Arriving in Sofia
Welcome to Sofia, the vibrant capital of Bulgaria, and the host city for our upcoming student conference! Below, you’ll find essential information to help you plan your arrival and navigate the city during your stay.
Here is some information about your trip to the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, if you'll arrive by..:
The easiest way to come to Sofia is by plane. Sofia Airport (SOF) is the primary international airport serving the city. From the airport, you can reach the hostel by taxi or public transportation. Our recommendation is if you land during the day, use the metro, if not - taxi. You can find information about the public transport in Sofia here - https://openbulgaria.org/post/public-transport-sofia.
To get from the airport to the hostel by public transport - information:
Sofia Airport metro station M4 is next to the building of Terminal 2 at the airport.
The metro trains operate from 5:26 am to 11:49 pm (business day) and from 5:27 am to 23:33 pm (on weekends and public holidays).
Metro schedule: https://www.metrosofia.com/en/schedule
Route: Get on the metro station: Sofia Airport M4 line, then you get off at Serdika metro station. After that, open the link with the address of the hostel in Google Maps. The walking distance to the hostels is about 10–15 minutes.
Of course, some people from our team are going to be at the airport to assist you.
Here you can find the route from Sofia Airport Terminal 2 to Bla-Bla hostel → https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
Here you can find the route from Sofia Airport Terminal 2 to Smart hostel → https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
Here are some photos from the metro station:
!!!! If you are coming by car, please contact us 1 month prior to the IGSM via e-mail or via our social media platforms!!!!
For those participants who choose to travel by car, here is the most important information for traveling.
Tolls:
In Bulgaria, there is a Vignette System. The e-vignette has been available in Bulgaria since 2019. No need to display a sticker on your windshield – you can simply register your vehicle online, quickly, and easily! E-vignettes can be valid for immediate use, if desired!
Types of vignettes in Bulgaria and price:
- Week – BGN 13
- Weekend – BGN 9
- Month – BGN 27
- Quarter – BGN 48
- Year – BGN 87
You can buy an e-vignette when you cross the border from almost every gas station. If you want to buy it online, you can use a mobile app called: TollPass.
IMPORTANT!
You can purchase an electronic vignette up to 30 days earlier than its start date. You can purchase an electronic vignette up to 30 days earlier than its start date.
For more information, you can visit the official site: https://vinetki.bg/en/
* If you are going to drive through different countries, don't forget to check their toll system.
Payments:
For those who are going to pay with cash, we recommend having the local currency – Bulgarian LEV. Or you can use a credit card.
Driving Regulations:
Drive on the right side of the road.
Seat belts are mandatory for all occupants.
The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.05%, and random police checks are common.
Documentation:
Carry your driver's license, vehicle registration, and insurance documents.
Non-EU citizens may need an International Driving Permit, depending on their country of origin.
Speed limits:
Speed limits in Bulgaria vary depending on the road. In built-up areas, the limit for cars is 50 km/h while outside these areas the limit is 90 km/h. On motorways, the limit is either 130 km/h or 140 km/h, depending on local signage.
Navigation:
For navigation apps we recommend using Google Maps, Waze or apps depending on your personal preferences.
Coordinates about the hostels:
Smart hostel: ul. Iskar 31, Sofia → https://www.google.com/maps/place/
Bla-Bla Hostel: ul. Iskar 11, Sofia → https://www.google.com/maps/place/
The travel distance from hostel to hostel is 5 min by walk. Here is the road: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
Parking information:
For parking your car, you should use these coordinates : https://www.google.com/maps/place/, where you can find someone from our team to help you.
The train station and the bus station are close to each other (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/). If you travel by bus/train, you should get off at Central Railway Station.
Again, we recommend you use public transport (https://openbulgaria.org/post/public-transport-sofia), but there are options to travel by taxi.
Get on the Central Railway Metro Station to Serdika metro station, where you should get off. After that, open the link with the address to the hostel on Google Maps. The walking distance to the hostels is about 10–15 minutes.
Here you can find the road from Central Railway Station to Bla-Bla hostel → https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
Here you can find the road from Central Railway Station to Smart hostel → https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
Of course, some people from our team are going to be at stations to assist you.
HOW TO GET TO THE UNIVERSITY?
The easiest way to get to UACEG is by walking. It will take you no more than 20–30 minutes, including exploring the different routes.
Another way is by public transport. You get on trolley 8 or 11 form: PL. Vasil Levski station and get off at Kino Odeon Station. Then near you, you will see the tram station where you can get on every tram line. After one station, you will have to get off. The UACEG is going to be 3 minutes from you.
Here you can find the road from Bla-Bla hostel to the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy:
by public transport → https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
by foot → https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
Here you can find the road from Smart hostel to the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy:
by public transport → https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
by foot →https://www.google.com/maps/dir/
More information about the public transport in Sofia:
Bulgaria has an extensive public transport system, including buses, trams, and trolleys in major cities like Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna. Sofia also is the only city in Bulgaria who has a metro system. Inter-city buses connect different regions, and trains operate on key routes.
For using our public transport, we recommend you pay with a bank card, by validating it on the blue machines which you can find on every kind of transport.
What you need to know by validating with a bank card:
* Only one passenger can be validated in the vehicle with the bank card. The reason for this is the planned max amount of money for the daily pass, which is BGN 4,00.
* Always use the same media: a physical card, phone, tablet or smartwatch. The vehicles’ validators read on each media as a separate bank card and to sum your trips into a daily pass at the amount of BGN 4,00, you need to choose one media and validate only with it during the day.
During an inspection, provide to the inspector of passengers’ regularity the media you have validated on – your bank card.
For checking the schedule of the surface public transport and when it’s going to arrive, you can look at the arrival time display which you can find on almost every stop or using the website: https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/common
For the metro schedule, you can look again at the arrival time display or visit: https://www.metrosofia.com/en/schedule
Sofia metro map or you can visit https://www.metrosofia.com/en/maps:
Public transport in Sofia during the nighttime:
If you use the night public transport in the city, you should know:
- Night public transport starts at 23:00.
- The ticket costs BGN 2,00 and is valid for an unlimited number of transfers. It can be purchased with cash from a conductor, as will be in every vehicle.
- A transportation document for the night lines can also be paid with a bank card by validating it directly on the blue devices in the buses.
- Passengers who have purchased annual passes for all lines, as well as those who have prepaid 24-hour and 72-hour passes, can use night transport without an additional transportation document.
Here you can find the schedule of the night public transport: https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/night-transport
Night public transport Sofia – map or visit: https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/media/uploads/
Аdditional transport in the city:
TAXI:
Here are the top companies in Sofia for taxis.
Yellow taxi. You can contact them on the following phone number: 02 91119 or use the mobile app:
IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yellow/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/
You will be able to find information on the official website how much is the cost of the taxi: https://www.yellow333.com/en/
OK taxi. You can contact them on the following phone number: 9732121 or use the mobile app:
IOS: https://apps.apple.com/bg/app/ok-taxi/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/
You will be able to find information on the official website how much is the cost of the taxi: https://www.oktaxi.net/en
We recommend calling or ordering from the app, rather than getting a car from the street.
SPARK:
So if you want to explore the city by electric car you can use “Spark”. To get one of those cars you need the mobile app and registration where you have to put all the information they need, such as: Name, photo of your driving license, card for payment (credit or debit) and other. Here are the links for the app:
IOS: https://apps.apple.com/lt/app/spark-car-sharing/
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/
You will be able to find information on the official website, how much is the cost of the service: https://spark.bg/en/
Remember that when you finish driving, you should park the car in the zones where it is allowed by the company (you can see this in the app).
Please note that only the person who has registered and opened the car should drive. If it is not them, there are penalties.
E-scooter and E-bike:
Lime is the world’s largest shared electric vehicle company. Again, if you want to have a try, you should download the app and register:
IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lime
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/
You will be able to find information on the official website, how much is the cost of the service: https://www.li.me/
Cyrcl:
For those who like cycling, you can also use “Cyrcl”. To rent a bike, you should download the app and register:
IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cyrcl
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/
You will be able to find information on the official website how much is the cost of the service: https://www.cyrcl.eu/?lang=en
Emergency Services:
The emergency number in Bulgaria is 112. Be aware of the locations of hospitals, pharmacies, and gas stations along your route.