Car Hire in Sofia

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.

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 sights 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

• Small cars - starting at US$19 per day
• Medium cars - starting at US$21 per day
• Station wagons - starting at US$32 per day
• SUVs - starting at US$32 per day
• People Carriers - starting at US$71 per day
• Premium cars - starting at US$56 per day
• Large cars - starting at US$29 per day

Money-saving and other 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.