Bulgaria operates four international airports receiving scheduled commercial service. Sofia Airport, officially named Sofia Vassil Levski Airport, handles approximately 7.1 million passengers annually and sits 10 kilometers east of the capital center. Varna Airport serves the northern Black Sea coast and processes roughly 1.8 million passengers each year, positioned 8 kilometers northwest of Varna city. Burgas Airport accommodates the southern coastal region with approximately 2.9 million annual passengers, located 10 kilometers northeast of Burgas center. Plovdiv Airport remains the smallest international gateway, handling fewer than 100,000 passengers yearly, situated 12 kilometers southeast of Plovdiv. Charter traffic concentrates heavily at Varna and Burgas during May through September, while Sofia maintains year-round scheduled service from European hubs. Ruse formerly operated limited international flights but currently serves domestic and charter operations only.
Sofia Airport divides into Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, separated by approximately 1 kilometer. Terminal 2 handles most European and intercontinental flights after opening in 2006, while Terminal 1 primarily accommodates low-cost carriers and some charter operations. The terminals share no airside connection; transferring between them requires exiting into the public landside area. Passport control at Terminal 2 typically operates 12 to 18 booths depending on arrival wave timing, with queues ranging from 10 minutes during off-peak hours to 45 minutes when multiple wide-body arrivals coincide. Bulgaria joined the European Union on January 1, 2007, but remains outside the Schengen Area as of 2025, meaning all arriving passengers including those from EU countries pass through passport control. Baggage claim areas at Terminal 2 contain four carousels; belts typically begin moving 15 to 25 minutes after aircraft parking. Terminal 1 operates two smaller carousels with similar timing.
Currency exchange counters at Sofia Airport Terminal 2 operate in both the arrivals hall and departures area, typically offering rates 8 to 12 percent below mid-market for major currencies. The Bulgarian lev has maintained a fixed exchange rate against the euro at 1.95583 leva per euro since the currency board arrangement began on July 1, 1997. ATMs from multiple Bulgarian banks line the arrivals corridor immediately after customs exit, generally charging foreign cardholders 5 to 10 leva withdrawal fees in addition to home bank charges. Eurobank, First Investment Bank, and UniCredit Bulbank machines appear most frequently across all terminals. Credit cards see wide acceptance in Sofia and major cities, but cash remains necessary for public transport, small shops, and most taxis. The lev subdivides into 100 stotinki, with coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 stotinki plus 1 lev, and banknotes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 leva in circulation.
Sofia Airport Metro station opened on April 2, 2015, as the terminus of Line M2. The station sits directly beneath Terminal 2, accessed via escalators and elevators from the arrivals level. Trains depart every 8 to 10 minutes during weekday peak hours and every 12 to 15 minutes during off-peak and weekends, operating from approximately 5:00 AM to midnight. Journey time to Sofia University station in the city center runs approximately 18 minutes. Single journey tickets cost 1.60 leva when purchased from the automated machines in the station, which accept coins and banknotes up to 10 leva. The machines offer interface languages including English, Bulgarian, Russian, and German. Day passes cost 4 leva and allow unlimited travel on metro, trams, and buses within Sofia until midnight of purchase day. Tickets require validation at the yellow machines before descending to platforms; inspectors conduct random checks with fines of 40 leva for fare evasion. Metro connections at Serdica station in the city center link to Line M1, providing access to the central railway station and the Vitosha Boulevard shopping district.
Public bus route 384 connects Sofia Airport Terminal 2 to the city, terminating at the main railway station area. The service operates from approximately 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM with departures every 20 to 30 minutes depending on time of day. Journey duration typically ranges from 35 to 50 minutes depending on traffic conditions, as the route follows surface streets through several residential districts. Tickets cost the same 1.60 leva as metro journeys and must be purchased before boarding from ticket kiosks near the terminal exit or occasionally from the driver for 2 leva. Luggage larger than cabin baggage size officially requires an additional ticket purchase, though enforcement of this regulation varies. Bus 84 provides a similar route with slightly different stops during daytime hours only. Both routes experience significant crowding during morning and evening peak hours, making luggage management difficult.
Official airport taxi service operates from designated ranks outside all terminals at Sofia Airport. The municipality of Sofia regulates maximum rates at 1.10 leva per kilometer during daytime hours and 1.20 leva per kilometer between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, with an initial flagfall of 0.70 leva. Journey to central Sofia typically covers 12 to 15 kilometers depending on destination, resulting in fares of 15 to 20 leva under normal traffic conditions. The airport authority maintains a list of authorized taxi companies displayed at the ranks, including OK Supertrans, Yellow Taxi, and Green Taxi. Drivers must provide printed receipts showing the company name, vehicle registration, fare calculation, and driver identification number. Unauthorized taxis operating from the arrivals area typically charge two to five times the regulated rate; airport security attempts to restrict these operators to the short-term parking area, but enforcement remains incomplete. Ride-hailing applications including Uber, Bolt, and Yandex Taxi operate legally in Sofia as of 2024, often offering lower fares than official taxis due to promotional pricing, with pickup from designated zones in the short-term parking structure.
Varna Airport serves the northern Black Sea coast with significantly higher summer traffic than winter. The terminal underwent expansion completed in 2018, increasing capacity to approximately 3 million annual passengers. Bus route 409 connects the airport to Varna city center, operating every 20 to 40 minutes during summer months and less frequently in winter, with journey time of approximately 25 minutes and fares matching Sofia's urban transport rates. The service terminates near the cathedral in central Varna, within walking distance of major hotels and the seaside garden area. Taxis from Varna Airport to the city center typically cost 12 to 18 leva, while transfers to Golden Sands resort area 20 kilometers north run 30 to 45 leva. Summer charter arrivals create substantial taxi queues; advance booking through hotel reception often provides better pricing than airport ranks. Car rental companies including Sixt, Hertz, Budget, and local operator Top Rent A Car maintain desks in the arrivals hall, with vehicles parked in the adjacent lot.
Burgas Airport experiences similar seasonal variation, with July and August accounting for approximately 40 percent of annual traffic. The terminal received renovation and expansion in 2013. Bus route 15 operates between the airport and Burgas city center roughly every 30 minutes during peak season, taking 20 to 25 minutes for the 10-kilometer journey with fares of 1.60 leva. The route serves several points in the city including the railway station and Sea Garden area. Taxis to central Burgas cost 15 to 22 leva typically, while transfers to Sunny Beach resort 30 kilometers north run 50 to 70 leva, and to Sozopol 25 kilometers south cost 40 to 55 leva. Both Varna and Burgas airports see significant price inflation during peak summer season; meters in authorized taxis should display the current rate, which municipalities review annually. Private transfer services bookable online often provide fixed pricing that undercuts airport taxi ranks for resort destinations.
Plovdiv Airport maintains limited international service primarily consisting of seasonal charter flights. The airport sits approximately 12 kilometers southeast of Plovdiv city center with no dedicated public transport connection as of 2024. Taxis charge 15 to 25 leva for the journey to central Plovdiv depending on exact destination. Most international visitors arriving to Plovdiv use Sofia Airport and continue by bus or train; the Sofia-Plovdiv bus journey takes approximately 2 hours on the Trakiya motorway, while trains require 2.5 to 4 hours depending on service type.