.
