Sofia () is the capital of Bulgaria. It is also the biggest city in the country with about 1.7 million citizens (including suburbs). Today, Sofia is a dynamic Eastern European capital, distinguished by its unique combination of European and Communist-style architecture as well as many beautiful orthodox churches. Furthermore, it claims to be one of the few European capitals with beautiful scenery and a developed ski-resort so close to it – the Vitosha mountain.When planning a visit to Sofia, keep in mind the major national holidays (Christmas, Orthodox Easter, 1st, 6th and 24th of May, 6th of September). During these holidays the city is deserted as most citizens take advantage of the long weekend and travel on vacation. Most small shops and galleries close for the holidays. Sofia was founded 2,500 years ago. Over the centuries, it has been given several names – Serdica , Sredetz and the remains of the old cities can still be viewed today. Because of its strategic location in the middle of Balkans for a while it had been selected for a new capital of the Roman Empire.Near Sofia is the Boyana church, one of the most valuable memorials of Bulgarian and European culture. The church has frescoes, acclaimed by specialists as the best examples of Eastern medieval art during its twelve century history .The decline of Sofia during the Turkish Ottoman Empire was followed by the rejuvenation after the Russian liberation in 1878, when Sofia was chosen as the capital of Bulgaria at the First National Constituent Assembly, and followed by a brisk and straight-forward period of construction.Sofia has a humid continental climate with an average annual temperature of 10.2 C (50.4 F).Winters are cold and snowy. In the coldest days temperatures can drop as low as -15C or even lower, most notably in January. Foggy conditions are frequent, especially in the beginning of the season. On average, Sofia receives a total snowfall of 90 cm (35.5 in) and around 60 days with snow cover.Summers are warm and sunny. In summer, Sofia generally remains slightly cooler than other parts of Bulgaria, due to its higher altitude. However, the city is also subjected to heat waves with high temperatures reaching or exceeding 35C in the hottest days, particularly in July and August. Springs and autumns in Sofia are short with variable and dynamic weather.The city receives an average annual precipitation of 591 mm (23.27 in), reaching its peak in the beginning of the summer when thunderstorms are common.Sofia Airport ( ) (IATA: SOF) is 9 km east of the city center. It is the busiest airport in Bulgaria, with annual passenger traffic of over 4 million.Over 20 airlines operate service to/from Sofia, with direct flights to/from many European and Middle East cities. Aegean Airlines (Athens), Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo), Air France (Seasonal: Paris-Charles de Gaulle), Air Serbia (Belgrade), Alitalia (Rome-Fiumicino), Austrian Airlines (Vienna), British Airways (London-Heathrow), Dniproavia (Kiev-Boryspil), El Al (Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion), flydubai (Dubai-International), Jet2.com (Seasonal: Manchester), LOT Polish Airlines (Warsaw-Chopin), Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich), Qatar Airways (Doha), TAROM (Bucharest), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Ataturk).Bulgaria Air, the national carrier operates service to/from Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin-Tegel, Brussels, Burgas, Frankfurt, Larnaca, London-Heathrow, Madrid, Milan-Malpensa, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Odessa, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Prague, Rome-Fiumicino, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, Varna, Vienna, Zurich, Barcelona, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Seasonal: Beirut, Lisbon.Along with traditional carriers, some low-cost companies traveling to Bulgaria are:EasyJet (to/from London-Gatwick, London-Stansted and Manchester), Ryanair (to/from Athens, Barcelona, Berlin-Schanefeld, Birmingham, Castellon, Charleroi, Cologne/Bonn, Dublin, Eindhoven, Glasgow, Hamburg, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Liverpool, London-Stansted, Madrid, Memmingen, Milan-Malpensa, Pisa, Rome-Ciampino, Stockholm Skavsta, Treviso),Transavia (to/from Amsterdam),Wizz Air (to/from Alicante, Barcelona, Bari, Basel/Mulhouse, Beauvais, Bergamo, Birmingham, Bologna, Bristol, Budapest, Charleroi, Catania, Cologne/Bonn, Copenhagen, Doncaster/Sheffield, Dortmund, Dubai-Al Maktoum, Eindhoven, Geneva, Hahn, Kutaisi, Larnaca, London-Luton, Madrid, Malma, Malta, Memmingen, Naples, Nuremberg, Rome-Fiumicino, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, Valencia. There are domestic flights to/from Varna and Burgas.Budget airlines including EasyJet, Transavia and Wizz Air operate from Terminal 1, while Ryanair and the traditional carriers including Bulgaria Air operate from Terminal 2.There are shops, cafes, post offices, ATMs, and money exchange offices at the airport. For more details, see the airport website.There is a free shuttle bus operating between the terminals every 30 minutes between 7:00AM and 7:00PM. Outside of those hours, a free shuttle bus can be requested at the information desk or you can use Bus #84 (see below).To travel between the airport and the city centre:Since July 2015 there are coloured paths (Terminal 2) to the different types of transport. An yellow one will lead you to the taxi stand, a blue one will guide you to the metro station and a red one is for the bus station.Sofia Central Bus Station (Centralna Avtogara/ ) is in the north part of the city centre and is within walking distance to the central attractions. Schedules and fares are available in Bulgarian online. Eurolines Bulgaria is the largest operator of international buses to/from Bulgaria. Buses operate to/from Belgrade (5 hours, 23) and other cities in Serbia, Vienna (15.5 hours, 59) and other cities in Austria, Paris (36 hours, 120) and other cities in France, Berlin (28 hours, 110) and other cities in Germany, Budapest (11-13 hours, 48), and Prague (21 hours, 63).MATPU 96 is the largest operator of buses in Bulgaria. The schedule is available in Bulgarian online. Buses operate several times per day to/from Skopje (5.5 hours, 15).In addition, there are 3 smaller bus stations that serve only local destinations. The bus to Samokov operates from the south station (near Metro Station).There are trains to/from Varna (8hrs, 34 leva), Burgas (7hrs07, 21 leva) or Plovdiv (2hrs40, 10 leva), as well as other cities in the country.International trains provide a large number of routes to Sofia, arriving from such places as Kiev, Istanbul, Vienna, Belgrade, Bucharest, Moscow and other common cities. Always check in the local train stations for the most up to date information. Due to the refugee situation, border closings may be installed, causing some lines to be cancelled.The train to Istanbul is called the Balkan train and runs once daily in each direction. It leaves from Sofia at 20:40, arriving in Istanbul at 07:18 the next morning. There are a few stops within Bulgaria, but after the Turkish border it continues its way without any more stops until Istanbul. It leaves from Istanbul at 22:30, arriving in Sofia at 09:10 the next day. It costs 70 leva.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 12:45/arriving 22:25 and a night train departing 20:04/arriving 06:00. From Sofia to Bucharest there are also two trains: a) Sofia 09:00 – Bucharest 18:58 and b) Sofia 19:30 – Bucharest 05:44. One way ticket is 140 Romanian Leu. Discounts are available for under 25s. Passport control and customs takes place in Giurgiu (RO) and Ruse (BG), approximately mid-trip.There are two trains from Sofia to Thessaloniki and vice versa each day. One way tickets cost 16.80, return tickets cost 33.60.Train 360 towards Sofia departs from Thessaloniki at 06:55 and arrives at 14:07, train 361 to Thessaloniki departs from Sofia at 15:00 and arrives at 22:22.Train 1461, coming from Bucharest, leaves Sofia at 23:50 to arrive in Thessaloniki at 06:30 the next morning. The opposite direction of this route is served by train 1460 leaving Thessaloniki at 23:10 and arriving in Sofia at 05:50.From Belgrade: 10h, one overnight train. Return ticket cost 41.20 and 6 for couchette reservation.All services are operated by the Bulgarian State Railways [104], 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, upon 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. Credit cards are accepted.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!The rail travel and ticketing in Bulgaria is unique. When buying a round trip, you have to obtain a second stamp on your ticket at the cashier before boarding the train on the return journey. Otherwise you will have to pay a fine to the conductor or be kicked off the train to get the stamp.On 26 April 2016 the central railway station was reopened after nearly 2 years of renovation. The new station has new waiting rooms, solar panels, more security and is more accessible to disabled people.Access to Bulgaria’s Capital is via several entry points:1. From the North & South via E79/A6 2. From the East – via Thrace Highway E80/A1-A3 or from the old road paralelling the E80 Highway – Zlatitza – Pirdop – Pazardzhik route.3. From the West – via A1/E80 Liking the city and the Bulgarian-Serbian Border point of Kalotina.Otherwise coming from Greece the road E79/A6 is in very good shape, so the 300 km from Thessaloniki are done fairly fast if you don’t happen to fall into Friday/Sunday traffic jams in the area of Sofia or Pernik. Coming from the Republic of Macedonia, via Kiustendil the roads are relatively good but driving within speed limits would avoid you much hassle caused either by traffic police, or road conditions. From Central Europe you can drive almost the whole length on highways (via Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia or Hungary-Serbia), with only the last 100 km between NiÅ in Southern Serbia and Sofia being heavily trafficked mountain roads around the Nishava ravine in not the best shape.Note that the highways are poorly lighted and some sections are very old and in bad shape (“Trakiya” from Plovdiv to Sofia and the entire Hemus section).The legal speed is:The fines for speeding starts from 20 leva (for up to 10km/h over the speed limit) and has no top limit. Usually traffic police does not stop cars on the highways but they do stop cars on the regular roads quite often. If somebody (the car on the other lane) blinks with his high beams to you that means there are traffic police ahead. The policemen are known for taking bribes but do not be tempted as there are cameras on them or in their car so you might end up in jail. The fines are not so strict so better take your card and pay the fine. Seat belts (front and rear passengers) and low beam lights are mandatory at all times. Some drivers can be quite aggressive. There are a lot of traffic rules violations – most of them not a big deal but you need to keep your both eyes.Avoid buying fuel from the small gas stations as it might be tempered. The prices there are lower but it isn’t worth the risk. There is a well developed network of petrol and gas stations around the country. Some of the big ones are: Shell, OMV, Eko, Lukoil, Petrol, Rompetrol.Sofia has a well-developed and efficient public transport system ([105]) that consists of buses, trolleys, trams, subway. The public transport operates from 5AM to about 12AM. From 7th of April 2018 there is an experimental program that operates 4 night lines of public bus transport between aprox. 12AM and 4:30AM. The ticket costs 2 leva and you can purchase it from a dedicated person inside the bus. Keep the ticket as it is for the entire night and you don’t have to buy another one if switching lines. The bus lines have one common point (Knyaz Alexander I Batemberg sq.) where you can transfer to any of the other night buses. Buses stops only if you press the STOP button inside the bus or if you wave at them when you are outside of the bus. Otherwise they will not stop on each station. Each bus have security cameras and the drivers have a panic button in case of a malicious activity. In case the driver press it a police car will arrive shortly. The experimental program will run by the end of 2018 and is unsure if it will continue after that. You can find a map and a timetable here. Unfortunately the night buses don’t go the Airport and if you have a night flight you should use the only option – taxi.From June, 1st 2016 the public service will cost 1.60 lev per ticket, the carnet of 10 tickets (Card with coupons for ten travels for one passenger) will cost 12 leva. The fine for not having a ticket will be 40 leva (approximately 20 )There are several kinds of tickets and cards in Sofia. The single ride ticket costs 1.60 Lev – 0.80 Euro, and is valid for a single ride, without limitation of time or distance. After buying the ticket, you must stamp it inside the vehicle with the yellow stamp-machines (perforators). Another option for multi-travelling is buying a Card with coupons for ten travels for one passenger, the principle is the same with the rides. Such court of 10 tickets costs 12 Leva – 6 Euro. Beware that one such court cannot be used by two or more people on the same time, and the 10-th ticket must always be preserved and shown upon request to the ticket inspectors (this is to make sure that you are not using a punched ticket that you found on the bus). You can still use your 10th ticket – you just pinch it the last. Tickets for the subway are obtainable only from the ticket machines or kiosks inside the stations. The normal tickets for buses or trams are not valid there. Also the ticket for the subway is valid only for 30 minutes after buying it (you cannot buy a few subway tickets in advance to use later)! You could also use a smartphone app called Tickey. You can purchase tickets for the subway from it. It only works for couple of the center stations so be aware when you use it.If you are planning a stay in Sofia, it is best to rely on single-day-cards. Such card costs 4 Leva – 2 Euros, and is valid for all buses, trams, trolleybuses and the subway. The card is stamped by the kiosk seller so you don’t have to worry about stamping it inside the vehicles. It is valid after stamped until the closing time of the transport, so around 23:30 – 00:00. The subscription cards are not valid for the experimental night buses. You can also buy the daily ticket for the next or another day, by simply telling that to the employee, and he will put the appropriate date stamp of the next or another day, you wish to travel. Just find a kiosk where this card is sold, and buy every single morning such a card, and travel as much as you like. The card is valid for a single person only! Oddly enough, when using the day ticket in the Metro system, you must first go the manned ticket booth next to the sliding access doors to have it checked before each use. You present your day card wordlessly to the employee in the booth, who will scan the ticket with a bar code reader and release it for its next use. If you fail to do so, inserting the ticket in the access door reader will cause it to flash red and the doors will not slide open to let you pass through.Another option to buy daily and nightly cards online is by using sofia.mpass.bg service. It is a service operated by the Public transport authority and allows for buying daily and nightly cards using either credit card or SMS (for local carriers only). After buying the card you will get a QR code. It will be valid till the end of the day (for the daily card) or for the duration of the night transport (for nighly cards). The QR code must be scanned on the tickets machines when entering the metro and to present the QR for manual scan by the control personal on busses, trams, and trolleys. Please watch the video on the website how to scan the code correctly as it may be tricky. If for some reason the code cannot be scanned contact the person in the booth and ask them for support. They would usually let you in by the gate for disabled people. Overall it is a very convenient way to purchase a card if you don’t want to buy a physical one all the time. The cost is 4 leva for daily and 2 leva for nightly one.For the subway, you can buy an electronic card that costs 1 BGN then charge it with ten trips for the price of 12 BGN. When you return the card, you get your 1 BGN back. This is recommended if you are going to use the metro at least ten times as you can avoid queuing to buy a ticket every time (and it is also 20% cheaper).The ticketing system is simple. The whole city belongs to the same tariff zone, including the suburbs and the neighboring villages, where a public transportation from Sofia goes. The only exceptions are the lines 103 and 66, where tickets are bought from the driver only and act as an attraction lines. If you are traveling by public transport with a large suitcase or backpack, be sure to buy a separate ticket for your bag/case if sum of its dimensions are larger than 140cm (eg.60x40x40cm) or you might be fined! You need no an extra ticket for luggage on the metro. The fine for not having a ticket is 40 BGN. If you have no ticket for yourself and a big bag, that would be 80 BGN. The ticket inspectors are not always present but they can be rough if you don’t have a valid ticket or you argue with them. Keep in mind that they not always understand other language than Bulgarian. Sometimes they are accompanied by a police car so if you are too aggressive about why you don’t have a ticket you might end up in the local police office. If you do have a valid ticket you won’t have any troubles. There are 15 tram lines, 9 trolley lines, 93 bus lines and two metro lines. Some of the buses cover the area outside the city center including neighboring villages. Useful routes are bus #84 from both terminals of the airport to the center

Airport: SOF Sofia Airport Cities in Bulgaria

Country: Bulgaria