Guide: Sofia Airport to the City Centre or Train Station
It’s very easy to travel from Sofia Airport to the city centre or train station, as there’s a convenient metro connection.
This guide provides all the details about the Sofia Airport metro connection to the city centre and train station, including ticket prices and where to go after your plane lands.
Sofia Airport
Sofia Airport consists of two separate terminals, the newer Terminal 2 (T2) and the older Terminal 1 (T1), with the bulk of the airlines using Terminal 2, and only low-cost carriers Wizz Air and easyJet, as well as a few charter airlines, using Terminal 1.
The Sofia Airport metro is located at Terminal 2, so if you arrive at Terminal 1, you first need to take the free shuttle bus to reach Terminal 2.
Once you’ve exited the baggage reclaim area of Terminal 2 and stand in the arrivals hall, the metro station is only a short walk away – just turn left, walk past all the check-in desks, and exit the terminal building at the far end.
When you step outside the terminal doors, head left once more, and within a minute’s walk you’ll reach the airport metro station.
The directions are fairly well-signposted, with signs marked “subway” guiding you towards the metro station.
The airport metro station is clearly signposted. It’s only a bit weird that in their own Cyrillic script the Bulgarians write “metro”, while in the Latin script they translate it to “subway”! ©AndyBTravels
The entrance to the Sofia Airport metro station is located just outside the terminal building. ©AndyBTravels
Airport metro station
The airport metro station is on the same level as the arrivals hall of Terminal 2, so there’s no need to deal with stairs, escalators, or lifts while handling your luggage.
At the airport metro station, you can buy your ticket either at the staffed booth or from one of the ticket machines, although the machines at Sofia Metro typically accept only cash — both notes and coins —in Bulgarian leva.
If you plan to pay by card, it’s much simpler to walk straight past the ticket booth and machines, and just touch your contactless card at the electronic gates, which will open and automatically deduct the fare from your card.
A single ticket for the Sofia metro is quite affordable, costing 1.60 BGN (€0.82, £0.68) for a one-way ride.
You can also purchase a day pass for 4 BGN (€2.05, £1.69) from the ticket booth or machines, granting unlimited use of all public transport in Sofia for the day, including the metro, buses, and trams.
Children under the age of 7 travel for free.
Ticket machines and ticket booths. It’s also possible to pay by card just by touching your contactless card at the entrance gates to pass through to the platform. ©AndyBTravels
Sofia metro train. ©AndyBTravels
On board the metro
The Sofia Airport metro station is the terminus of the yellow line M4, which runs between Sofia Airport and Obelya.
As the airport station is the first station on this Sofia metro line, you’ll always find plenty of empty seats on board the metro trains, and although there are no dedicated luggage racks, there is plenty of space to place your bags on the floor in front of you.
When going from the airport to the city centre of Sofia, you remain on board for 12 stops until you reach Serdika station, which is the most centrally located.
Alternatively, you can get off the train one stop earlier at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, which is also centrally located and closest to the city’s iconic Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
To get from the airport to Sofia’s main train station, take the metro to Serdika, transfer to the blue line M2, and travel towards Obelya, getting off at the second stop, called Central Railway Station.
Serdika station. ©AndyBTravels
Video guide
In the YouTube video below, you can see how easy it is to take the metro from Sofia Airport.
Watch as I guide you from the arrivals hall to the metro station, show how to buy tickets, and take the metro into the city centre of Sofia.
Conclusion
Sofia Airport offers a fast and affordable metro service that connects the airport with the city centre and main train station.
The metro station is just a short walk from the terminal building, and since it’s the terminus, there is always plenty of seating available on the train.
Curious about other airport train services across Europe? Check out my guides on the Oslo Airport Train and the Helsinki Airport Train!
Really helpful overview—when I landed in Sofia, I was surprised at how efficient the metro was. One tip for travelers: make sure to have some local currency ready if you’re not using a card, as not all machines accept international cards.