Getting around Plovdiv
From the plane in Sofia to a door in Plovdiv in four steps: metro, train, station, then on foot. In town itself you barely need transport.
- Getting in
- Sofia airport (SOF)
- From Sofia
- metro to the centre
- PDV shuttle
- To Yug bus station, €5.11
Plovdiv has its own airport, but with only a few seasonal flights, so you almost always arrive through Sofia. The route is metro to the centre, train to Plovdiv, about 3 h total in all. Once you walk out of the station in Plovdiv, the rest is on foot.
The metro into the centre
The metro leaves straight from the airport and runs into central Sofia, where you change for the Central Railway Station. This is the part of the journey that doesn't depend on a timetable, since the metro runs often.
2. The train to Plovdiv
From Sofia's Central Station, trains run to Plovdiv several times a day. You buy the ticket at the station, and Bulgarian State Railways treats the fare as dynamic, so only the journey time is known in advance. The whole trip from the plane to Plovdiv, metro included, takes about 3 h total.
3. The station in Plovdiv: on foot or by bus to the centre
The train stops at the main railway station, south of the centre. From there you walk to Dzhumaya Square and Kapana through the centre and up the pedestrian main street, or take a city bus for €0.50. With a heavy suitcase the bus makes sense; without one, the walk is already the start of your sightseeing.
Everything on foot
The Old Town, Kapana and Dzhumaya Square are a few minutes from each other, with a climb up towards Nebet Tepe. In town you only need transport to and from the station, and perhaps to Alyosha if you'd rather not walk.
If you do land directly in Plovdiv (PDV)
An official shuttle runs from the airport to the Yug bus station in town, timed to flight arrivals. The fare is €5.11, and from the station you carry on to the centre as in step 3.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How do you get to Plovdiv from Sofia?
metro to the centre, train to Plovdiv, about 3 h total in total. The train fare is dynamic and only shows when you buy.
Does Plovdiv have its own airport?
Yes, but with small seasonal traffic. For most travellers the way in is Sofia.
Do you need a car in town?
No. The Old Town and Kapana are a few minutes' walk from each other, and a city-transport ride is €0.50.
Ready for Plovdiv?
Where to next
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→Five mistakes that cost time or money in Plovdiv, and what to do instead.
Veliko Tarnovo · 126 km
→A city wrapped around three bends of the Yantra, built around the fortress where the Bulgarian tsars once ruled
How well does Plovdiv suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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