Bulgaria

Basic Information

• area ... 110,000 km2
• capital ... Sofia (Cофия)
• population ... 7.6 million
• highest point ... Musala (Мусала), 2,925 m.a.s.l.
• length of the railway network ... 4,146 km

Main railway carriers:

• BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways) – БДЖ (Български държавни железници)

Bulgaria is a coastal state on the Balkan Peninsula bordering on Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. For many years, Bulgaria has been a favourite vacation destination for our countrymen and, after a decline in interest in the 1990s, it is now slowly regaining its popularity. Direct seasonal connections by train to summer resorts on the Black Sea only underscore the attractiveness of this area.

If you like swimming and lounging under an umbrella, you should definitely choose from among the numerous summer resorts on the Black Sea coast. Among the most famous are the cities of Varna, Burgas, Primorsko, Sozopol and Golden Sands. Moreover, during the summer you can take a direct train from Prague or Brno to the first two destinations.

If the beach doesn’t interest you, Bulgaria offers numerous options for an active vacation. We recommend visiting the capital Sofia, where you can view e.g. the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Sofia Synagogue and the Banya Bashi Mosque. Bulgaria’s natural areas are worth visiting as well, including the peaks of the highest mountains in the Balkans and extensive lowlands, in particular Thrace and the Danubian Plain.

Is currently possible to travel to Bulgaria without transferring only in the summer season, aboard direct train R 1470/1471 Nesebar, composed of sleeper and couchette carriages bound for the seaside resort of Burgas and Varna. The carriages operate from mid-June until the beginning of September from Prague Main Station (Praha hl.n.) at 0:05; the carriage to Burgas runs only on Tuesday and Friday, and the carriage to Varna runs only on Saturday. The carriages reach their destination on the second day at 12:30 and 9:40, respectively. The return connection always departs on Wednesday and Saturday at 19:10 (Burgas) and on Sunday at 22:10 (Varna), respectively, arriving in Prague at 6:20 on the third day. For travel to the capital Sofia and other cities, or for travel outside the summer season, it is necessary to select a connection with a transfer, e.g. in Belgrade.

You can obtain more detailed information about train journeys to Bulgaria from our Search for a Connection page.

How Much to Bulgaria

It is possible to use various discounts when travelling by train to Bulgaria, e.g. CityStar, or a discount under a so-called multilateral railway agreement. A ticket for two passengers for a direct connection from Prague to Burgas and return with the City Star discount will cost c. CZK 7,895 (EUR 304.80). Because direct trains consist exclusively of couchette or sleeper carriages, it is also necessary to purchase a sleeper or couchette supplement.

For your trip to Bulgaria, select the offer that suits your needs – where and what discount in Europe.