Bulgaria By Train: An Easy Guide (2024)
Travelling Bulgaria by train is my favourite way to get around the beautiful Balkan country. They are the cheapest way to go from city to city which is handy if you’re on a budget! Here’s how to get around Bulgaria by train.
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Bulgaria By Train
You may have heard the stories of people being stuck without a seat in the trains of Western Europe, packed in like sardines (despite buying a ticket!). Thankfully, that craziness doesn’t exist in Bulgaria and you won’t be left without a seat.
Exploring Bulgaria by train presents some other difficulties, but after reading this guide – you can become a master at it. I spent a couple of weeks in the country and exclusively travelled by train. Initially I found it confusing, but figured it out with the help of some lovely Bulgarians.
The main problems for me were finding the train (due to a lack of easy to see signage on the carriages) and bus stations only having signs in Cyrillic.
Travelling through Bulgaria by train is easy, the country has a massive train network! After spending the previous month travelling by furgons in Albania & North Macedonia, it was a welcome sight! There are connections between every major city and most sizeable towns.
All trains can be booked online through BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways) and are very affordable (more on this below).
You’ll learn to fall in love with these trains. It’s like taking step back in time to the country’s communist past! The shaky, rusty carriages are filled with compartments that seat from six to eight people in first and second class respectively.
You get to mingle with the locals and take your time soaking in the stunning Bulgarian countryside. It is a whole lot of fun if you can embrace it. So, without further ado – here’s my guide to getting around Bulgaria by train:
How Much Are Trains In Bulgaria?
Travelling around Bulgaria by train is easily the most budget-friendly option. A trip from Sofia to the coast in Varna only costs 30 LEV (15 EUR) at the time of writing.
Trains are split into first and second classes. It can vary from train to train but generally, you are sat in a carriage of 8 people in second class and 6 people in first. That being said, my train from Plovdiv to Veliko Tarnovo had normal seating in first class.
Here are some examples of trips within Bulgaria, with prices for first & second class in Bulgarian Lev (1 AUD/0.61 EUR/1.20 LEV).
- Sofia to Plovdiv: 11 LEV / 14 LEV
- Plovdiv to Veliko Tarnovo: 15 LEV / 20 LEV
- Varna to Burgas: 13 LEV / 16 LEV
Check out my 1 week in Bulgaria itinerary
Should I Reserve Seats For Trains In Bulgaria?
Those who have travelled by train through Western Europe will understand the struggle of needing to pay for seats on top of their Eurail Pass. Especially in the summer, places like Italy, France and Spain are so popular and you can be lucky to get one. So,
Does Eurail go to Bulgaria?
Yes. But, Eurail in Bulgaria it’s really not worth it in my eyes. If you’re just visiting Bulgaria and countries around the Balkans, you’ll be overpaying. Booking each train separately still allows you to be flexible and is more affordable. In addition to this, you will almost never have to reserve a seat in advance.
If you want a specific seat you can choose to reserve it, but it’s not necessary. On the three trains I took in Bulgaria I could move seats every time to get out of the blistering sun.
For me, I always like booking my ticket in advance. Navigating a Bulgarian train station can be difficult, especially with the lack of English available. To make sure you book the right ticket, purchase via BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways).
Navigating A Bulgarian Train Station
When travelling Bulgaria by train, you don’t have the luxury of widespread English. It can be quite difficult finding your train as the “Departures/Arrivals” boards are all in Cyrillic. In addition to that, the staff there weren’t much help!
My Tips:
- Everything you need is all on the ticket. You will find your train number under “Влак” and you can cross-reference this with the departures board
- Once you’ve established the train exists, you can find your train by looking for the train code on the side of the train. That was what confused me most
- Arrive 30 minutes before. In case sh*t hits the fan, you give yourself a bit of time to find your train
- Asking staff on the platforms
- Unlike the ticketing staff, these workers are actually really helpful. If you can’t find your platform you can show them your ticket and they will point you in the right direction.
Pro tip: Download the Bulgarian language in Google Translate for offline use. When you’re at the station you can use the camera feature to translate the signs.
Final Thoughts
Travelling around Bulgaria by train can be confusing for first time visitors. The Cyrillic script and the lack of signage on platforms makes finding your train difficult! But once you’ve figured out how it all works, it’s a unique experience that allows you to see a lot of Bulgaria’s beautiful countryside.
Let me know how you go! Enjoy getting around Bulgaria by train.
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Cheap Flights: I always use Skyscanner to browse for cheap flights. It offers so many options to help you find a good deal! It even allows you to search for “anywhere” if you haven’t decided where to go yet!
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Travel Insurance: If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. It is so important to have when travelling as it will save you from illness, injury, theft and cancellations! I always use Worldnomads when travelling on a budget as they have the best deals for me.