Bulgaria offers over 4000 km of rail track. The main rail hub is in the capital city Sofia, which has connections to Romania, Serbia and Turkey. Experience diverse scenic views onboard Bulgaria's trains.

Train types in Bulgaria

The train network in Bulgaria is operated by the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ). You can look up train times on the Interrail train timetable or on the BDZ website.

Route Map
Domestic Trains

Map with main train connections in Bulgaria

Domestic trains in Bulgaria

Expresen Vlak

Faster trains (routes: Sofia to Plovdiv, Sofia to Varna, Sofia to Burgas).
Reservations are required (approximately €0.25, or BGN 0.50 in local currency).

Barz Vlak

Local 'rapid' trains.
No reservation needed.

Patnicheski

Slower local trains.
No reservation needed.

You can bring your bike on the train in Bulgaria. The fee is 2 BGN (Bulgarian lev, approximately €1) and you can pay this at the ticket desk.

Popular connections

Domestic routes
International routes

The following routes using trains in Bulgaria don't require reservations:

Route	Travel time
Plovdiv to Burgas	5 hours
Sofia to Burgas	8 hours
Sofia to Plovdiv	3.5 hours
Sofia to Varna	7.5 hours

Sofia has direct international train connections to several countries. Reservations are recommended.

Route	Which train?	Travel time	Reservations
Sofia to Bucharest (Romania)	International (INT 460)	11.5 hours	Required
Sofia to Budapest (Hungary)	Intercity (INT 490, NT 340, FT 340)	20 hours	Required
Sofia to Thessaloniki (Greece)	Regional (RE 361)	7 hours	Required
Sofia to Istanbul (Turkey)*	International (INT)	13 hours	Optional

*The train from Sofia to Istanbul ends at Istanbul Halkali station for an undefined period of time. This is a suburban station about 25 kilometers west of the city's central station.

Reservations

Which trains in Bulgaria require reservations?

Expresen Vlak
Cost: Approximately €0.25, or BGN 0.50 in local currency.
You may have to pay an extra commission.

How can I make reservations for Expresen Vlak trains in Bulgaria?

At Rila travel agencies, which you can find at train stations across Bulgaria.
Check locations on the BDZ website.
A reservation is called "zapazeno myasto" in Bulgarian.

Get your Pass for Bulgaria

Interrail Bulgaria Pass

Gives you access to the trains in Bulgaria and allows you to focus on the entire country
Youth, senior and family discounts available
Prices from € 51

View Bulgaria Passes →

Interrail Global Pass

Explore up to 33 European countries by rail including Bulgaria
Youth, senior and family discounts available
Prices from € 185

View Global Passes →

Tips and Tricks for Bulgaria

Bulgaria's main train station

Central station ("Tsentralna Gara") in Sofia.
Most international trains go through here.
Use the metro from Sofia central station to reach the airport and city centre.

Spelling of names in Bulgaria

The local spelling of Bulgarian cities can be found at train stations in Bulgaria and on timetables in the country.

Good to know:

Sofiya (written as "София") = Sofia

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Trains in Bulgaria