Metro guide
Sofia Metro for Visitors
Airport journeys, useful stations and the checks that make a metro ride easier.
Use Sofia’s metro when the stations fit your journey, especially between the airport and the centre. Before you enter, check the train’s destination, validate your ticket or payment, and work out the final walk. A short ride is not always the simplest door-to-door trip.
Taking the Metro From the Airport
Sofia Airport station is beside the eastern end of Terminal 2. Take M4 towards the centre. If you land at Terminal 1, use the free inter-terminal shuttle to Terminal 2 and allow for the wait as well as the ride.
For the Central Railway Station or Central Bus Station, the airport’s recommended route is to change at Serdika to M2 and get off at Central Railway Station. Check your accommodation’s address before choosing a central stop.
On the way back, look for Sofia Airport on the train’s destination display. A train travelling along the same central corridor is not automatically an airport train.
Compare metro, bus, taxi and transfer options for your arrival
Official details: Transport to and from Sofia Airport.
Tickets and Payment at the Gate
For a straightforward journey, Ticket 30+ costs €0.80. Tap a contactless bank card at the entrance validator and wait for confirmation before passing through. A station ticket office is an alternative if you want a separate ticket or your payment is not accepted.
The 30 minutes are a transfer-validation window, not a deadline to get off. Validate again when boarding another vehicle or entering the metro during that window. You can finish the last journey validated within it after the window has ended.
Other listed fares are €1.10 for Ticket 60+, €2 for a day card, €3 for a 24-hour card and €7.60 for a 72-hour card. The 24-hour and 72-hour cards include night transport. The day card and the 24-hour card are different products; ask for the one you mean.
These euro fares were checked on 24 September 2026. Choose a pass around the journeys you will actually make, rather than buying one simply because you are staying for several days.
Compare ticket and pass choices across Sofia public transport
Official details: Metro tickets from 1 January 2026 · Transport documents.
Stations Useful to Visitors
Choose your station from your destination address, then check the exit. A familiar station name can still leave you on the wrong side of a large junction.
- Serdika / Serdika II: A useful central reference point around Sveta Nedelya Square and Maria Luiza Boulevard, and a change for M2.
- SU Sv. Kliment Ohridski: The Sofia University stop. Its entrances connect the university area with Orlov Most and the park side; choose the exit for your next walk.
- NDK / NDK II: The National Palace of Culture area, beside Vitosha Boulevard. Recognise both names when changing between M2 and M3.
- Central Railway Station: The M2 stop for the central rail and bus station area. Allow time to find your departure platform or bus bay after leaving the metro.
Plan a walk around ancient Serdica
Official details: Serdica station · SU Sv. Kliment Ohridski station · National Palace of Culture station · Transport to and from Sofia Airport · National Palace of Culture 2 station.
Changing Lines Without Losing Your Way
Serdika and Serdika II connect the M1/M4 corridor with M2. NDK and NDK II connect M2 with M3. Follow the interchange signs for your next line and destination rather than following the first street exit.
M1 and M4 share a central section, so check the destination display even when the platform is familiar. If you are unsure, pause before boarding and compare the destination with the station diagram.
Treat a change as part of the journey: walking between platforms, finding the right direction and managing luggage all take effort. Build that into an airport or onward-train connection.
Official details: Serdica station · National Palace of Culture 2 station · Operating metro.
Early Trains, Late Arrivals and Service Changes
Check the operator’s timetable for your station, direction and travel day. First and last departures vary; a general statement about when the metro closes does not tell you whether your particular connection works.
If you need to change lines, check both legs and allow time between them. Recheck service notices before travelling, especially when a flight or intercity train depends on the connection.
If the timetable leaves too little margin, choose another mode in advance. Do not plan an early flight around an assumed first train or a late arrival around an assumed last one.
Plan a late-night arrival in Sofia
Official details: Metro timetables.
Luggage, Lifts and Step-Free Journeys
The operator’s rules allow up to two carry-on items without an extra fare. That is not permission for unlimited bulky luggage: check with station staff about extra or oversized items. An occupied wheelchair or a child’s buggy with the child also travels without an extra fare.
Keep bags under control at gates and on platforms, and leave room for people getting off. Retain your ticket or payment method for inspection rather than putting it somewhere you cannot reach.
Station pages show lift plans, and NDK’s description includes lifts, ramps and escalators. Installed equipment does not establish that every lift is working today or that every interchange is step-free.
If avoiding stairs is essential, confirm the street entrance, platform and any transfer route with Metropolitan before you travel. A named station alone is not a complete accessibility plan; keep an alternative ready if a lift is unavailable.
Plan the rest of an accessible Sofia visit
Official details: Metro passenger rules · National Palace of Culture station · Serdica 2 station.
Four Checks Before You Board
- Payment did not confirm: Pause at the gate and ask station staff or use the ticket office. An attempted tap is not proof of a valid journey.
- The display names another destination: Check the map before boarding, especially when travelling to the airport.
- Your change is near the end of service: Check the onward departure, not just the train from your starting station.
- You need a bus or tram afterwards: Check the transfer window and validate at the next boarding. Keep the broader public-transport guide handy.
Official details: Metro tickets from 1 January 2026 · Transport to and from Sofia Airport · Metro timetables.
When Walking or a Taxi Makes More Sense
For a nearby central destination, compare the walk with the time needed to reach the station, descend and leave at the other end. The metro may be useful for the longer leg while walking works better between sights.
A taxi or transfer may be a more practical choice with heavy bags, a difficult final walk, uncertain lift access or a journey outside useful train times. Compare the whole trip and your needs, rather than treating the cheapest fare as the deciding factor.
Decide which parts of Sofia to explore on foot
Before You Travel
Check fares, your station’s timetable and any accessibility arrangements close to your trip. The operator’s information is the place to confirm changes after 24 September 2026.
Hello Sofia has not personally tested these journeys or station lifts. Use the practical checks above alongside current operator information, especially when timing or step-free access is essential.
Return to the Sofia public-transport guide
Plan the rest of your first visit to Sofia
Official details: Metro tickets from 1 January 2026 · Metro timetables.