Railway transport in Bulgaria is convenient and affordable. It belongs to the company BDZ (Bulgarian Railways). The official website of this organization is ww.bdz.bg. Trains in Bulgaria are inferior in popularity to cars and buses. Not all localities in the country have railway stations. Very often, passenger trains are late. At the same time, the trips are inexpensive. There are two types of railway transport for passengers running around the country: express trains and passenger trains.
Conditions of travel
The Bulgarian trains have seating and sleeping places of different classes. The base price of a seat determines the price of the ticket. There is a suburban service in Plovdiv and Sofia. Electric trains are used there.
Every day, passenger trains run on the most popular routes:
- Sofia - Plovdiv - Dimitrovgrad - Svilengrad;
- Sofia - Mezdra - Mikhailovgrad - Vidin;
- Sofia - Karlovo - Sliven - Burgas.
Rail travel very often takes longer than road transport in similar directions. Train tickets in Bulgaria start selling a month before departure. Tickets are difficult to get in the middle of the holiday season. Therefore, it is recommended to book seats well in advance of the expected departure date. The most popular lines are located between the capital of Bulgaria and the Black Sea coast.
Specificity of railway transport
Bulgarian trains are outdated, as the rolling stock has hardly been updated in recent years. Unsanitary conditions are often observed in the carriages. At the same time, trains in Bulgaria are chosen by many passengers as the best mode of transport. For travelers, compartment and seated carriages are available.
The country's central station is located in Sofia. Many international trains leave from here. Sofia is directly connected with Budapest, Athens, Vienna, Bucharest, Belgrade. Passengers can purchase tickets at the box office or online. Tickets for sleeping cars are sold at a separate ticket office.
Many people get discounts on rail travel. Preschool children travel free of charge. There are group discounts of up to 15% for one-way travel. Discounts are available to students and pass holders. The train schedule in Bulgaria is presented on the website https://www.bdz.bg. There you can find out how local and international trains run, and you can buy a ticket. In Bulgaria, there is an InterRail Bulgaria Rail Pass, which is provided to foreign tourists. It is valid for 3-8 days and guarantees a discount.
