By Air

Only charter flights use Plovdiv Airport and therefore you need to book a flight to Sofia. Sofia Airport, +359 (2) 9372211, is located about 10-12 km east of the city center and has two terminals - Terminal 1 (the old terminal used by low-cost and charter flights) and the new Terminal 2. Free shuttle buses take travelers between the two terminals.

From Sofia Airport to Plovdiv

• First, you need to go to the Central Railway Station or the Central Bus Station in Sofia located next to each other about 1 km north of the city center.

By Bus. From the bus stops located near the arrivals halls take bus 84 from Terminal 1, or bus 284 from Terminal 2, to Pliska Hotel. From Pliska Hotel take bus 213, 214 or 305, and get off at the last stop which is in front of the Central Railway Station. Services are frequent during the day and available from 5:30 AM to 10:30 PM. The price of a ticket is BGN 1 for one journey. Tickets can be bought from the kiosks at the bus stops. If you carry luggage larger than 60x60x40 cm, you are expected to buy a separate ticket for it. The ticket price for a piece of luggage is also BGN 1.

By Taxi. In order to get a reliable taxi service from Sofia Airport, book the transfer with the taxi company OK Supertrans, +359 (2) 9732121, in the arrivals halls. You can also take a taxi directly at the taxi stands but pay attention to the rate displayed in the window. The standard rate is around BGN 0.60 per kilometer so the journey to the city center usually costs no more than BGN 12-16, depending on the traffic conditions. 

• Next, you can travel to Plovdiv by train or by bus. The service of the Bulgarian State Railways is not as frequent and takes longer so we recommend traveling by bus. The buses to Plovdiv leave from platform 6 of the Central Bus Station  hourly from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM. The one-way ticket costs BGN 13 and can be bought from the ticket office. The trip takes 2 hours and you need to get off at the last stop - Bus Station South in Plovdiv.

From Plovdiv to Sofia Airport

The buses to Sofia leave from platform 3 of Bus Station South, +359 (32) 626937, from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM (the detailed schedule can be found here in Bulgarian). The one-way ticket costs BGN 13 and can be purchased from the ticket office at the station. In Sofia get off at the first stop and take a taxi to Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 of Sofia Airport. The taxi ride should cost no more than BGN 10.

Getting around in Plovdiv

The various forms of public transport - buses, minibuses and trolleybuses - run from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day. A ticket costs BGN 1 and is valid for one journey. It can be bought onboard from the conductor or the driver. Please make sure you have the right change.

Taxis are an affordable and easier alternative to public transport. All official taxis are yellow, have fares per kilometer displayed in the window, and have obvious taxi signs on top. The rates per kilometer may range from one taxi company to another, but the standard rate is BGN 0.60 per kilometer in the daytime, BGN 0.70 per kilometer at night.

Currency Information

The monetary unit in Bulgaria is the Lev (BGN), and there are 100 stotinki in 1 Lev. The Lev is tied up with the euro, whereby EUR 1= BGN 1.95, or BGN 1 = EUR 0.51.

Payments in Bulgaria are made only in Leva or in the Leva equivalent of the foreign currency. In many hotels, shops and restaurants, international credit cards like Visa, Master Card, American Express and Diners Club are accepted. Cash dispensers are available at numerous points in the city.

Foreign currency and euro checks can be exchanged in all banks during their working hours (mostly 08:30 AM - 4:30 PM) from Monday to Friday. There are also private currency exchange offices; some of them are open on weekends, and round the clock. Do not exchange money in the street because of deceits.

International Phone Calls

In Plovdiv there are many kiosks for cheap international calls with the following rates: Europe - BGN 0.15 per minute; Europe mobile – BGN 0.55 per minute, etc. There is also an internet telephone station just opposite the Rectorate of Plovdiv University. The charge is paid to the clerk.

Maps

View Plovdiv in a larger map

Vocabulary

You can print this table and show it to bus or taxi drivers when asking for directions.