Gare routière
Sofia Airport station
Recommandé par 10 habitants,
Conseils des habitants
Boyko
May 18, 2022
Direct flights from other European cities to Sofia are on the increase and the boom in budget airlines such as Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair means that not only has Sofia’s popularity as a shortbreak destination increased noticeably, but also more and more local residents are taking advantage of exploring the world. Via nearby Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) many destinations around the world are within easy reach. Same goes for travelling with Qatar Airways via Doha or Lufthansa via Frankfurt/Munich or Austrian via Vienna. Sofia International Airport Situated on the eastern outskirts of the city, Sofia airport has two separate terminals. Terminal 1 (the ‘old’ terminal) serves low-cost airlines Wizz Air and easyJet while all other flights leave and arrive at Terminal 2. Terminal 1 has some charming architectural details and a couple of shops as well as a smoking room in departures (none in Terminal 2). Terminal 2, the newer terminal, is modern, bright and clean although rather bland. You could be anywhere in the world! Although there are modern docking tunnels for some reason (cost?) most airlines still rely on smelly buses to shuttle guests to and from their flights. In arrivals there is a small duty free shop which is quite reasonably priced and will save you schlepping your litre of vodka around. In the departure lounge area cafés charge outrageous prices for drinks, but there isn’t much one can really do about it. There is a multi-storey car park at Terminal 2 with over 800 spaces and it is even quite reasonable to leave your car parked there for several days. Getting to town: The journey into town takes not more than 30 minutes and by taxi should cost no more that 10 – 20 leva for a city centre location. Sadly, there are still regular reports of people being ripped off by the taxis hanging around the airport. PLEASE BE SURE to book a taxi at the official taxi booth inside the terminal rather than going off with one of the taxi drivers offering their services as you come out of Arrivals. If you can, get someone to meet you at the airport. Most hotels operate a pick up service on request. For those on a budget there are several public transport options. There is a metro (underground) stop at Terminal 2 that will take you to the city centre in about 20 minutes. From there you can change to another line depending on where you need to get to. Bus No. 84 stops at both terminals and travels down bul. Tsarigradsko Shosse via the University to ul. Gurko in Sofia city centre and vice versa. Qbul. Brussels, MSofia Airport, www.sofia-airport.By Car Depending on your previous driving experience, driving in Bulgaria may seem a little harrowing at first. There is, however, no need to feel daunted as long as one drives defensively and sticks to the rules. Many local drivers can be arrogant and aggressive, best try to avoid confrontation.Speed limits for cars are: 50km/h (30 mph) within the city, 90km/h (55mph) outside cities, and 130 km/h (80mph) on motorways, unless indicated otherwise. Driving Licence Visitors to Bulgaria may drive using their national licence, as long as it complies with international standards. It is advisable, however, to carry an international licence. Legislation is now in place to make fining and the withdrawal of licences of all EU citizens possible. Border Crossings These are the main border-crossing points into and out of Bulgaria by road. Kulata – Greece 177km to Sofia E79 Kalotina – Serbia 57km to Sofia E80 Guyeshevo – North Macedonia 106km to Sofia E871 Kapitan Andreevo – Turkey 319 km to Sofia E80 Vidin (203km) Rousse, or Silistra (461 km) – Romania Don’t expect the border police and customs officers to speak any foreign language on either side of the border. Getting through should not be a painful experience though it may sometimes be slow if you arrive during coffee or lunch breaks. Allow a minimum of one hour to clear both checkpoints. Don’t forget you will need a vignette (road tax) for Bulgaria. Arriving in Sofia by car requires extreme caution as the police seem to like making little speed traps at all entrances to Sofia. If you see that all the other cars have slowed down to a crawl for no apparent reason then stick behind them, do not overtake! Once in Sofia, you will find that many drivers appear to have forgotten some of the basic rules of the road and you should therefore take nothing for granted. Although driving in Sofia may seem to be void of any rules, speed cameras are operational on some of the main entrances to the city, such as Tsarigradsko Shosse Boulevard coming from the airport and Plovdiv direction. There are also cameras at some road junctions to catch anyone skipping traffic lights on red. KAT Traffic Police If you have long term residence status in Bulgaria you will need to exchange your national licence for a Bulgarian one. For EU countries this is a straightforward process that can be done here. For other nationals, a test resit may be required. Other services here include changing car registrations. Best take a Bulgarian speaker with you to make enquiries.Qul. Lachezar Stanchev 4, MG.M.Dimitrov, www.kat.mvr.bg. Car Parking The very heart of the city centre is now ‘Blue Zone’, which means you have to pay 2 leva per hour for parking between 08.00 and 19.00 on working days and 08:00 and 14:00 on Saturdays. A maximum stay of 2 hours is allowed, after which you need to move your car to another zone or drive around for 20 minutes before coming backto the Blue Zone. The relatively high price means that parking spaces can usually be found for those who just need a couple of hours. The ‘Green Zone’ expands a little away from the very central part of the city (you can tell whether you are in Blue or Green Zone by the street signs) and costs 1 lev per hour for a maximum of 4 hours, making it a more attractive option often just across the road. You can also pay by SMS if you have an account with a local GSM operator: send your registration number to the number 1302 for Blue Zone or 1303 for Green Zone. The good news is that if your vehicle is 100% electric you do not pay for parking in either of the zones. Vouchers (talon za parking in Bulgarian) are available from nearby shops and also machines (around Alexander Nevsky Cathedral). You may need to ask someone to help you fill out the talon as instructions are only in Bulgarian. Тhere are also guarded car parks dotted around the city centre, charging between 2 and 3 leva per hour or approximately 10 – 15 leva for the day Check carefully if you are in a paid parking area as you will be clamped if you fail to pay. Should you get clamped you will find a note in Bulgarian on your windscreen giving you a telephone number to call. There is also a reference number for which you will be asked and the operator may also want to know what street you are on and the make of car. In some areas ‘spider’ trucks are very active with deliberate parking traps set up in some cases (like several spaces apparently reserved for taxis on bul. Hristo Botev – but not actually used by taxis). They will be quick to remove your car to a nearby compound – be sure that by the time they have done the round a new ‘sucker’ has moved into the space. To retrieve your car you will have to go to the compound and pay 65 leva to get your car back plus an additional fine. If you suspect your car may have been towed away, call t. 983 6747 for information or you can use an app. By Train International trains go from here to Greece, Serbia, Romania and beyond. They tend to move very slowly, though a ‘fast’ train to Thessaloniki in Greece has been introduced which takes about 5 hours (you can drive it in less!). Central Train Station The modernisation and renovation of the central railway station has finally been completed, making it a far more pleasant experience. There are still a few areas that need completion such as the food court, but for now everything is bright and clean and bustle free. The direct access with the underground is also ideal and it is fairly straightforward to find your way around with signs in Bulgarian and English. Train travel, although inexpensive, is also very slow and unglamorous and the only time that using the train (as opposed to bus) is of preference would be on the overnight sleepers to the Black Sea Coast. Bulgaria expects to have high speed trains to Plovdiv and other destinations in the near future.QA-3, bul. Maria Luiza 102, MCentral railway station, www. bdz.bg/en. Open 05:00-00:00. L By Bus Central Bus Station Sofia’s international bus station is adjacent to the main railways station. Most buses arriving from or going to the countryside or abroad come here. The new, clean facilities, which include a food court, certainly make the idea of ‘a bus journey’ more attractive.QA-3, bul. Maria Luiza 100, MCentral Railway Station, www.tis. centralnaavtogara.bg. L Car Rental Car parking is such a nightmare in Sofia and the city is so small that renting a car only makes sense if you are planning to spend time outside of Sofia. There are many car rental companies, both international and local, with airport pick up/drop off. Europcar Europcar Bulgaria offers a large variety of vehicles and has a fleet of more than 500 (average age of 12 months) spread across 7 modern locations including all international airports in Bulgaria. With regular maintenance and scheduled renewals they have a good reputation for reliability and safety.Qbul. Tsarigradsko shose 144, tel. (+359) 2 981 4626, www.europcar.bg. Other Rentals Lime Electric Scooters Electric scooter rentals. You will need to download the app, add a credit card and then you are good to go. Find an available scooter, scan the QR code and off you cruise! Unlock charge 1.50lev (0.77€) and after that 0.30leva (0.15€) per minute. Please use and park responsibly and with care.Qwww.li.me/en-us/home. Open 0:00-24:00. Spark Electric Cars SPARK is a new generation service that allows you to find and rent an electric vehicle through your mobile phone, no matter if you want to use the service for 15 minutes or a few days. After you use the service, you may leave the vehicle in a “blue” or “green” area (free of charge for electric vehicles) or in designated areas outside the city centre. Download the mobile app and sign up to receive access to their range of electric vehicles.Qtel. (+359) 2 419 3476, www.spark.bg/en. Open 08:00-22:00; Sat 09:00-18:00; Sun) 9:00-18:00. Support Centre.
Direct flights from other European cities to Sofia are on the increase and the boom in budget airlines such as Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair means that not only has Sofia’s popularity as a shortbreak destination increased noticeably, but also more and more local residents are taking advantage of exp…
Svetla
March 18, 2016
Only a short drive to the airport.
Activités uniques à proximité
Emplacement
София, Област София
Летище София