{"id":7588,"date":"2018-07-05T12:07:02","date_gmt":"2018-07-05T09:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/?p=7588"},"modified":"2019-04-18T15:30:53","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T12:30:53","slug":"sofia-travel-tips-visit-bulgaria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travellingbuzz.com\/sofia-travel-tips-visit-bulgaria\/","title":{"rendered":"Sofia Travel Tips: Things To Know Before You Visit the Bulgarian Capital"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You saw the\u00a0cheapest flight, booked your trip, you even convinced a friend to join you for the 3 days in July, and said to yourself\u00a0“Well, Sofia shouldn’t be that bad”.\u00a0But the truth is, you have no idea what Sofia will be.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Then the hardest part<\/strong> of your trip is actually getting ready to visit\u00a0the mysterious Bulgarian capital.\u00a0<\/strong>After our talk a few months ago, we realized that tourists actually don’t\u00a0come with any expectations when visiting Sofia. Even though that is partly a good thing, it doesn’t hurt to be informed about what’s waiting for you here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While riding the metro with some foreign friends a few months ago (yes, Sofia has whole 2 metro lines),\u00a0they told me they were surprised by how modern the metro stations are and I should write about that. Well, extending the idea, I decided to give you a\u00a0full list of tips for getting around Sofia.\u00a0<\/strong>And here they are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My travel guide to Sofia<\/strong>\u00a0consists of\u00a0practical\u00a0tips for visiting the Bulgarian capital\u00a0–\u00a0from transportation, through where to eat and what to do to weather you will survive as a vegetarian in Sofia.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Getting around in Sofia<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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\u25cf Public Transport in Sofia<\/span>
\n<\/strong>We have buses, trams, trolleys, city shuttles and a metro. The most practical one is the metro system. It connects most parts of the city with the center. It even has a direct line from the airport. The price for 1 ticket for every type of transportation (except the shuttles)\u00a0is 1,60 BGN.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Official website of Sofia’s Urban Mobility Center:\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/www.sofiatraffic.bg\/en\/common<\/a><\/p>\n

List of types of transportation document and their prices:<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/www.sofiatraffic.bg\/en\/transport\/tarifa-i-prevozni-dokumenti\/702\/tarifa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25cf Get the 3-day card for all lines<\/span>
\n<\/strong>If you know that you will use the public transport often in Sofia, know the package offers. A common choice for visitors of the city is the 3-day card for all the lines. The price is only 10 BGN (Bulgarian Levs) or around 5 Euros.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

List of locations where you can buy the card (or other cards):<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/www.sofiatraffic.bg\/en\/transport\/punktove-za-prodazhba-na-prevozni\/p\/1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25cf Apps for\u00a0getting around in Sofia<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>If Google Maps is not showing you the best way to get from A to B with public transport, try the official urban mobility center’s website:<\/span>\u00a0https:\/\/www.sofiatraffic.bg\/en\/common<\/a>. If that doesn’t work too, download\u00a0MoveIt app\u00a0<\/strong>– I’ve used it in several occasions and it always shows me a good itinerary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If neither of those options work, try the old school way – just ask someone on the streets and hope they speak English.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf Getting from Sofia airport to the city center<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Sofia is an easily accessible destination. Flights from almost every European capitals are available.\u00a0You have 3 options to get to Sofia from the airport:\u00a0by metro, bus, and taxi.\u00a0<\/strong>Here’s the full post with tips and directions<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0How to Get From Sofia Airport to The City Center.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25cf Using\u00a0a taxi in Sofia<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Taxis in Sofia\u00a0operate in yellow vehicles. The approximate price, for example, from the airport to the city center should be around 12 BGN (6 EUR) – around 20 minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Uber does not operate in Bulgaria. However, you can download the local app – Taxi Me, which offers the same service.\u00a0A recommended taxi company I prefer to use in Sofia is Mega Taxi (number 91999, operates 24\/7).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u25cf Tips for driving in\u00a0Sofia<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>Driving in Bulgaria is on the right hand side of the road. Therefore, the overtaking is on the left hand side.\u00a0The legal driving age in Bulgaria is above 18 years old.\u00a0It is absolutely mandatory to drive with car headlights on during day and night throughout the whole year. The speed limit is\u00a050km\/h (30 mph) inside the city limits. A trusted rent-a-car company in Bulgaria is Top Rent\u00a0A\u00a0Car.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more:<\/span> Top tips for driving in Bulgaria<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u25cf Parking in Sofia<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>If you drive around Sofia and want to park somewhere, you have to keep in mind that the city has\u00a0<\/span>green and blue\u00a0<\/span>parking zones<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0marked with road signs. You have to pay hourly rate by sending an SMS with your car\u2019s license plate to 1302 for the Blue zone and 1303 for the Green zone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blue zone specifics: maximum parking time \u2013 2 hours, price for 1 hour \u2013 2 BGN, you are only charged between 08:00 and 19:00 on working days and on Saturday between 08:00 and 14:00.<\/span><\/p>\n

Green zone specifics: maximum parking time \u2013 4 hours, price for 1 hour \u2013 1 BGN, you are only charged between 08:00 and 19:00 on working days. It\u2019s free on the weekends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tourist information in Sofia<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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\u25cf Tourist info centers in Sofia<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>If you want to get informed of what to\u00a0see in Sofia during your stay, or have another specific question, you can do it in\u00a03 tourist info centers<\/strong>\u00a0in the city.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n