Car Rental at Sofia Airport

Airport travel guide

The capital city might not be Bulgaria’s number one travel destination — that title belongs to Varna and the rest of the Black Sea coast -— but it offers plenty of fun if you scratch beneath the surface. Independent, historic, and cultured, it can also be used as a hub from which you can explore the northeast of the country. With that in mind, here are a few interesting attractions in and around Sofia:

• National Museum of History. Appropriately monumental, the National History Museum is among both the largest and most interesting in Bulgaria. Occupying what used to be the residence of Bulgaria’s former communist dictator, the museum has more than 600,000 pieces of all things Bulgarian and covers everything from the country’s Hellenic and Roman-influenced past to more recent eras.
• Churches. Bulgarians are overwhelmingly Eastern Orthodox, a fact exemplified by the many beautiful churches that can be found in the capital. The most famous among them is indubitably Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (if you’ve ever seen a tourist video from Sofia, it almost definitely was featured in it), but the UNESCO-recognized Boyana Church and the 1,600-year-old Saint George Rotunda are also not to be missed.
• Rila National Park. The most visited natural landmark near Sofia is definitely Mount Vitosha which is located just a 20-minute drive south of the city center. However, if you’re looking for a wilder, less crowded experience, you can’t do much better than visit Rila National Park. Located a 90-minute drive south of the capital, this beautiful nature preserve is centered around seven highland lakes and is famous for its diverse flora and fauna. The most notable attractions are the Seven Rila Lakes and Rila Monastery.
• Vitosha Boulevard. Sofia's main pedestrian street is full of high-end stores, street performers, and cute cafes and restaurants. About 2.7 km (1.7 miles) long, it is named after the stunning nearby mountain,  the snowy cap of which can be seen from the boulevard.
• National Opera and Ballet of Bulgaria. Located in one of the mightiest buildings in the city (the neoclassical structure celebrated its 70th birthday in 2023), the National Opera and Ballet is, according to some, the leading cultural institution in all of Bulgaria. Even if you don’t speak Bulgarian, catching a show during your visit would be a memorable experience.
• Dragoman Marsh. Another notable nature area, the Dragoman Marsh is located about a 40-minute drive northwest of the capital. A large karst wetland with international Ramsar protection status, it is one of the region’s most famous bird watching places as it provides home to several hundred of both local and migratory avian species. 

Top international routes

• Vienna
• Istanbul
• London
• Frankfurt
• Munich
• Milan
• Varna
• Tel Aviv

Main airlines

Sofia airport is the main hub for Bulgaria Air, the country's flag carrier. The airline flies to and from destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and Russia. The low-cost carriers Wizz Air and Ryanair carry the most passengers at the airport. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and easyJet are also some of the airport’s main airlines.

Terminals

The two passenger terminals are Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. A shuttle bus runs between them every 30 minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Terminal 1 is the old terminal used only by Wizz Air and cargo planes. Every other flight flies to and from the newer Terminal 2.

Location

Sofia airport is 10 km (6.2 miles) east of downtown Sofia. Bulevard Bruksel and Tsarigradsko shose are the main roads connecting the airport and the city.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $17 per day
• Medium cars - from $17 per day
• SUVs - from $24 per day
• Station wagons - from $19 per day
• Vans - from $18 per day
• Large cars - from $17 per day
• Premium cars - from $59 per day
• Convertibles - from $39 per day

Car rental desks

Europcar and TOP have desks in both terminals.

Avis, Budget, Easy, Alamo, Firefly, Hertz, Sixt, Surprice and Thrifty have desks only in Terminal 2

AUTOJET has a desk only in Terminal 1

All of the other rental companies except for Prestige offer a meet a greet service at the airport. That is, a representative of the company will meet you at the airport and take you to their rental office.

Prestige offers a delivery service, that is, they will deliver the car to the airport for you.

Services and facilities

There are numerous stores and duty-free shops, a sandwich bar, two cafeterias, three lounges, a currency exchange office, an ATM, two lost and found offices, a help desk, and a prayer room. Travelers with reduced mobility can easily access most facilities in Terminal 1 and all facilities in Terminal 2. You can find more information on the airport's official website.

Nearest gas station

If one were to look for a gas station near the airport on Google Maps, they would find a Lukoil right next to the airport. Unfortunately, this station is very inconvenient for those returning a rental car to one of the airport’s terminals due to the fact that it is not possible to turn around after exiting it. It, however, is convenient for those returning a vehicle to rental locations on Nedelcho Bonchev St. and coming from Botevgradsko Shose Boulevard.

Others coming from the south of the city and returning a car to one of the terminals will find an OMV station along Alexander Malinov Blvd just north of the intersection with Andrey Saharov Street the most convenient. After this station, the road becomes highway-like with no further entrances prior to reaching the airport.

Those coming from the south and returning a car to off-airport locations could exit onto Christopher Columbus Blvd. to reach a Shell station and then continue along that road to the off-airport rental locations.

Popular one-way rentals

• Burgas (381km / 236 miles)
• Varna (440km / 273 miles)
• Plovdiv (144km / 89 miles)
• Bucharest (355km / 220 miles)
• Golden Sands(456km / 283 miles)
• Sunny Beach (406km / 252 miles)
• Belgrade (395km / 245 miles)
• Thessaloniki (293 km / 182 miles)
• Istanbul (550 km / 341 miles)