Car Hire in Sofia
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Cheapest Car Hire Rates
City Centre Car Hire
Mini
Chevrolet Spark
or comparable
£ 2.09
/ per day
Sofia Airport Car Hire
Economy
Skoda Fabia
or comparable
£ 2.69
/ per day
Sofia Airport Car Hire
Compact
Skoda Rapid
or comparable
£ 5.13
/ per day
Sofia Airport Car Hire
Intermediate
Toyota Corolla Sedan
or comparable
£ 5.46
/ per day
Most Popular Car Hire Deals
Sofia Airport Car Hire
Standard SUV
Suzuki Grand Vitara
or comparable
£ 15.65
/ per day
Sofia Airport Car Hire
Intermediate Elite
Citroën C Elysee
or comparable
£ 20.60
/ per day
Sofia Airport Car Hire
Full-size SUV
Toyota C-HR
or comparable
£ 21.22
/ per day
Sofia Airport Car Hire
Premium
BMW 3 Series
or comparable
£ 27.46
/ per day
These prices are approximate and depend on the dates of the booking, hire length and type of car. This information was last updated at 13:05 on 2023-12-04.
Travel Information
Languages
Bulgarian, Macedonian, Turkish, Albanian
Currency
BGN
Drive on
Right-hand side
Dialing code
+359
Average car hire price
£ 13 per day
Average car hire length
9 days
Speed limit within city centre
20 - 50 km/h or 12 - 31 mph
Speed limit out of city centre
90 - 130 km/h or 56 - 81 mph
Acceptable limit of BAC
0.05%
Average gasoline price
£ 1.21 per litre or £ 4.58 / 1 gallon
Lowest gasoline price
£ 1.10 per litre or £ 4.15 / 1 gallon
Highest gasoline price
£ 1.32 per litre or £ 4.98 / 1 gallon
Why hire a car in Sofia?
The first impression of the Bulgarian capital can be as a rather loud and hectic place, but give it a chance and you’ll discover a charming city with plenty of history and atmosphere to enjoy. Better yet, Sofia is also a gateway to a number of stunning nature areas.
One-way Car Hire in Sofia
The most popular one-way car hire options for pick up in Sofia and drop off in another city include:
- From Sofia to Burgas - 747 offers from £ 10.46 per day
- From Sofia to Varna - 386 offers from £ 11.73 per day
- From Sofia to Bucharest - 15 offers from £ 28.69 per day
- From Sofia to Belgrade - 70 offers from £ 31.53 per day
- From Sofia to Skopje - 15 offers from £ 28.69 per day
Top ways to enter Sofia
- Sofia Airport. Serving the capital, Sofia Airport is a hub for both Ryanair and WizzAir, and also has flights by other low-cost companies like easyJet. The airport is about a 20 minute drive east of the city centre.
Top destinations and activities
- St. Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral. The largest Orthodox Christian church in the Balkans, this is arguably the most visited landmark in Sofia. Named after the Grand Prince of Kyiv, an important figure in the history of the faith, the mighty church is only a little more than a 100 years old, but its central location and sheer size make it one of the symbols of the city.
- National Museum of History. Another monumental attraction with more than 650,000 items on display, the National Museum covers all of the Bulgarian history. Many of the most famous exhibits, such as the Valchitran gold treasure of Thracian, date back more than 2,000 years.
- Boyana Church. A World Heritage site, this medieval church is best known for its unique and well-preserved murals. To reduce the human impact on the paintings, visitors are only allowed inside in groups of eight people and for ten minutes, but the experience is very much worth it. Boyana Church is near the waterfall of the same name, as well as the mountain of Vitosha (more on that below).
Traffic and parking
- Sofia experiences high traffic congestion. As a visitor, it’s a good idea to plan your travel around the city outside the main rush hours in the morning and in the evening.
- Outside the main population areas and nature areas of national importance, road signs are often only written in Cyrillic. If you cannot read this alphabet, it’s a good idea to get a dictionary, perhaps in mobile format, to be able to read them.
- Speed cameras are in use.
- Drivers are only allowed to use mobile phones with a hands-free system.
- Proof of insurance and the car’s documentation need to be in the car whenever you’re driving.
- When, you need to have your passport or ID card with you at all times.
- The legal alcohol limit is 0.05% for both experienced and novice drivers. Exceeding the limit can lead to large fines. Driving with blood alcohol content of over 1.2% will lead to imprisonment.
- The emergency number, like elsewhere in the EU, is 112.
Toll roads
For many motorways in Bulgaria, you need to obtain a highway vignette. The price depends on the time period (1 day, weekend, weekly, monthly, etc.) and on the type of car. You can purchase vignettes online as well as at public selling points. Find out more on the official Bulgarian toll road website. Your car may or may not come pre-equipped with the vignette — ask your car hire supplier in advance and also make sure to check the car hire conditions.
You also have to pay for crossing certain bridges and for taking your car on a ferry to cross certain bodies of water. Find out more about the crossing points and the fees on the European toll road website.
Ideas for day trips
- Vitosha. Arguably the day trip to take from Sofia, Vitosha is a mountain, a nature preserve, and a winter sports resort. Located just south of the capital and providing stunning views of it, Vitosha is great for climbing, hiking, or simply being in nature.
- Rila National Park. If Vitosha feels too developed and full of other visitors for your adventure-craving senses, look no further than the Rila National Park. Located a 90-minute drive south of the capital, this national park is centred around seven highland lakes and is full of swift rivers, thick forests, and plenty of wild scenery. Right next door is Rila Monastery, one of the most notable complexes of its kind in the country.
Most popular cars
The most hired car in Sofia is the Toyota Aygo, followed by the Suzuki Celerio and the Kia Picanto. The most popular car hire types are mini, economy, and compact.
Car Hire Prices in Sofia
- Station wagons - starting at £ 4 per day
- Large cars - starting at £ 4 per day
- Medium cars - starting at £ 5 per day
- People Carriers - starting at £ 8 per day
- Premium cars - starting at £ 27 per day
- Small cars - starting at £ 2 per day
- SUVs - starting at £ 6 per day
Money-saving tips
These are some good methods to save money on your car:
- Compare rates of different car providers
- Book your car well in advance
- Plan your route before you go
- Know your fuel and mileage requirements
- Visit in the month when the car hire prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting Sofia is the cheapest in March when renting a car is about 40% cheaper than the yearly average and 56% cheaper than renting a car in August.
Top 4 Cities near Sofia
-
126.1 km / 78.4 miles away
-
Burgas Car Hire starting at £ 3.13 per day336.4 km / 209.0 miles away
-
Sunny Beach Car Hire starting at £ 11.61 per day351.5 km / 218.4 miles away
-
Varna Car Hire starting at £ 2.58 per day364.4 km / 226.4 miles away
Top 4 Destinations around Sofia
-
Sofia Airport Car Hire starting at £ 2.21 per day
-
Burgas Airport Car Hire starting at £ 3.13 per day336.4 km / 209.0 miles away
-
351.6 km / 218.5 miles away
-
Varna Airport Car Hire starting at £ 2.58 per day364.4 km / 226.4 miles away
Map of Car Hire Destinations
In which month is car hire in Sofia the most affordable?
According to our data, prices for hiring a car in Sofia fluctuate depending on the time of year. This graph displays the average hire prices in each month in order to help you find the best bargain.
Average price for hiring a car per day in Sofia
The best month to hire a car in Sofia is November (when the average price is £ 8.76 per day). This is 52% less than the yearly average and 75% less than hiring in July (when the average price is £ 34.98).
This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for and how much in advance you book. Simply type in your dates in the form at the top of the page in order to find out the exact prices.
This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for and how much in advance you book. Simply type in your dates in the form at the top of the page in order to find out the exact prices.
What is the usual period for which people keep their hire cars, on average, in Sofia?
Car hire lengths vary by month: in July, average hirers keep their car for 11, and in July, for 7 days.
Average number of hire days in Sofia
What is the most favoured month for hiring a car in Sofia?
Given the number of searches made by our customers, the most popular month for car hire in Sofia is July, and the least popular is November.
Popularity of Car Hire in Sofia by Monthly Searches
Car Hire Information
| Car hire locations | 6 |
| Airport locations | 1 |
| Popular suppliers | Top Rent A Car, CarRent, Low Cost Cars, Fly Rent A Car, GreenMotion |
| Popular car categories | Small cars, Medium cars, SUVs, People Carriers |
| Lowest price | £ 2 per day |
| Cheapest supplier | Yes Rent A Car |
Most Popular Car Hire Models
| Hire Agency | Model | Doors | Luggage | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Rent A Car | Citroen C3 | 5 | 1 | Small cars |
| Top Rent A Car | Hyundai i20 | 5 | 1 | Small cars |
| Low Cost Cars | Dacia Sandero | 5 | 1 | Small cars |
| Fly Rent A Car | Volkswagen Polo | 5 | 2 | Small cars |
| Low Cost Cars | Renault Clio Grandtour | 5 | 2 | Station wagons |
| Autounion | Peugeot 208 | 5 | 1 | Small cars |
| Top Rent A Car | Renault Clio | 5 | 1 | Small cars |
| Fly Rent A Car | Volkswagen Golf | 5 | 3 | Medium cars |
| Top Rent A Car | Opel Mokka | 5 | 2 | SUVs |
| Autounion | Volkswagen Up | 5 | 2 | Small cars |
Our Customers' Reviews
Because we want to make sure each review listed here is left by a real customer, we don’t have an option to post a review here. Instead, we ask each and every customer to leave a review after they return their rental car. This way, you know that all reviews are authentic, verified, and trustworthy.
VS
United Kingdom
Opel Astra
11 October 2023
Beautiful historic country
CL
United Kingdom
Dacia Sandero
16 February 2023
Skiing, catching up with friends. Ability to have freedom that comes from having a car rather than taxis
AW
United Kingdom
Peugeot 5008 5+2
28 October 2022
Bulgaria is a very scenic and picturesque place to visit and not expensive
CW
United Kingdom
Hyundai i10
15 September 2022
Bourgas great.Rila mountains fantastic.we loved every minute.
JW
United Kingdom
Renault Megane Grandtour
23 March 2022
Bulgaria is fabulous to explore and easy to navigate.
FO
United Kingdom
Renault Clio Grandtour
18 March 2022
Went to the 7 lakes and Rila Monastry. I wish I had more time/days to spend in Bulgaria
Car Hire Statistics
Highest rated company
Lucky Rent A Car
9.7 / 10
Lowest rated company
NUCarrentals
6.6 / 10
Total number of reviews
76
Total rental companies
27
Average daily price
£ 12.54
Lowest daily price
£ 2.09
Total cars available
810
Top 27 Hire Companies in Sofia in 2023
Lucky Rent A Car
2 locations
£ 17 - £ 122
Top Rent A Car
4 locations
£ 4 - £ 84
Lion Rent A Car
2 locations
£ 15 - £ 60
Green Rent A Car
2 locations
£ 6 - £ 26
Thrifty
2 locations
£ 14 - £ 18
Hertz
2 locations
£ 17 - £ 35
Autounion
2 locations
£ 9 - £ 154
Alamo
1 location
£ 10 - £ 16
SIXT
3 locations
£ 13 - £ 66
CarRent
1 location
£ 19 - £ 94
Budget
1 location
£ 15 - £ 19
Sky Rent A Car
2 locations
Dives Rent a car
2 locations
£ 27 - £ 70
Enterprise
1 location
£ 11 - £ 17
Low Cost Cars
4 locations
£ 4 - £ 20
Europcar
3 locations
£ 22 - £ 118
Avis
1 location
£ 22 - £ 49
National
1 location
£ 13 - £ 90
Interrent
1 location
EXER
1 location
£ 11 - £ 107
ABBYCAR
2 locations
£ 27 - £ 145
GreenMotion
2 locations
£ 3 - £ 228
Yes Rent A Car
2 locations
£ 2 - £ 111
Surprice
1 location
£ 4 - £ 62
AddCar
1 location
£ 14 - £ 27
EasyRentBulgaria
1 location
£ 12 - £ 363
NUCarrentals
1 location
Why book with us?
Special offers
As a market leader (see SimilarWeb), we get special offers like contactless pick-ups, great prices, and free upgrades.
Award-winning
World's Leading Car Rental Booking Website in the World Travel Tech Awards (3 years in a row).
Highly-rated
A combined rating of 4.5 with 90k total reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, Google, and Review Center.
4M users
Have already booked on one of the fastest-growing car rental booking websites.
Awards
World Travel Tech Awards - World's Best Car Rental Booking Website 2022
World Travel Tech Awards - World's Best Car Rental Booking App 2022
Magellan Awards Gold Winner 2022
Travel & Hospitality Awards 2021
FT 1000: Europes Fastest Growing Companies - Top 300 Companies 2021
FT 1000: Europe's Fastest Growing Companies - Top 100 Companies 2020
Uzakrota Travel Awards - World’s Leading Car Rental Website 2022
Inc. 5000 Europe - Top 500 Companies 2019
Our clients highly recommend us
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