This page explains how to travel by train from Sofia to other key European cities, and how to buy the cheapest tickets. Click here to for journeys starting in another city. Click here for Sofia station guide. Information current for 2024.
I want to go from Sofia to...
Before you buy your tickets
Take a moment to read these tips for buying European train tickets. It answers all the usual questions, "Must I book in advance or can I buy at the station?", "Can I stop off?", "Are there Senior fares?" and that old favourite, "Should I buy an $800 railpass or a €35 point-to-point ticket?". How far ahead can you buy train tickets?
European train travel FAQ
Train travel within Bulgaria
-
Trains link most major towns & cities, including Sofia, Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo.
The nearest main station to Sunny Beach is Burgas.
-
Check times at the Bulgarian Railways website www.bdz.bg.
-
You can buy tickets online for long-distance trains at bileti.bdz.bg.
Click English top right. It only takes a few seconds to register. Booking opens 60 days ahead.
Sofia to Istanbul
-
There is a comfortable sleeper train called the Sofia-Istanbul Express from Sofia to Istanbul, see the Sofia to Istanbul page.
Sofia to Belgrade
Sofia to Bucharest for €26
-
There's a daily train from Sofia to Bucharest, leaving Sofia central station at 07:00 & arriving Bucharest Gara de Nord at 17:17.
In summer from mid-June to early October this is a direct train, consisting of one direct Romanian 2nd class coach with side corridor and compartments.
Outside these dates you change trains at Ruse (arrive 13:31, depart 14:15) from a Bulgarian train into a modern air-conditioned Romanian diesel unit for the last leg to Bucharest, although the timings are exactly the same.
There's no catering so bring a picnic and some wine or beer, a good book, and enjoy the ride. It's a lovely scenic route, meandering at leisurely speed through the beautiful green valleys of Bulgaria. You then cross the Danube from Ruse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania over Europe's longest steel bridge, 2.5 km long.
You can confirm this schedule at the Bulgarian Railways website www.bdz.bg. Click English top right. Click Menu then look for International rail-routes, go to the Bucuresti-Sofia-Bucuresti page and open the pdf timetable. They often only post timetables a few days before they start, so don't expect the June-October timetable to be posted here before May or even early June. Patience!
Important update: Due to track upgrading, from 7 May 2024 for maybe a year, the train will start at Sofia Sever at 07:06 (Sofia Sever = Sofia North, 2.7 km from Sofia Central, see map). You can either take a taxi from your hotel to Sofia Sever or take the 06:50 suburban train from Sofia Central.
-
The fare is around €35 including seat reservation. 2nd class only.
-
Buy a ticket at the international ticket windows at Sofia station.
There are always places available, even on the day. Tickets cannot be bought online, unless you're making a round trip starting in Bucharest, in which case tickets can be bought at the Romanian Railways website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro but must be collected from the CFR international ticket office at Bucharest Gara de Nord.
-
Tip: The departure boards at Sofia Central are in Cyrillic, look for train 462 (winter) or 460 (summer).
Sofia to Budapest & Vienna
The line between Belgrade and Budapest is blocked for major upgrading. So the best route to Budapest and Vienna is currently via Bucharest.
-
Step 1, travel from Sofia to Bucharest, leaving Sofia Central at 07:00 and arriving Bucharest Nord at 17:17.
In summer from mid-June to early October this is a direct train, or rather, one 2nd class Sofia-Bucharest through coach with side corridor & compartments. The other cars in this train run between Sofia & Ruse.
At other times of year it's two separate trains either side of Ruse, arrive 13:31, depart 14:15. You change at Ruse from a Bulgarian train into a modern air-conditioned Romanian diesel unit for the last leg to Bucharest, although the end-to-end timings are exactly the same.
There's no catering so bring a picnic and some wine or beer, a good book, and enjoy the ride. It's a lovely scenic route, meandering at leisurely speed through the beautiful green valleys of Bulgaria. You then cross the Danube from Ruse in Bulgaria to Giurgiu in Romania over Europe's longest steel bridge, 2.5 km long.
The fare is around €34 including seat reservation. 2nd class only.
Buy a ticket at the international ticket windows at Sofia station, there are always places even on the day of travel. You cannot buy online.
Enjoy an evening in Bucharest and have dinner.
Important update: Due to track upgrading, from 7 May 2024 for maybe a year, the train will start at Sofia Sever at 07:06 (Sofia Sever = Sofia North, 2.7 km from Sofia Central, see map). You can either take a taxi from your hotel to Sofia Sever or take the 06:50 suburban train from Sofia Central.
-
Step 2, travel from Bucharest to Budapest by sleeper train Muntenia, leaving Bucharest Nord at 21:00 and arriving Budapest Keleti at 12:50.
The Muntenia has 4 & 6-berth couchettes and ordinary seats. A Romanian sleeping-car is attached from Bucharest as far as Arad (arrive 08:54). There's no catering car, so bring your own food & drink.
Fares start at €40 with a couchette in 6-berth or €47 with a couchette in 4-berth. These are limited-availability advance-purchase fares.
Book this at the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en. You print your own ticket.
If you want the comfort & privacy of a proper sleeper from Bucharest to Arad, (1) book berths in a 1, 2 or 3-bed sleeper from Bucharest Nord to Arad at the Romanian Railways domestic website bilete.cfrcalatori.ro and print your own ticket. A single sleeper all to yourself costs as little as €59. Then (2) book a 2nd class seat from Arad to Budapest from €17 using the Romanian Railways international website bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en (you print your own ticket) or using the Hungarian Railways website www.mavcsoport.hu (you print your own ticket or can show it in the MAV app). Booking opens 60 days ahead.
-
Step 3, travel from Budapest to Vienna by EuroCity train, leaving Budapest Keleti at 14:40 and arriving Vienna Hbf 17:21.
An earlier connection is possible, but I'd allow for delay and book this one.
Fares start at €19.90 in 2nd class or €29.90 in 1st class. Fares vary like air fares, so book ahead.
Book this train at www.thetrainline.com (easy to use, in €, £ or $, overseas credit cards no problem, small booking fee) or at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at (in €, a bit more fiddly, same fares). Booking opens up to 6 months ahead and you print your own ticket.
Sofia to Athens, Thessaloniki & Greece
-
A train leaves Sofia central station every day at 15:30 arriving Kulata 19:06 & Thessaloniki at 23:30.
The fare is just €17.80 (35 LEV) one-way, there are always plenty of spaces, buy at the international ticket windows at Sofia station.
Update 2024: This train is currently only running from Sofia to Kulata on the Bulgarian side of the Greek border, it's not running in Greece.
-
Onwards to Athens: Trains link Thessaloniki with Larissa and Athens every couple of hours, journey time just 4h09 after a significant speed-up in May 2019 (indeed, one morning train now takes only 3h57). It's a wonderfully scenic ride, past Mount Olympus and along the Aegean, then past the mountains south of Larissa, see the photos & information here. The fare is €45 in 2nd class or €55 in 1st class, you can buy tickets from Thessaloniki to Athens either at the station or online at www.hellenictrain.gr with print-at-home tickets, see the step-by-step advice on using it here.
Sofia to Moscow
-
There are currently no international trains to or from Russia due to the war in Ukraine.
Sofia to Zagreb, Munich, Paris, London
-
See the London to Bulgaria page for details. Look for the inward journey details.
-
Alternatively, step 1, travel to Bucharest as shown here. Step 2, then see the Trains from Bucharest page for onward trains. I'd allow plenty of time in Belgrade for connections, and if necessary stay overnight. Route currently operating OK.
Sofia to all other destinations: Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen & Scandinavia, Spain & Portugal
Option 1, via Bucharest & Budapest
-
Day 1, travel from Sofia to Bucharest by daytime train then Bucharest to Budapest by sleeper, as shown above.
You leave Sofia station at 07:00 on Day 1, spend an evening in Bucharest and arrive Budapest Keleti at 12:50 on Day 2.
-
Day 2, travel from Budapest to other cities as shown on the Trains from Budapest page.
You can take a daytime train from Budapest to Munich, Bratislava, Prague and arrive in the evening of Day 2.
You can take a sleeper from Budapest to Warsaw or Berlin, arriving in the morning of Day 3.
You can take a train to Vienna then a sleeper to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Hamburg or Zurich arriving in the morning of Day 3.
Option 2, via Belgrade
-
Not currently a viable option while the Sofia-Belgrade and Belgrade-Zagreb trains remain suspended.
Hotels in Sofia
For an inexpensive hotel with great reviews near Sofia Central station, see here.
Backpacker hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.