International trains provide a large number of routes to Sofia, arriving from such places as Kiev, Istanbul, Vienna, Athens, Belgrade, Bucharest, Moscow and other common cities.
The primary trains from Bucharest to Sofia, and back, run twice daily through the border cities of Giurgiu and Ruse. For example, recent trains are scheduled from Bucharest to Sofia in the daytime departing 12:16/arriving 21:33 and a night train departing 20:04/arriving 06:00. From Sofia to Bucharest there are also two trains: a) Sofia 07:45 - Bucharest 17:19 and b) Sofia 19:30 - Bucharest 05:44. One way ticket is around €25up. Passport control and customs takes place in Giurgiu (RO) and Ruse (BG), approximately mid-trip. Check local train stations for more up to date information.
To Istanbul, the train costs 70 leva (a bus-tıcket is just 40 leva), the train departs at around 18:30 (there are 5 buses a day) and arrives at 9:00.
All services are operated by the Bulgarian State Railways , whose schedules are available on the internet in English.
The main railway station (Tsentralna Gara) can be somewhat confusing. Domestic departures go from the main terminal and that is where you can buy tickets for domestic travel. If you want to travel to an international destination, on entering the station from the front, turn to your left, walk past the heated waiting room on your left (and some small shops) and go to the office at the end of the wide corridor with "RILA" on it. It is straight ahead of you. They speak some English and to book a ticket, you will need your passport. They take credit cards.
If travelling to Thessalonika in Greece, travel in 2nd Class. It is excellent and you save some money. You get a 6 seater cabin with reclining seats and a great window. The train has a good chance of being uncrowded so you could end up with a cabin on your own. It will wind it's way through hills and valleys and is an excellent way to see the country. You can buy a ticket in advance which might save stress on the day. Top tips! Take loo paper on the train with you as well as plenty of food and water as there is no buffet car.
Platforms can be accessed from the main floor down the escalators at the far left corner. Platform numbering is somewhat confusing: Roman numerals indicate the platform number (I to VI), and Arabic numerals (1 to 12) indicate the actual track. Each platform is divided into East and West. Departures and arrivals are indicated on reliable electronic panels, but, beware, they indicate the track number, not the platform! In any case, leaving by train is mostly recommended if you want to travel overnight to destinations on the Black Sea, since trains for Varna and Burgas will leave late in the evening and get you there in the early morning (a couchette to Varna is 16 leva).
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Sofia
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Sofia - updated Apr 2024
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Sofia Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
