Trains in Bulgaria

Travelers waiting at Sofia Train station in Bulgaria
Travelers at Sofia train station

Bulgaria offers a wide-spread rail network to most corners of the country. On many routes you can enjoy great panoramic views.

There are three types of trains in Bulgaria, of which the Expresse (ekspresen) trains are the fastest and most comfortable. The main train station is Tsentralna Gara in Sofia.

Rail network

Eurail pass validity

Railway operator BulgariaA Eurail pass valid in Bulgaria can be used on all trains of the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ).

International connections

Bulgaria various connections with other European countries:

  • Sofia – Belgrade – 1 day train and 1 night train
  • Sofia – Bucharest – 1 day train and 1 night train
  • Sofia – Thessaloniki
  • Svilengrad – Alexandroupolis
  • Bulgaria Express - Sofia – Kiev / Moscow / Minsk / Saint Petersburg
  • The Black Sea Train circulates during certain periods of the year from Moscow and Minsk to Varna and vice versa
  • The Bucharest / Istanbul Express - circulating on the route Bucharest – Stara Zagora – Istanbul
Reservations

The majority of trains within Bulgaria do not require advance seat reservations.

An exception are the Express (Ekspresen) trains. They run mainly on the routes Sofia – Plovdiv, Sofia – Varna and Sofia – Burgas. Reservation is inexpensive, around € 0,25. You may have to pay additional commission though.

Reservations can be made at the Rila travel agencies, which you can find for example at Sofia train station. Good to know: a reservation is called 'zapazeno myasto' in Bulgarian.

Read more about train seat reservations.

Itineraries

Scenic route

  • Sofia – Dabova
Extra info

Airport - station link

From Sofia airport there are buses (lines 84 and 284) to the main railway station. Eurail passes are not valid on the bus.

Eurail aid office in Bulgaria

For questions about Eurail, visit the international ticket office at Sofia railway station. See the page Eurail aid offices for more aid offices in Europe. 

Share: