From the arrivals hall you have three ways to reach a central Sofia hotel: the M4 metro from beside Terminal 2, an official taxi booked at the desk inside arrivals, or a car arranged by the hotel. The metro suits light bags and daytime landings; the taxi or hotel car suits late arrivals, families and heavy luggage.
Prices checked November 2026.
Metro, official taxi or hotel car: choosing before you land
The metro is the most direct public link. Sofia Airport station sits at the eastern end of Terminal 2, and Line 4 runs straight to Serdika, the central interchange. The airport and the city tourism office both put the ride to the centre at about 20 minutes.
The official taxi is Yellow!, with offices in arrivals at both terminals and cars at the main ranks to the right of each building. Ignore anyone offering a ride outside that office or in front of the terminal; the airport warns against it.
A hotel car is settled before you fly but costs more. Grand Hotel Sofia charges €40 for its car, while OK Supertrans gives a typical, non-binding metered fare of €13 to €14 from the airport to downtown. Not every central hotel runs a car, and two say outright that they do not.
The metro makes less sense if you land after the last train, have several large cases or are staying far from a station. For how the districts compare, read Sofia neighbourhoods for top hotels.
Hotel by hotel: nearest station and transfer offer
Stations below use the hotel's own wording or its brand site. "Not stated" means the site is silent, so ask the hotel.
| Hotel | Nearest metro, as the hotel states it | Airport transfer on its own site |
|---|---|---|
| Sofia Balkan Palace | Serdika, "next to the hotel" | Not published |
| Grand Hotel Sofia | Serdika (wording varies, see below) | Yes, car or van |
| Hyatt Regency Sofia | SU St. Kliment Ohridski, 400 m | Yes, external company, at a charge |
| InterContinental Sofia | Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, listed under public transport | No |
| Sense Hotel Sofia | Not published | Yes, private, on request |
| Hilton Sofia | Not published | No |
| Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia | NDK (National Palace of Culture), via a change at Serdika | Yes |
| Hotel Marinela | James Bourchier, 100 m | Yes, extra charge, book ahead |
| Maison Sofia, MGallery | Vitosha, 1 km | Not published |
| Crowne Plaza Sofia | Sofia Business Park, 600 m | Yes |
Not published by the hotel
Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia routes metro guests on M4 to Serdika, then one stop on Line 2 to NDK, about 40 minutes in all. Grand Hotel Sofia calls Serdika metres away on one page and about 10 minutes' walk on another; plan for the longer walk with cases.
The full shortlist sits under Sofia's top-category hotels.
Metro fares: tapping a bank card or buying a pass
The simplest option is to tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch at the gate.
- Contactless tap: the 30+ fare, €0.80, with transfers within 30 minutes. The airport says one card's daytime total in a day does not exceed €2.00.
- Single metro ticket from the station: €0.80, one metro trip, no transfer, valid up to 60 minutes from issue.
- Ticket 60+: €1.10, transfers within 60 minutes, loaded on a Sofia City Card or Ultralight card, not a bank card.
- One-day card, all lines: €2.00.
- 24-hour card: €3.00, night buses included.
- 72-hour card: €7.60, night buses included.
The one-day and 24-hour cards are different products: the 24-hour card is the one listed with night buses, which matters on a late arrival. Planning more than a day in town? Ideas are in a Sofia city break.
The official taxi desk and reading a Sofia tariff
Order at the Yellow! office in arrivals, then walk to the main rank. Its online tariff page still shows old lev rates below the current municipal minimum, so ask the desk for the euro rate per kilometre before you set off.
The city sets a minimum and maximum per kilometre. Day runs 06:00 to 22:00, night 22:00 to 06:00:
- Day: €0.73 to €1.24 per km
- Night: €0.84 to €1.52 per km
OK Supertrans shows how a real tariff fits the band: €1.50 to start and €0.75/km by day, €1.70 and €0.85/km at night, €0.25 a minute waiting, €0.60 to call. It is not the airport's partner but takes airport bookings made ahead.
A rate above the municipal maximum is your cue to get out before the meter starts.
Three arrivals: Terminal 1, after dark, and heavy bags
Landing at Terminal 1
Terminal 1 has no metro. A free shuttle runs around the clock straight to Terminal 2, from signposted stops outside both buildings, every 20 minutes at peaks such as 17:00 to 20:00 and every 40 minutes between 20:00 and 08:00. Bus 84 also leaves both terminals for General Gurko Street about every 12 minutes, taking roughly 45 minutes on weekdays. Yellow! has a desk in Terminal 1 arrivals too.
Landing after 23:00
On the summer 2026 timetable, the last train leaves Sofia Airport at 23:38:30 on weekdays and 23:46:30 on holidays. Night bus N4 then runs hourly from midnight to 04:00 from both terminals through central Sofia, with changes at Knyaz Alexander I Square. Its night pass is €1.00 by contactless tap or cash to the inspector.
Taxis switch to the night rate at 22:00. Between the last N4 and the first weekday train at 05:21, a taxi is the practical choice.
Arriving with heavy luggage
If each of you has a single wheeled case, the metro can work well, since the station sits right beside Terminal 2. With more bags, the change at Serdika for Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia or the 1 km walk from Vitosha station to Maison Sofia, MGallery makes a taxi or hotel car the easier option. Sofia Balkan Palace, beside Serdika, is the simplest metro arrival with bags.
Hotels that send a car, and what they charge
Grand Hotel Sofia publishes the clearest prices: a car for up to 3 people at €40, or a luxury van for up to 6 at €75, for arrival or departure. For four or more with luggage, the van saves splitting into two taxis.
Crowne Plaza Sofia lists an airport transfer on its own site; its brand site quotes €20, every day, around the clock.
Others offer a car without a published price:
- Hyatt Regency Sofia: through an external company, at a charge.
- Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia: private or shuttle transfer through the concierge.
- Sense Hotel Sofia: private transfer on request and subject to availability, not included in the room rate.
- Hotel Marinela: extra charge, book ahead.
InterContinental Sofia and Hilton Sofia state that no shuttle is available. Sofia Balkan Palace and Maison Sofia, MGallery do not mention one, though the Balkan Palace concierge helps with transportation arrangements. Heading on to the mountains? See Sofia Airport to Bansko.
Questions
Does Terminal 1 have its own metro station?
No, Terminal 1 has no metro station. Take the free shuttle to Terminal 2, which runs around the clock with no intermediate stops, then walk to the station at the terminal's eastern end. The shuttle runs every 20 to 40 minutes depending on the hour, so allow for a wait before you start your metro ride.
Which central hotels will send their own car?
Grand Hotel Sofia, Hotel Marinela, Sense Hotel Sofia, Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia and Hyatt Regency Sofia all mention an airport transfer on their own sites, usually at extra cost and booked ahead. Crowne Plaza Sofia lists one as well. InterContinental Sofia and Hilton Sofia say no shuttle is available, so use the official taxi desk.
How many kilometres is it to the centre?
About 10 km, according to the airport, by Brussels Boulevard and Tsarigradsko Shose. Hotels give their own figures: Grand Hotel Sofia says 10.2 km, Hyatt Regency Sofia 11 km, Sofia Balkan Palace 12 km and Hilton Sofia and Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia 13 km. The exact distance depends on which square your hotel faces.
Can you get into town after midnight without a taxi?
Yes, night bus N4 serves both terminals every night, including public holidays, from midnight to 04:00, once an hour. It crosses central Sofia between Druzhba 2 and Gotse Delchev, with changes to other night lines at Knyaz Alexander I Square. A 24-hour or 72-hour card covers it; otherwise buy the night pass.
What does the metro cost if you tap a bank card?
Each tap costs €0.80, the 30+ fare, which lets you transfer within 30 minutes. If you keep tapping the same bank card, phone or watch, the airport says your daytime total for that day does not exceed €2.00. That covers the ride from Terminal 2 and a few more trips around the city.
