Have you ever tried to figure out the public transportation system in Sofia? What to take, where to get a ticket, how to use it, how to get to the airport, train or bus stations? If so, you have come to the right place, because now we will introduce you to the public transport of Sofia and give you useful information on how to survive in the urban jungle. We hope it will help you “blend in” and not look like human on Mars when you get on a bus. So, hop on and let’s get started! Public transport exists in every good-sized city and Sofia is no exception. Although lots of Bulgarians prefer their cars to move around in the capital, there are people who still prefer to use the public means of transport. As a matter of fact, it is getting more popular and quite regular. Taking a ride in the Sofia public transport is a journey in space and time like no other and the only thing […]

To and from Sofia Airport Whether you’re planning on visiting Bulgaria’s capital or you just ended up at the Sofia Airport by chance, this article will give you all the information you need on getting from the airport to the city. The Sofia Airport is located at about 10 km away from the city centre. Luckily, there is a pretty good transport infrastructure to get you downtown. Available public transport includes the metro and three bus lines (84, 384 and 184). You can also pick-up a taxi in front of the Arrival building. From Sofia Airport to Sofia City Center BY BUS Until recently (May 2017) there were only 2 bus lines that were serving the 2 terminals of Sofia Airport. Bus line 84 used to pass through both Terminals (T1 and T2) and would take its passengers in downtown Sofia. Bus line 384’s route is Terminal 2 – Drujba district ( ‘Дружба’ in Bulgarian or ‘Comradeship’). Since May 2017 the line 84 splits into 84 and 184 for a trial […]

Have you ever considered visiting Sofia by car? A lot of people do and that is why this time we are focusing on everything you need to know about parking in Sofia. WHERE CAN I PARK? In Sofia the company responsible for all the transport and parking is called the Urban Mobility Centre aka UMC. They are the ones providing parking premises, passes, tokens and basically everything connected with parking in the city as well as impounds your vehicle. If you don’t want to get there it is always better to pay for the parking. There are two types of short term paid parking zones in the center – a Green one and a Blue one. They are active only during the day and the municipality of Sofia has given detailed information about the reach of those zones and provided a map. BLUE ZONE Parking limit: The maximum duration of parking in this zone is up to 2 (two) hours. Working hours: Weekdays and Saturdays from 08.30 to 20.00 No […]

Night Transport in Sofia? When? Where? How? Great news everyone! There is going to be public night transport in Sofia. Starting April 7th  2018 until 4 bus lines will be running during the night. So what is the deal? There will be 4 new lines that cross the city and connect the large neighborhoods. The four lines are as follows: N1, N2, N3 and N4. Here is also a map of their routes. Sofia night transport routes N1 will be running from Liulin district 1 and 2 towards Mladost 4 district with 50 stops. N2 will be running from Obelya district towards Studentski grad district with 38 stops. N3 will be running from Ovcha kupel district towards Levski dristrict  with 33 stops. N4 will be running from Drujba district towards Gotse Delchev district with 49 stops one way and 55 stops the other way There is going to be a transfer location where all of the lines meet so that one could be able to change them and this is going […]

Hi everyone! The following  post aims to give you more information about taxis in Sofia and the taxi-network in the capital of Bulgaria. How to take a taxi in Sofia? 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. […]

Hey all! After our previous blog posts about getting around Sofia with the public transport or on foot, it is high time we tell you about everyone’s favorite way of transportation in the city. With this post, we are taking you on a ride with the Sofia metro! We have prepared our next dose of useful tips and tricks for visiting Sofia. As of August 2020 Sofia has 3 functioning metro lines! The consturction of the Sofia metro started in the 1970s. It took several decades before the first line opened. However, it was in the last 10 years that the metro network saw its biggest expansion with two new lines now fully operating (inaugurated in 2012 and 2020) and a longer 1st line that can now take you all the way to the Sofia Airport. When entering any metro station, you can find additional information about the metro lines, the stops, or the timetable, on signs like these: Sofia metro to the Sofia Airport – fully functional. It now […]

Vitosha is a mountain massif and a ski resort (though a bit underdeveloped). It offers plenty of hiking options and panoramic views of Sofia. Sofia is one of the very few European capitals with such a big mountain so close to the city center. The city also happens to be one of the highest capitals in Europe. Andorra la Vella is at the top, followed by Vaduz in Liechtenstein and arguably Madrid. So the question inevitably arises – ‘How do we get to Vitosha mountain?’ Here are some options: Walking and Hiking in Vitosha This is actually how organized tourism in Sofia started. In 1895, the famous Bulgarian writer Aleko Konstantinov managed to convince around 300 people to leave the city’s ‘dusty streets’ and ‘stuffy cafes’ and take a refreshing walk from the city center to the top of the mountain — Cherni Vrah (Black Peak), at 2290 m above sea level. In front of the National Theatre, a stone marks the starting point of this interesting journey.   How […]

Free Wi-Fi Internet Areas in Sofia Internet in Sofia It is easily accessible and available everyhwere. Free wi-fi areas could be found in most public areas such as the Central Railway Station, Central Bus Station, Sofia Airport, Central Covered Market – Halite. Same goes for all hotels, shoping malls, most metro stations and even some of the parks such as South Park (Yuzhen park), Zaimov Park, Doctor’s Garden. You can also expect that most of the cafes, restaurants and bars would have free wi-fi. Sometimes you might have to ask for a password at the counter but generally it’s free. You just have to bring your own device. Unlike other countries, it’s relatively easy here to find free internet. If you don’t have a wi-fi device, you can ask to use a computer at your place of accommodation or you can use a computer at the Tourist Information Center in the underpass of Sofia University. Here is a great list of places with free wi-fi in Sofia. Mobile Internet – 3G […]

Riding a bike in Sofia Hooray! The snow is gone, the temperatures are slowly rising, everything around you, including yourself, is waking up from a long winter’s slumber and what better time to take out your bicycle, hop on it and feel the wind whistling in your ears? Cycling in Sofia? There is no better time of the year to ride a bike in Sofia than spring or summer, so we decided to give you a little bit more information on the topic, should you ever decide to go around on two wheels. Riding a bike in the city could be quite frustrating and cycling in Sofia is indeed a challenge due to the bad infrastructure, lack of proper cycling lanes and bike parkings, but mostly because of the poor bicycle culture in general. However, this doesn’t stop thousands of people to choose the bike as a means of transport in the city and that number is growing steadily every year. There are quite a few reasons and a lot […]