Fast facts about hiring a car from Sofia Airport

Most of the major rental companies offer car hire at Sofia Airport (SOF), such as Avis, Hertz, Europcar, Sixt and Thrifty. It’s about 10km (6 miles) from the airport to the city centre and the drive takes approximately 20 minutes, depending on traffic.

To get to central Sofia from the airport, head north on Bruksel Boulevard. This road connects the airport to Tsarigradsko Shose Boulevard, which takes you into the city.

You’ll find car hire desks in the arrivals areas of both terminals at Sofia Airport, just after customs control. Car rental companies here include:

• Sixt (Tel: +359 2 945 9276)
• Avis (Tel: +359 2 945 9224)
• Enterprise (Tel: +359 2 937 3594)
• Budget (Tel: +359 2 945 9454)
• Hertz (Tel: +359 2 945 9960)
• Europcar (Tel: +359 2 945 9266)
• Thrifty (Tel: +359 2 474 0181)

Hiring a car in Sofia city centre

If you’re spending some time in Sofia city centre before driving throughout Bulgaria, picking your car up in town can be a convenient option. Sixt offers a car rental desk at the centrally located Sofia Hotel Hilton. You’ll also find NAY Car Rental along Totleben Boulevard and Universal Car Rent on Batkun Street.

Driving in Sofia city centre

While most of Sofia's streets are laid out in rigid blocks, making it difficult to get truly lost, trams, narrow streets and a lack of signs can make things tricky – though the road signs you do see will usually have both Roman and Cyrillic script, so they're easy to decipher.

The good news is you don’t really need to drive here, as it’s simple to explore on foot and with public transport. If you do choose to drive around town, plan your route in advance and bring a satnav or GPS-enabled smartphone.

Outside of Sofia’s central business area, you’ll find excellent motorways branching from the Sofia ring road, making it easy to head out on a road trip into Bulgaria. When you come off the motorways outside the city, watch out for potholes and slippery surfaces in winter.

As for parking, Sofia’s central area is divided into blue and green paid parking zones, with signs clearly displaying time limits. Spots can be hard to find and fines apply if you exceed your time limit.

Recommended day trips from Sofia

Rila Mountains

Driving time: One hour and 45 hours

An easy, scenic drive along the A3 from Sofia takes you to the Rila Mountains and the beautiful Rila Monastery. At the heart of the surrounding national park is Mount Musala, the highest peak in Bulgaria and a prime spot for hiking. North of the park you’ll find the ski slopes of Borovets. A chairlift or walking trail near Panichishte gets you to the glacial Seven Rila Lakes.

Plovdiv

Driving time: Two hours

To reach the romantic ruins and cobbled streets of Plovdiv, take a quick drive along the A1 highway – or make the most of your hire car by detouring towards Pazardzhik, the Rhodope Mountains and the wineries of Asenovgrad, for forested roads with panoramic views. In Plovdiv, visit the Roman theatre, the Kapana Art District and the Children’s Railway.

Vratsa

Driving time: One hour 30 minutes

Vratsa is a charming small town and the gateway to the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park, a landscape of forests and craggy peaks with a famous show cave at Ledenika. If you love rock-climbing head to Vratsata Gorge, and for culture check out the Thracian treasures at the Regional History Museum. When it’s time to dine, stroll down to Vratsa's quaint main pedestrian street.