Hi everyone! The following post aims to give you more information about taxis in Sofia and the taxi-network in the capital of Bulgaria.
The most secure way to take a taxi in Sofia is to order one via phone, internet or apps. This way the taxi company will keep some important data about the ride. So if a problem occurs, they can track the car, the road, the driver and the time of the ride, making it easier to solve the problem and leaving smaller room for scam.
Of course you can also take a taxi on the street by just waving a hand to an approaching taxi-car. On every cab there is a light indicator on the front window. Green light means that the taxi is free and most probably will stop to pick you up. Red light means car is busy and probably won’t stop. On key places like Sofia Airport, Central Bus Station, Central Railway Station, Palace of Justice, etc. taxis are waiting ready to take new customers.
But let’s be honest – taking a cab right from the street turns you into an easy target for scam. What is more, most of the taxi drivers don’t speak good English, which makes it even easier to fool you because of lack of good communication. So you should always pay attention to dishonest drivers in order to avoid paying more than normal.
The taxi-service in Sofia is relatively affordable. The average fares forming the price are the following:
*BGN=leva (BGN is the abbreviation for our currency Bulgarian Leva).
**The official exchange rate in Bulgaria is: 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN.
There are some taxi companies operating at higher rates. But it’s a rather rare case to stop one of them. The taxis in Sofia are obliged to show their fares on the front and side windows – so check it out before entering the cab. In most cases if the fare is higher than 1.00 BGN per kilometer, probably the best thing is to wait for another cab.
Every taxi driver is obliged to use a small machine with an analogue screen – the fare calculator. It’s usually located somewhere around the speed-stick or in front of the passenger seat. Make sure that the driver turns on the calculator when you start the ride. Keep an eye on the screen during the whole course.
Now let’s try to calculate the approximate price and duration for some of the most common tourist taxi routes when traveling with a regular taxi company during light traffic:
Of course, those prices and duration can vary depending on the traffic, but in general significantly higher or lower prices for the selected routes are unlikely.
So how to avoid being scammed? Here are some tips:
We are wishing you all a pleasant and trouble-free stay in Sofia. See you soon!
Author: Stanislav Kertikov
1 Comment
when I first went to Bulgaria, some 6 years ago, I decided to do it in style and do British Airways Business Class, the flight was great, but when I got through the airport T2 a person said Taxi I went yes, gave my hotel address and he said 80lev I thought well that’s only 35euro, so OK, got to hotel taxi driver dropped the case and took the money and drove very fast out next thing the receptionist was shouting something in Bulgarian to the taxi driver and then said to me how much did you pay I said 80lev she then told me you should only pay 15lev and the cab was a scam.
so simply rule when coming out of the airport always go to the taxi rank and every taxi will have a sticker displaying the fares and you will also see a great bunch of lads and girls doing a fine job and also not ripping you off, and if someone says taxi inside the terminal say NO or just keep walking also don’t rely on the Police at the airport either their pay is low and some are open to offers to turn a blind eye.