This capital city is one of the most popular in south Eastern Europe, but is Sofia, Bulgaria worth visiting?
I actually visited this city on two different occasions, and had two totally different experiences between the nightlife, nature, and soaking up the culture of the city.
In this guide we're going to dive into everything you need to know for visiting, from the best things to see in Sofia, to the best ways to get around, and more. Most importantly, we're also going to help you decide if Sofia, Bulgaria is worth visiting. Let's jump right in!
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Where is the City Sofia Located?
The city Sofia is located in the center of Western Bulgaria. The country of Bulgaria is situated in south Eastern Europe, and shares borders with Greece to its South, Macedonia to its south west, Serbia to its north west, Romania to its north, and Turkey to its south east.
Sofia is located on the west side of Bulgaria.
How to Get to Sofia Bulgaria
Now that you know where the city Sofia is located, let's look at the different ways to get there!
Flying: Where is the nearest International Airport to Sofia?
Sofia has an International Airport that is just 12.2 km from the center of the city. Sofia is a big hub for Eastern European flights, and plenty of budget friendly options.
European cities that fly direct to Sofia include Alicante, Amsterdam, Athens, Baku, Barcelona, Basel, Belgrade, Berlin, Birmingham, Bologna, Bournemouth, Bratisalva, Bristol, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Catania, Chambery, Cluj Napoca, Cologne, Copenhagen, Dortmund, Dublin, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Frankfurt, Geneva, Gran Canaria, Hamburg, Istanbul, Karlsruhe, Larnaca, Leipzig, Lisbon, Liverpool, London, Madrid, Malaga, Malta, Manchester, Memmingen, Milan, Munich, Naples, Newcastle, Nice, Nottingham, Nuremburg, Paphos, Paris, Pisa, Prague, Rome, Stockholm, Valencia, Vienna, Warsaw, Zagreb, and Zurich.
The only domestic flight that goes to Sofia is Varna and the other cities around the world that fly to Sofia include Aqaba, Djibouti, Doha, Dubai, Fes, Hanoi, Hurghada, Phuket, Sharjha, and Tel Aviv.
Flight Tip: Using Skyscanner you can use the calendar feature to compare which are the cheapest dates to fly to Sofia.
Search for a flight to Sofia:
How to Get to the City Center from Sofia Airport
The easiest and cheapest way to get to the city center from Sofia airport is by taking the metro. Tickets are 1.60 Lev, and the ride is 25 minutes, with trains leaving every 15.
There are also taxis available outside the airport, which cost around 20 Lev, and the ride is a little under 20 minutes. Uber is banned in Bulgaria, so Uber is not an option to get to the city center from Sofia Airport.
Buses to Sofia
If you are traveling through the Balkans, you won't necessarily need to fly to Sofia, but can take one of the many buses that go to Sofia from surrounding big cities.
Here are a few of the most popular routes that you can book from International cities:
Here are a few of the most popular domestic routes:
Entry Requirements for Bulgaria
Now that you know how to get to Sofia, let's jump into the requirements for entering the country of Bulgaria.
Visa Entry Requirements
Bulgaria allows foreigners to visit for a period of up to 90 days within a 180 day period. This country is not part of the Schengen Zone yet, so you won't need to worry about expiring your time in Europe by visiting Bulgaria.
Covid Entry Requirements
All requirements to enter Bulgaria due to Covid-19 have now been lifted. Masks are also not required for entering any establishments or for public transportation.
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Local Adjustments for Bulgaria
Whenever traveling to a new country there are things that you may need to adjust to, which are different from your home country. Here are a few of the local adjustments to keep in mind while traveling to Sofia, Bulgaria.
