Get your card
Reading time: 9 minutes
Sofia is one of Europe's most underrated cities for getting around. The metro runs directly from the airport to the historic centre for €0.80, contactless payment works across the entire network, and the city is compact enough that most attractions are within a 20-minute journey. The main challenge isn't the system — it's knowing how to use it and which taxis to avoid.
This guide covers everything: airport arrivals, metro lines and fares, buses and trams, the three taxi apps that actually work, and electric car sharing. All prices are from official 2026 sources and listed in euros throughout.
Sofia Airport has two terminals and this single detail determines your first move on arrival. Terminal 2 is where most international and low-cost flights arrive — Wizz Air, Ryanair, and the major scheduled carriers. It has a direct metro station outside the arrivals hall. Follow the Metro signs and you'll be on the platform in under three minutes.
Terminal 1 has no metro station. If you land at T1 — most charter and regional flights — take the free inter-terminal shuttle to Terminal 2. It runs continuously and takes about five minutes. Do not leave the airport zone looking for a metro entrance at T1. There isn't one.
Check your boarding pass before you fly — it will tell you which terminal you are arriving at.
From Terminal 2, Metro Line M4 runs without changes directly into the heart of the city. Key stops: Airport → Business Park → NDK → Serdika. Journey time 26–32 minutes. Fare: €0.80. Tap your contactless bank card or phone directly on the barrier — no ticket purchase needed.
Rogue taxi drivers at Sofia Airport are a well-documented problem. Fares of €40–60 for a journey that costs €10–14 on the meter are not uncommon. The safe options: use the Yellow Taxi official desk inside Terminal 2, use the OK Supertrans desk at T1 or T2, or book through the TaxiMe app before you walk outside.
Sofia's metro has three lines and 47 stations. Line M1 (Red) runs east–west from the airport through the business district. Line M2 (Blue) runs north–south through Serdika — the city's main interchange, directly beneath the historic core. From Serdika, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Largo, the National Archaeological Museum and Vitosha Boulevard are all within a 10-minute walk.
Tap your contactless Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or Google Pay directly on the validators at metro barriers and on the blue readers inside every bus, tram and trolleybus. No app, no ticket, no Bulgarian currency needed. The system automatically applies a daily spending cap of €2.00 — after four taps in one calendar day, every subsequent journey that day is free.
The 30+ ticket is the smartest single-ride option — it covers a bus-to-metro transfer at the same price. If you're using your contactless card, the daily cap of €2.00 kicks in automatically after four taps. That makes it the best-value option for any visitor making more than two journeys a day.
The surface network covers everything the metro doesn't — Vitosha's lower slopes, the western neighbourhoods, and areas off the main metro corridors. The same contactless payment works here: tap your card on the blue in-vehicle reader and pay €0.80. Paying cash to the driver costs €1.00. Always use your card.
Google Maps and Moovit carry accurate real-time Sofia transport data. The SofiaBus app (Android) shows every vehicle live on a map updated every three seconds.
Legitimate Sofia taxis are affordable — airport to centre runs €10–14 on the meter. The problem is copycat companies that mimic reputable operators with similar names and misleading rate cards. The only reliable method: always book via app. Never accept a taxi from someone who approaches you.
Legitimate day rate: €0.40–0.56/km. If the displayed rate exceeds €0.77/km or the driver proposes a flat fare without starting the meter — do not get in.
Spark operates a fleet of electric city cars — Renault Zoe, BMW i3 — parked across Sofia and unlocked via app. Fuel and insurance included. No registration deposit required beyond a driving licence upload.
In practice: a 15-minute city trip costs around €2.50. A half-day of mixed driving and parking: €15–25.
Mountain zone warning: Spark's operating zone does not extend to Vitosha mountain destinations — Zlatni Mostove, Aleko hut, most of Dragalevtsi. Attempting to end a session outside the zone will fail and the charge continues. For Vitosha trips, use a tram to the cable car station or take a taxi for the mountain leg only.
Transport sorted — now sort the adventures.
Message SoFun directly — airport transfers, ski resort transfers, group Sprinters, or just advice on getting around Sofia. We reply within minutes.
⚡ We usually respond within minutes · No prepayment required
George is the founder of SoFun and has spent over a decade organising outdoor adventures and city experiences for tourists visiting Sofia. He uses Sofia's public transport daily and works directly with all transfer operators featured in this guide.
