Bucharest to Sofia
What are my options to get from Bucharest (ROM) to Sofia (BUL)?
I tried searching for a bus, but I only get 100€ option - link. This can't be the only one. I can see the train option on dbbahn, but no price, and the ride is at least 11 hours. Any help?
Best Answer
Since i couldn't find any conclusive information on the rumor that splitting the trip from Bucharest to Sofia makes it cheaper i decided to do some empirical research so here goes:
Direct train from Bucharest(from Bucharest Nord) to Sofia costs 140 ROM (35euros) lei and there are few departures per day, 12:55, 23:55 that i am aware of. Direct bus costs 52 Bulgarian Lev (26 Euros) according to http://www.etapgroup.com/?lang=_en making it a cheaper option.
However if you split the trip: Train: a ticket from Bucharest to Giurgiu by train is 36 ROM (8.50 euro) and a ticket from Ruse to Sofia by train is 18.90 Bulgarian LEv (cca 8.50 euro) Making it 17 euros to Sofia. Bus: Although i took a train i got a qoute for a minibus in Giurgiu (to Bucharest) for 15 lei(3.5 euro) The bus from Ruse to Sofia costs more then train and is around 24 LEV(12 euros)
So to sum it up, if you take a minibus(fairly frequent) from Bucharest Filaret station to Giurgiu and then train from Ruse to Sofia you will get the cheapest option = 12 euros.
Giurgiu to Ruse note - IMPORTANT It is possible and quite normal to walk across the Danube bridge. I asked the locals as well as border police and they both said it was legal. Furthermore the pedestrian part is perfectly safe although the height might make some people uneasy.
That being said all in all it is a long walk from Giurgiu to Ruse. In order to be most effective take the bus to Giurgiu because train station is few kilometers further out and it will save you walking time. Follow the road to the bridge and ask for bridge to Bulgaria frequently to make sure you are on the track. It is in the same direction as Astra Football stadium. Once you are on the Bulgarian side, there are local buses that cost 1 lev which can save you about 10 km walking to the train station.
Ruse itself is worth a day visit and makes a pleasant break of the journey. Giurgiu is much smaller but still nice to see.
I was told that there are no minibus option for Sofia on the bus station in Ruse and got offered big more expensive buses, but that info could still be worth checking....
Pictures about "Bucharest to Sofia"
Is there a direct train from Bucharest to Sofia?
Is there a direct train between Bucharest and Sofia? Yes, there is a direct train departing from Bucuresti Nord and arriving at Sofia. Services depart once daily, and operate every day.How do you get from Romania to Bulgaria?
The quickest way to get from Bulgaria to Romania is to drive which costs $35 - $60 and takes 5h 4m. How far is it from Bulgaria to Romania? The distance between Bulgaria and Romania is 381 km. The road distance is 386.9 km.Can I go to Bulgaria by train?
Train travelIt's not difficult to travel to Bulgaria by train, in fact it's a safe, comfortable and interesting journey. The train ride from London to Bulgaria takes as little as 2 nights, with a variety of possible routes and options.Is Bucharest near Vienna?
The distance between Vienna and Bucharest is 856 km. The road distance is 1062.5 km.Getting From Romania to Bulgaria By Bus - Bucharest to Sofia
More answers regarding bucharest to Sofia
Answer 2
You can indeed take the train. However it cannot be booked online. According to the Man in Seat 61, the price is 25-30 GBP.
Answer 3
I don't know if it's within your budget, but Romania Tarom airline has daily flights between Bucharest and Sofia.
Answer 4
The best way is to take a train from Bucarest North to Giergiu Nord and then walk 4km and take a Bulgarian train from Ruse to Sofia
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Images: Eduard Balan, Stefana Ristić, Miha Corni, Dids