Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Train
The
central train station
(bul Maria Luisa; 1, 7)
is a massive, rather cheerless con-
crete hive, built in the 'Brutalist' style in the 1970s.
Destinations for all domestic and international services are listed on timetables in Cyril-
lic, but departures (for the following two hours) and arrivals (for the previous two hours)
are listed in English on a large computer screen on the ground floor. Directions and signs
around the station are sometimes translated into French. Other facilities include a post of-
fice,
left luggage
(central train station; per bag per day 2lv; 6am-11pm)
office, cafes,
a supermarket and accommodation agencies. The rates at the foreign exchange offices are
very poor indeed, so best wait until you get into town.
Same-day tickets are sold at counters on the ground floor, while advance tickets are
sold in the gloomy basement, accessed via an unsigned flight of stairs obscured by another
set of stairs that heads up to some snack bars. Counters are open 24 hours, but normally
only a few are staffed and queues are long, so don't turn up at the last moment to purchase
your ticket, and allow some extra time to work out the confusing system of platforms (in-
dicated with Roman numerals) and tracks.
All tickets for international trains, and advance tickets for domestic services, can be
bought at one of several Rila Bureau including at the
central train station
( 932 3346;
8.30am-8.20pm)
and on
ul General Gurko
( 987 0777; ul General Gurko 5;
7am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-6.30pm Sat)
. Staff at these offices usually speak some Eng-
lish.
DOMESTIC TRAIN SERVICES TO/FROM SOFIA
DESTINATION 1ST-/2ND-CLASS FARE
DURATION
(HR)
NUMBER OF TRAINS
(DAILY)
Burgas
23.60/18.90 lv (fast), 28.80/23.10 lv (ex-
press)
7-8
4 fast & 2 express
Gorna Oryakhov-
itsa
18.30/14.60 lv (fast), 21.40/17.20 lv (ex-
press)
4-4½
6 fast & 2 express (for Veliko
Târnovo)
Plovdiv
11.30/9 lv (fast), 14.30/11.50 lv (ex-
press)
2½-3
6 fast, 3 express & 4 slow
