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. Bulgaria has an interesting historical and cultural heritage and attractive landscapes. Be sure to visit Sofia, nestled in the foothills of two mountains, and filled with exciting sights and sounds. Your Eurail Bulgaria Pass is your ticket to a true rail adventure.
The train network in Bulgaria is operated by the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ). You can look up train times on the Eurail train timetable or on the BDZ website.
Expresen Vlak
Barz Vlak
Local 'rapid' trains.
No reservation needed.
Patnicheski
Slower local trains.
No reservation needed.
Rhodope scenic railway
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.
At this moment, the only international daytime connections run to and from Romania. Connections to Serbia and Greece are currently suspended because of construction works and operational issues.
Bulgaria has a number of domestic night trains, all running from Sofia to the East. Especially the trains towards the Black Sea coastal cities Varna and Burgas are popular during summer.
Currently, the only international night train running in Bulgaria connects Sofia and Plovdiv to Istanbul in Turkey. Make sure to reserve some days in advance, especially in summer. This train can only be booked at the train stations.
The following routes using trains in Bulgaria don't require reservations:
Route |
Travel time |
| Sofia to Varna | 7h 30m |
| Sofia to Burgas | 5h 30m |
| Sofia to Plovdiv | 2h 30m |
| Sofia to Vidin | 5h |
| Sofia to Ruse | 6h 5m |
| Plovdiv to Burgas | 3h 50m |
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) | 10h 50m | Required |
| Ruse to Bucharest (Romania) | Intercity (INT 460) | 2h 50m | Required |
| Vidin to Craiova (Romania) | Regional | 3h 50m | No |
| Sofia to Istanbul (Turkey)* | International (INT) | 13h | Optional |
*The train from Sofia to Istanbul ends at Istanbul Halkali station, from here you can take a metro/Marmaray train to the city centre and under the Bosphorus to the Asian side. Make sure to have Turkish Lira notes beforehand, as most metro-ticket machines do not take bank cards.
Not possible through Eurail reservation self-service system
Locally at the train station in Bulgaria
How can I make reservations for trains in Bulgaria?
Use your whole vacation to discover Bulgaria by rail.
Standard prices from $ 64
Be free to visit Bulgaria and up to 32 other Eurail countries.
Standard prices from $ 233
From Sofia airport there are buses (lines 84 and 284) to the main railway station. Eurail passes are not valid on the bus.
For questions about Eurail, visit the international ticket office at Sofia railway station. See the page Eurail aid offices for more aid offices in Europe.
On Bulgarian train timetables and at train stations in Bulgaria, you'll usually find the local spelling of Bulgarian cities and stations.
Here is the local spelling of some popular Bulgarian cities:
Sofiya = Sofia
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