Sofia Airport Transfer - Bulgaria Airport Transfer
Bulgaria,  Europe,  Practical advice

Sofia Airport transfer: Using the metro

Sofia, Bulgaria’s historic capital city, is definitely an up and coming destination. With an increase in low-cost flights from other parts of Europe, as well as some serious investment in tourist sites and infrastructure, it may still be a little off your radar – but it’s time to look a bit closer! With affordable accommodation to match the great airfares, it’s the perfect budget destination; and if you’re looking to get to your city accommodation without breaking the bank, look no further than the city’s cheap and efficient metro line for the perfect Sofia airport transfer.

But arriving in a new city can be daunting at the best of times. How easy is it to use the metro as soon as you step off the plane? Well, the good news is that getting to and from Sofia airport by metro is pretty straightforward. Read on for your step-by-step guide…


IMPORTANT: The metro runs from 5am to midnight, however the shuttle bus between terminals only runs from 7am to 7pm. If you are arriving into Terminal 1, this means that this option is only viable if you will arrive between these times, otherwise you should plan to use buses or taxis to reach the city centre, or pre-book your Sofia airport transfers with a specialist company. This is not a problem at Terminal 2, which you can reach at any time during metro operating hours.


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Sofia Airport’s Terminal 1 on a snowy November afternoon

Arriving in Terminal 1

On your exit from the plane, you will be taken by shuttle bus to the terminal building where you will pass first through immigration. If you are an EU national, your passport will not be stamped. EU citizens with national identity cards can enter Bulgaria using these rather than their passports. (If you are not an EU national, check with your country’s Bulgarian embassy for details of any visa requirements).

Shortly after passport control, you will collect your luggage before passing through to the arrivals area. You will need Bulgarian currency (leva) for your metro ticket, so head to the left as you exit, up the ramp by the car rental desks, and you will see an ATM to your right. If you prefer to exchange cash, there is a bureau de change in the baggage reclaim area at both terminals.

Exit the terminal using the main doors, and head for the shuttle bus stop which is located almost directly in front of you, across the dropoff lane. Look for the glass and chrome bus stop and the “SHUTTLE BUS T1 <—–> T2” sign (it is written in English). The Sofia airport shuttle bus departs every half hour at .00 and .30, and is free to use. It will take you directly to Terminal 2 in about 10 minutes, and there is no other stop in between. The terminals are some distance apart through city streets, so unfortunately it’s not possible to walk from one to the other if you find you’ve just missed a bus.

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One of the red airport shuttle buses. Yes, it was snowing!

On arrival at Terminal 2, disembark and look for the metro entrance to the right of where the bus has dropped you off.

Arriving in Terminal 2

If your flight lands at Terminal 2, your journey just got a whole lot simpler. Once you have passed through immigration and baggage reclaim, simply exit the terminal through the main doors and turn left. Walk along the front of the building until you see the metro stop straight ahead of you.

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The entrance to the metro. The bus will drop you right outside, so it’s hard to miss! From Terminal 2, just turn left out of the terminal and head just past the end of the building.

Taking the metro to the city centre

Head into the station and look for the ticket machine, on your left as you approach the main concourse. There is another ATM next to the ticket machine if you didn’t use the one in the airport terminal.

To buy a ticket, select your preferred language on the ticket machine (yes, English is available!), and press the button for a single journey ticket. Enter coins or a banknote to the correct value (currently 1.60 leva in December 2017); the ticket and change will drop into the tray below the machine.

To board the metro, enter your ticket at the electronic gate with the barcode forwards. Note that you insert the ticket to the LEFT of the gate you wish to use; this is clearly marked, but can feel counterintuitive. You can then descend the escalator to the wide and airy metro platform. The airport is the terminus, so you can take a train from either platform; there is often one already there, waiting with its doors open until the scheduled departure time. The journey from Sofia airport to city centre takes around 18 minutes.

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One of Sofia’s modern metro trains, waiting for passengers at the airport station.

Getting from Sofia airport to Sofia city centre is straightforward: the airport is on the blue metro line (M2), which takes you to many of the central stops. Serdika station, in the heart of the city, is the most common place to change from one line to another. If you need to change, just get off the train and follow the signs to the red line (M1). You will not need a second ticket.

Once you get to the closest metro station to your accommodation, just follow the exit signs. You won’t need your ticket to exit through the barriers.

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A typical example of a Sofia metro station.

Returning to the airport

When you’re returning to the airport at the end of your stay, remember again to take into account the operating hours of the shuttle bus between terminals 2 and 1.

To take the metro back to the airport, use the blue line again (M2), making sure you are on a train going all the way to the airport. The display screens will tell you when each train is arriving, and the terminus station. If you are setting off from a red line (M1) station, change at Serdika and follow the signs to transfer to the blue line, making sure that you are heading to the airport and not to Vitosha, which is in the opposite direction.

On arrival at the airport, exit the station and head towards Terminal 2. If your flight leaves from Terminal 1, you will need to take the shuttle bus again. The bus stop isn’t in the same place where you were dropped on arrival – it is slightly past the main entrance to Terminal 2. Just keep following the front of the building (with the terminal on your right) until you see the sign. Buses back to Terminal 1 depart at .15 and .45, with the first bus at 07:15 and the last bus at 18.45.

Allow 2 hours to clear security and immigration at Sofia airport when you are leaving. Note that the security checks can be quite stringent, so take extra care to avoid wearing any metal objects if you want to avoid a frisking! Once past security, there is a small range of souvenir and duty-free shops. In Terminal 1 there is also a small food outlet, whereas Terminal 2 has slightly more food options. The only lounge is in Terminal 1.


More resources for your Sofia airport transfer:

Sofia airport website
Sofia metro schedule
Sofia metro map

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Bulgaria? Passport Symphony has a great list of ideas to make the most of your time in this up-and-coming country.


Map of Sofia

Was “Sofia airport transfer: Using the metro” useful? Click the image below to pin it for the next time you need Sofia airport transport!

Did you know that you can make your Sofia airport transfer by metro for just $1? Check out how, including step-by-step instructions and schedules for your next visit to Bulgaria! | Sofia airport to city centre | Sofia airport transport | Sofia airport centre | Sofia airport to Sofia city centre | Sofia airport transfers | Sofia airport by metro | Sofia airport shuttle #sofiaairrporttransfer #sofiametro #sofiabulgaria
Did you know that you can make your Sofia airport transfer by metro for just $1? Check out how, including step-by-step instructions and schedules for your next visit to Bulgaria! | Sofia airport to city centre | Sofia airport transport | Sofia airport centre | Sofia airport to Sofia city centre | Sofia airport transfers | Sofia airport by metro | Sofia airport shuttle #sofiaairrporttransfer #sofiametro #sofiabulgaria

I'm Jill, and I'm a British blogger who has been travelling for two decades, visiting more than 70 countries on 6 continents. I love to travel both solo and with groups, and to discover the cultures and peoples of the countries I visit. And I love to share a good story or two along the way!

14 Comments

  • Sarah

    I did this too and it was so easy! The only thing we didn’t know was that the shuttle bus btwn terminals runs every half hour so we had to wait a while for it to come. We would have timed our trip to the airport better had we known. So helpful that you provided that specific info!

    • Jill Bowdery

      I was definitely glad I had the information! I was lucky, I had to sprint for the bus when I arrived because it was already waiting, so I knew to research the times for the way back! Glad you found it as easy as I did, though.

  • Cristina

    That’s super handy! I’ve been thinking of visiting Sofia for a long time now, as soon as I see there are some cheap flights on dates that I’m available, I’ll go straigt away! Great to know there’s a cheap way to get to the city center, otherwise you always have to pay for a taxi and that can be annoying if you try to travel on a budget…

    • Jill Bowdery

      Yes, it’s the most budget-friendly airport transfer I’ve ever found! Sofia is great for a budget break, and there are loads of cheap/cheapish day trips you can do from there as well. Definitely worth a look.

  • Rosie Kerrigan

    Hehe so glad to see a post about my own country! And to be honest, the most confusing part about the Sofia tube is the only place where you can change lines!! I’ve lived in Madrid, Munich, I’ve been to London 5 times and never had any issues with their tubes, but ours is… oh well 😀 Great guide, thank you for sharing!

    • Jill Bowdery

      Haha yes, fair point! I found the Sofia metro super easy, but the only transfer point is really practical for tourists. I can see it would be more of a pain for locals though!

  • Suz

    This is really useful information. It is always so daunting in a new place to know what to expect and where to begin. Sofia is on our list but we were planning to taxi from the airport but I think we may revise that now – thank you!!

    • Jill Bowdery

      Oh, don’t taxi unless you’re really on a luxury break! The metro is so easy, and you can spend the money on a great meal instead, haha!

  • Anisa

    I love detailed instructions like this, they come in so handy, because like you said in a new city it’s nice to know. I’m hoping when I visit my flight lands in Terminal 2! Pinning this for future reference.

  • Rebecca Halpern

    I was just doing some more research for our trip to Sofia in December and your post popped up. Unfortunately we’re arriving around 8pm so will have to use a taxi – which we’ll book in advance as apparently there are lots of rip off ones that look the same as the official ones! We’ll be able to use the metro on our way back though so it’s useful to know what time the shuttle bus is – this is a great post as it’s so detailed, we plan our holidays with military precision so that’s really helpful.

  • Yuri

    A piece of advice for all the guests of the Bulgarian capital.
    Public transportation is cheap, but the private transportation services are also quite affordable.
    You can also use the local taxi service, just make sure you book it at the airport arrivals taxi kiosk, or in advance. When booking at the airport, you will get a honest taxi, but the driver will not speak English or accept foreign currencies. When booking in advance with a local airport transfer provider, you know the price in advance, and your driver will speak English. They will also accept credit cards, and the regular taxi driver will mostly likely tell you that the “machine is broken”

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