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How to travel


Public transport

PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SOFIA

The public transport in Sofia is:
Ground Transport – buses, trams (tramways), and trolleybuses
and
Underground – Metro.

Contactless payment possible in all public means of transport

Passengers can pay a single-trip ticket (1.60BGN/0.82EUR) by simply tapping their contactless credit or debit card (or a digital card uploaded to their NFC mobile wallet) on an on-board/metro gate reader. A daily cap limit for payment with credit or debit card – passengers can make as many journeys as they like over the day and all fares will add up to an amount of 4 BGN (approx. 2 EUR).

For more information about:
- routes, timetables and stops of the lines of the ground public transport, please visit www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/common

SOFIA METRO

There are four metro lines in Sofia – M1; M2, M3 and M4. You can see the numbers of the lines on the front of the train. M1 line runs from Slivnitsa metro station to Business Park metro station. M2 line runs from Vitosha metro station to Obelya metro station. M3 runs from Hadzhi Dimitar metro station to Gorna Banya metro station. M4 runs form Obelya metro station to Sofia Airport.

M1, M2 and M4 intersect at Serdika metro station. M1, M3 and M4 intersect at Sofia University/Orlov Most metro station. M2 and M3 intersect at National Palace of Culture metro station. M1 and M4 intersect at Mladost 1 metro station.

You can find a map of the metro lines at https://www.metropolitan.bg/en/scheme/operating-metro

Sofia Metro connects Sofia Airport Terminal 2 with the center of the city – Serdika Metro Station. The trip takes about 20 minutes. Passengers can change metro lines at Serdika Metro Station and travel to Sofia Central Bus Station and Sofia Central Railway Station. Sofia Metro connects Sofia Airport Terminal 2 with Sofia South Bus Station, as well. The metrotrains from and to Sofia Airport run from 5:30 to 24:00 on weekdays and holidays.

For information about the schedules of the metrotrains, please visit https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/schedules

TRANSPORTATION DOCUMENTS FOR THE METRO AVAILABLE AT THE SOFIA METRO CASH-DESKS

A single-trip travel card (ticket) for the metro – 1,60 BGN

A single-trip travel card for the metro costs 1,60 BGN. The card is issued by Transportation-Documents vending machines or by a cashier at the metro cash-desks located in the metrostation. The card can be used for entrance to the metroplatforms up to 30 minutes after being issued. The single-trip travel card for the metro has to be validated at the validators at the entrance to the metroplatforms. Passengers should keep the travel card till the end of the trip. For more information, please visit https://www.metropolitan.bg/en/information-for-citizens/trip-cards-sofia-metro

An electronic card, issued for ten single trips for metro – 12 BGN

An electronic card, issued for ten single trips for metro costs 12 BGN. It can be used also by a group of people. The card is issued by a cashier at the metro cash-desks located in the metrostation. Charging the electronic card takes place at the validators located at the barriers to the metroplatforms. Anytime when charging the card, the number of remaining trips are reduced by one. The electronic media card costs 1 BNG. An electronic media card has 3-year validity from the date of its first refueling of trips in the system. For more information, please visit https://www.metropolitan.bg/en/information-for-citizens/trip-cards-sofia-metro

A daily pass for all lines of ground transport and underground transport – 4 BGN

The daily pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport costs 4 BGN. It is valid for one calendar day. Passengers select the calendar day at the moment of purchase. The daily pass is a paper travel card, which has a barcode on it. The pass should not be perforated in bus, tram and trolleybus. Every time before entering to the metroplatforms, the barcode has to be first scanned(activated) from the cashier at the Metro cash-desk and then passengers validate it at the validators at the entrance to the metro platforms. The pass is not valid for the night public transport. The pass can be purchased from a cashier at: the points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center; the metro cash-desks; at offices of Bulgarian Post offices, as well at offices of Bulgarian Sport Toto.

Other transportation documents available at the Sofia Metro cash-desks

The following transportation documents can be purchased from a cashier at the metro cash-desks:

  • A single-trip travel card for all lines of the ground transport - 1.60 BGN. The travel card has to be perforated immediately after getting on the vehicle (bus, tram, trolleybus) and it is valid only for that vehicle. Passengers should keep the travel card till the end of the trip. It is not valid for the night public transport.
  • A card with vouchers for ten single-trips for all line of the ground transport – 12 BGN. The card consists of ten single trip vouchers with the same serial number that can be used by several passengers simultaneously in one or several vehicles. Every voucher has to be perforated immediately after getting on the vehicle (bus, tram, trolleybus) and it is valid only for that vehicle. Passengers should keep the perforated voucher till the end of the trip. A card with vouchers is not valid for the night public transport.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DOCUMENTS FOR SOFIA GROUND AND UNDERGROUND PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The transportation documents can be purchased using a bank card - debit or credit.

Traveling on the Metro

At all metro stations you can validate the trip with a bank card (debit or credit), regardless of its issuer. In order to pass to the metro platform, it is enough to approach the card to the validators at the entrance to the metro platforms. The price of a single trip travel card is 1.60 BGN.

Please note that you need to use one card for all trips and you can pay for one person only. The devices of the inspectors for passenger control only reads on whether validation has been performed or not.

Traveling by bus, trolleybus and tramway

Upon boarding any of the buses, trolleybuses and trams, that have a validator, it is enough to bring your debit or credit card close to a validator. The price of a single trip travel card is 1.60 BGN.

There are validators located in the most of the buses, trolleybuses and trams. Please note that you need to use one card for all trips and you can pay for one person only. The devices of the inspectors for passenger control only reads on whether validation has been performed or not.

Discount after the third validation for the day

/If you travel more than three times during the day, from 4:30 pm to midnight, including a combination of ground transport/, the system automatically charges a daily pass price of 4.00 BGN, regardless of how many times you used public transport. The only condition is to use the same bank card throughout the day and for one person only.

TRANSPORTATION DOCUMENTS FOR SOFIA GROUND AND UNDERGROUND TRANSPORT

Different types of transportation documents for Sofia ground and underground transport can be purchased from a cashier at the points of sale of Sofia Urban Mobility Center. For more information, please visit https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/tarifa-i-prevozni-dokumenti/702/tarifa

For a list of all points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center, please visit -  https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/punktove-za-prodazhba-na-prevozni/p/1

A single-trip travel card (ticket) for ground public transport

The price of a single-trip travel card is 1.60 BGN. It can be purchased from a cashier at the points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center. The travel card has to be perforated immediately after getting on the vehicle (bus, tram, trolleybus) and it is valid only for that vehicle. Passengers should keep the travel card till the end of the trip. It is not valid for the night public transport. A single- trip travel card can be purchased from a cashier at the points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center; at the Sofia Metro cash-desks; at offices of Bulgarian Post offices, as well at offices of Bulgarian Sport Toto.

A single-trip travel card from vending machines - 1.60 BGN

Vending machines are installed in some buses, trolleybuses and trams. The single- trip travel card purchased from them should not be perforated. It is valid for one trip only with the vehicle in which it was purchased. Passengers should keep the travel card till the end of the trip.

A daily pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport – 4 BGN

The daily pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport costs 4 BGN. It is valid for one calendar day. Passengers select the calendar day at the moment of purchase. The daily pass is a paper travel card, which has a barcode on it. The pass should not be perforated in bus, tram and trolleybus. Every time before entering to the metroplatforms, the barcode has to be first scanned(activated) from the cashier at the Metro cash-desk and then passengers validate it at the validators at the entrance to the metroplatforms. The pass is not valid for the night public transport. The pass can be purchased from a cashier at: the points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center; the metro cash-desks; at offices of Bulgarian Post offices, as well at offices of Bulgarian Sport Toto.

The daily pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport can be purchased online at the web portal of Sofia Urban Mobility Center - https://webportal.sofiatraffic.bg/en

A card with vouchers for ten trips for ground transport – 12 BGN

There is also a card with vouchers for ten trips for all lines of the ground transport. It costs 12 BGN. The card consists of ten single trip vouchers with the same serial number that can be used by several passengers simultaneously in one or several vehicles. Every voucher has to be perforated immediately after getting on the vehicle (bus, tram, trolleybus) and it is valid only for that vehicle. Passengers should keep the be perforated voucher till the end of the trip. A card with voucher is not valid for the night public transport. A card with vouchers can be purchased from a cashier at: the points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center; the metro cash-desks; at offices of Bulgarian Post offices, as well at offices of Bulgarian Sport Toto.

An electronic three-day pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport – 10 BGN.

An electronic three-day pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport costs 10 BGN. It is valid for three consecutive calendar days. Customers select the first calendar day at the moment of purchase. It can be purchased from a cashier at: the points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center. It is not valid for the night public transport. The electronic media card costs 2 BGN and is reusable.

The electronic three-day pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport can be purchased online at the web portal of Sofia Urban Mobility Center - https://webportal.sofiatraffic.bg/en


Passes for ground and underground public transport

Different types of personalized and non-personalized passes for Sofia ground and underground transport can be purchased from a cashier at the points of sale of Sofia Urban Mobility Center. For more information about, please visit https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/tarifa-i-prevozni-dokumenti/702/tarifa

For a list of all points of sale of the Urban Mobility Center, please visit - https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/punktove-za-prodazhba-na-prevozni/p/1

Different types of personalized and non-personalized passes for Sofia ground and underground transport can be purchased online at the web portal of Sofia Urban Mobility Center - https://webportal.sofiatraffic.bg/en.

Transportation documents available in cash desks and stations of Bulgarian Railway Company (BDZ) in Sofia

In Sofia the following passes can be purchased from a cashier at cash desks of Bulgarian Railway Company (BDZ)

  • a single-trip travel card, - 1.60 BGN, for the ground transport (not valid for the night public transport)
  • a daily pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport – 4 BGN (not valid for the night public transport)
  • a card with vouchers for ten trips for all lines of the ground transport – 12 BGN (not valid for the night public transport)

The cash desks that offer the above mentioned documents are located at the stations in Sofia, in the Bulgarian Railway Company (BDZ) offices of National Palace of Culture and on Gurko Street, as well as at the stations in Gorna Banya, Svoge, Lakatnik, Elin Pelin, Kostenets, Ihtiman, Belovo, in Pernik – at the station, at Metal stop and at Razpredelitelna station, as well as at Daskalovo stop.

The locations of cash desks and stations of Bulgarian Railway Company (BDZ) can be found at https://www.bdz.bg/en or by calling the Information Call Center of Bulgarian Railway Company - phone: 0700 10 200 (domestic calls) or 00359 2 9040950 (from abroad)

Transportation documents available in Bulgarian Post offices and in Bulgarian Sport Toto offices

In Sofia the following passes can be purchased from a cashier at all Post office, as well at Bulgarian Sport Toto office

  • a single-trip travel card for 1.60 BGN for the ground transport (not valid for the night public transport)
  • a daily pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport – 4 BGN (not valid for the night public transport)
  • a card with vouchers for ten trips for all lines of the ground transport – 12 BGN (not valid for the night public transport)
  • vouchers for parking in the "Blue" and "Green" zone

The website of Bulgarian Post - https://www.bgpost.bg/en

The website of Bulgarian Sport Toto - http://www.toto.bg/

Electronic Travel Card SOFIA CITY CARD

Different types of transportation documents for Sofia public ground and underground transportation can be purchased and loaded on the web portal of Sofia Urban Mobility Center - https://webportal.sofiatraffic.bg/en

One may start using Sofia City Card as soon as one has completed the registration process here – https://webportal.sofiatraffic.bg/en/register

The following transportation documents can be purchased from the web portal of Sofia Urban Mobility Center: a daily pass for all lines of ground transport and underground transport; a three-day pass for all lines of the ground transport and underground transport; different types of personalized and non-personalized passes for Sofia ground and underground transport.

List of all transportation documents available on the web portal of Sofia Urban Mobility Center here - https://webportal.sofiatraffic.bg/en/products/documents

SOFIA.MPASS.BG

Pay for your travel with your mobile phone. Please visit the website https://sofia.mpass.bg/en/

Everyone who wants to travel with the public transport in Sofia can buy the following transportation documents using a mobile phone.

  • A single-trip travel card for ground public transport (the card is valid within the day of its purchase and is valid up to 90 minutes after being validated at the validators in а vehicle of the ground public transport)
  • A single-trip travel card for the metro (the card is valid within the day of its purchase and up to 90 minutes after being validated at the validators at the entrance to the metro platforms)
  • A daily pass for all lines of ground transport and metro

Pay for your travel with travel with your mobile phone.
Everyone who wants to travel with the public transportation in Sofia can buy a day or night pass using a mobile device.
Please, visit sofia.mpass.bg

SEE HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR TRAVEL WITH YOUR MOBILE PHONE

NIGHT PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SOFIA

The night bus lines remain closed until further notice.

In the city of Sofia, four bus lines run from midnight to 4 am. All the lines intersect in Sofia city center at Alexander Battenberg Square. The travel card for the all four night lines costs 2 BGN. It can be purchased only from the driver. You can find more information about the timetable of the night public transport at: https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/night-transport

TRANSPORTION DOCUMENTS FOR THE NIGHT TRANSPORT

The night travel card for the four night lines costs 2 BGN. It can be purchased only from the driver. You should keep your travel card till the end of the travelling.