Which means of transport to use Bulgaria?

From the airport to the city centre Bulgaria

From Sofia airport, there are several ways to get to the city center. The easiest is to take the metro. The station is on the side of the terminal 2: follow the blue line on the ground to get there on foot. Take line 1 to the city center - Serdika station (about 18 minutes). From Serdika station, you can take line 2 to the bus and train stations. The metro runs from 5:30 am to midnight.

By bus, to get to the city center, from terminal 1, take bus 84, whose stop is 200 m from the exit, and from terminal 2, bus 284. They will drop you off at the Orlov Bridge (stop: Orlov Most) located on the eastern edge of the city center (about 20 minutes). Buses run from 5am to 11pm, every 10-15 minutes.

Tickets (bus or metro) are sold at the ticket office - 1,60 leva. On the bus, if your luggage is larger than 60 × 60 × 40 cm, you will have to buy another ticket from the driver.

There are also cabs from the airport for 15-20 leva to the city center. Take only official cabs, recognizable by their yellow color.

If you land directly in Bourgas, for example for a stay on the coast, bus number 15 connects the airport with the railway and bus stations every 25 minutes from 5:30 am to 11 pm. The cabs of the company Eko Taxi are the official cabs.

Finally, from Varna airport, to get to the city center, take bus number 409 (which runs every 15-20 minutes), which leaves from terminal 2, passes in front of the central bus station (15 minutes - 1 lev), then in front of the cathedral (20 minutes - 1 lev) and goes to the Golden Sands (50 minutes - 3 leva). A bus every 15-20 minutes. By cab, the official company OK Trans will take you to the center for 10 to 15 leva.

Public transport Bulgaria

The Bulgarian bus network is larger than the train network, often more comfortable, but significantly more expensive. The major and busiest lines are those serving the mountain towns, where the train does not run, but it is possible to travel almost everywhere in Bulgaria with this means of transport. The connections are provided by several private companies, which together provide the main part of the network. In the larger cities there are often several bus stations (in the villages there is only one), from which the buses leave in the proposed directions.

The Bulgarian railway network (BDZ) is very cheap, but as mentioned above, it does not pass through the mountains. Taking the train is a good solution for the main routes; however, trains are often subject to delays or breakdowns. To find your way around the destinations and timetables, ask at the ticket office; in small villages, the staff may not speak English, but you will manage to make yourself understood..

In the city, you will easily find a bus to get around, or the metro (two lines) in Sofia.

Bike, scooters & co Bulgaria

Only Sofia has the system of electric scooters in free circulation. As in France, you must have the app and make payment and connection to the scooter via the app.

With a driver Bulgaria

Since 2018 and by court decision, Uber does not exist in Bulgaria because it opened to a lot of work without a license.

So only cabs are allowed to perform private rides. You will find them at the exit of train stations and airports, in the special cab lines. It is possible to negotiate a fare, but make sure that the distance corresponds to the fare the driver will give you, otherwise there may be an unpleasant surprise when you arrive and when you pay.

Cabs do not yet accept credit cards or only in very rare cases, so think about exchanging money or withdrawing from an ATM before getting in.

By car Bulgaria

If you rent a car from the airport, the rental companies' counters are all located at the entrance to terminal 2, which is where you should arrive (in which case a shuttle bus runs every 15-30 minutes between the two terminals), and the cars are located in the fourth basement of the parking lot.

It is also possible, depending on the company, to ask them to deliver the car to your hotel, usually at no extra cost, which can be a good thing to visit Sofia first on foot and by transport, before leaving directly with the car to explore the country, instead of paying for a parking space in the city or having to move it often (as parking is often limited to 3 hours).

With your own car, you will have to buy an electronic road sticker (service implemented since January^1, 2019 instead of the paper sticker) as soon as you cross the Bulgarian border. You can get it at the border checkpoints or in advance on the website www.bgtoll.bg/en (7,50 € per week, 15 € per month, 50 € per year). However, we advise you not to come to Bulgaria with your own car because the Balkans are the epicenter of international car trafficking.

The police are often on the side of the road to carry out controls, so respect the traffic rules and the speed limits, even if some drivers do not do so and following them is tempting.

You will find very few parking meters to pay for your parking. There are ticket inspectors, each with their own area, who will be sure to see you arrive and ask you how long you have parked and how much you have paid. Some (in Sofia, for example) issue a kind of scratch-off ticket indicating the day, month and time of departure, which you will have to put in your car; others rely on trust and will not give you anything (so be sure that it is a controller). The price is usually 2 leva per hour. In Varna, on the other hand, the parking near the port costs 12 leva (6 €) for 24 hours, which is very advantageous, but there are quickly cars after 9 am..

Otherwise, the traffic in the cities is quite easy, as is finding your way around. Just avoid rush hours in the big cities.

Accessibility Bulgaria

Accessibility for wheelchairs and strollers is quite disparate in Bulgaria, especially for visiting churches and museums. The streets are not always wide enough but in general efforts have been made.

More than positive, the city of Sofia received in 2015 a trophy from the Council of Europe for the total accessibility of its metro.

As for the beaches, the situation is also mixed. Some are equipped with access ramps (as in Albena) while others lack them...

Tourist traps Bulgaria

The number one scam involves fake cabs. These are cars resembling official cabs that spot tourists looking for a cab, invite them to get into their vehicle and charge up to ten times the normal rates! To avoid them (because they play on the effect of resemblance and vulnerability), be aware that official cabs wait for the customer to call them and stay in line when they are at airports or train stations, for example.

If you rent a car, make sure you have a credit card (not a debit card) for the deposit; the company may refuse to rent you the car or charge you for its full insurance (about 10 euros per day of rental).