Bulgaria Transport

Air
Bulgaria is home to three international airports: Sofia, which is the biggest, Varna and Bourgas. The national airline is Bulgaria Air, which services local destinations as well as other mainly European cities.

Sofia International Airport is very well equipped with facilities including banks and currency exchange, a post office, duty-free shopping, a nursery, restaurants, a bar and car hire desks.

Buses operate every 10 minutes to the city centre during the day and every 20 minutes between 21:00 and 00:30. The bus station can be found near the Arrivals Hall. Taxis are also on hand, though taxi drivers may not use their meters so it is recommended to agree on the fare in advance. Passengers are advised to only use the airport sponsored taxi company which are called OK Supertrans.

Public parking at Sofia Airport is open around the clock. It is located just in front of the terminal building and includes long and short-term options as well as dedicated spaces for disabled drivers.

Varna International Airport offers domestic and limited European services. Facilities include four duty free shops, four coffee bars and a currency exchange.

Buses operate to the city centre and further on to St Constantine and Golden Sands beach resorts every 15 minutes daily. The bus station is located between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, in front of the parking lot. The taxi ranks are located in front of Terminal 4, International Arrivals, next to the parking lot.

Ample short-term parking facilities are provided near the main terminal.

Bourgas International Airport is near many popular seaside resorts and receives mainly domestic flights and European charter flights during the tourist season from May to October.

Facilities at Bourgas Airport include a cafeteria, snack bar, duty-free shop and currency exchange. There is also an open air terrace on the first floor of the Departure Terminal.

Most flights arriving at Bourgas Airport are part of package holidays and visitors are met by their tour operators. Taxis are available and local buses serve the airport.

Car
The main routes into Bulgaria are from Greece, Romania, Turkey, Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Foreign nationals entering Bulgaria in a motor vehicle must show evidence of their ownership and proof that their motor insurance is valid for Bulgaria.

Rail
Frequent train services are available between Sofia and Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Thessaloniki and Istanbul. Sofia is also directly linked with Paris, Moscow, Vienna, Munich and Berlin. Dining cars are available on all routes.

Sea
The main ports to the country are Bourgas and Varna by the Black Sea. There is a service to Varna from Odessa in Ukraine.

Air
Daily flights across the country link Sofia, Bourgas, Plovdiv and Varna. Domestic air travel is comparatively cheap. Bulgaria Air operates schedules on trunk routes.

Metro
A Metro has been built in the capital with trains running every six minutes during rush hour and every eight minutes at all other times. A flat fare is charged on all transport and tickets must be bought in advance.

Train
Bulgaria has an extensive railway network, connecting most of the country including Varna and Bourgas. Reservations are essential and first-class travel is advised. The EuroDomino pass allows holders from three to eight days’ unrestricted travel within a one-month period on the entire rail network of their chosen country. For more information, visit the national rail operator on: www.bdz.bg

Bus
There is a decent network of buses that are inexpensive and convenient but with unreliable timetabling. Buses are the cheapest and fastest way to travel around the country. They depart to and from every big city frequently. However, most bus station agents and drivers will only speak or understand Bulgarian and the destinations will be written solely in Cyrillic script. Private buses compete with government transport on major routes, often making up for slightly higher prices by offering extras such as shock absorbers.

Car
Bulgaria’s road network has over 13,000kms connecting the major centres. Road quality varies and some major roads have big potholes. Driving standards generally leave much to be desired and traffic drives on the right. International road signs are used, though road works are usually not signposted. Poor lighting makes driving at night dangerous. Road tolls are charged on highways and main roads out of town.

Taxi
Taxis wait at taxi ranks in front of major hotels and can also be hailed on the street. 

When hailing one on the street, tourists should stick to the yellow taxis, which use their meters. Taxi tariffs in Bulgaria are not standardised. Most taxi drivers do not speak much English.

Sea / River
Regular boat and hydrofoil services are available along the entire length of the River Danube and the Black Sea coast. There are various types of vessels and classes and timetables are seasonal. Generally, water transport costs twice as much as buses.