Do you want to travel from Poland to Bulgaria by train? You need to know that the journey might be a bit tricky, especially if you’re planning on taking a train. There are no direct trains between Poland and Bulgaria, and due to the construction of a new railway line and additional works, it’s quite complicated to get to Bulgaria by Train. I am convinced that it’s much better to choose a flight conection instead. However, if you still want to hop in the train, here you have how to to do it.
Of course, some information can become outdated, so if you need the latest details on discounts or traffic difficulties, it’s best to ask directly from the carrier or check out some travel groups.
A Train Journey from Poland to Bulgaria (Sofia) – The Itinerary
I advise against traveling by train to Bulgaria, but if you really have no choice, you can take a journey with changes in Budapest and Bucharest. Be prepared, though: this will make the trip very long and inconvenient. However, some people really enjoy this type of adventure.
- You may also like to read: A Guide to Poland’s Rail Network – Map, Routes and Train Tickets
Stage 1 – Boarding the Train to Budapest
Both day and night trains run from Poland to Budapest. These trains often have wagons going in different directions, which is why it can be a bit confusing to navigate the timetable. You can get directly to Budapest from cities like Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, Przemyśl, or Terespol. PKP Intercity offers Super Promo International tickets, and the surcharges for couchettes and sleeping cars are at a decent level.
Here are the prices for the cheapest SuperPromo International tickets:
- Warsaw – Budapest – EUR 19.90 (2nd class); EUR 29.90 (1st class)
- Krakow – Budapest – EUR 14.90 (2nd class); €24.90 (1st class)
Remember that these promotional tickets are personal, non-refundable, and sold for a specific train. Once the pool of the cheapest promotional tickets is exhausted, tickets from the second price level, which are more expensive by 5 euro, appear on sale. Then the next price level, and so on. So, if you want to save some cash, buy your tickets as early as possible.
You can find tickets at www.intercity.pl and jegy.mav.hu.
Stage 2 – The Journey from Budapest to Bucharest
So you’ve made it to Budapest, and now it’s time to continue to Bucharest. Both day and night trains are available, but I can tell you that the travel time is quite long. The cheapest tickets for this leg of the journey cost EUR 26.30. If you’re taking a night train, it’s worth paying a bit extra for a couchette car (approx. EUR 15-20) or a sleeping car (approx. EUR 25 for a seat in a 3-seater compartment).
Buying a ticket for the Budapest-Bucharest route a month in advance will cost you between 26 and 36 euros, depending on the train. You can find tickets at jegy.mav.hu.
Another option is to travel by train from Budapest to Timisoara (promotional ticket prices start from EUR 13.10) and then catch a night train to Bucharest. On the Timisoara-Bucharest route, night trains are operated by two carriers: CFR Calatori and AstraTransCarpathic.
You can purchase tickets for CFR Calatori trains on their website.
For information about AstraTransCarpathic trains, check out their website at www.astratranscarpatic.ro.
Stage 3 – Catching the Train from Bucharest to Sofia
Once you’ve reached Bucharest, there’s a daily direct train to Sofia. The train departs Bucharest a few minutes before eleven and arrives in Sofia after a 10-hour journey.
This train is composed of ordinary cars with seats, and I personally don’t recommend traveling on it, especially during hot weather.
A one-way ticket will set you back 48.5 BGN, which is about PLN 116. If you want to reserve a seat, it’ll cost you an additional PLN 5.
You can buy tickets at Romanian international ticket offices or try to purchase them from the Romanian Railways International Ticket Shop. However, I can’t guarantee that the website will work properly.
For more information about the Bucharest-Sofia train, visit the Bulgarian Railways website.
Alternative Travel Options
If you’re an adventure lover or have plenty of time, there’s also the option to travel over the Danube 2 bridge. To do this, take a train to the Craiova station and then switch to the Craiova-Vidin pasenger train, which runs once a day. From Vidin station, you can get to Sofia, but connections have been quite limited in recent years.
For more information, check out the Bulgarian Railways website.
A Look Back -Train Travel to Bulgaria in the Past
In the past, getting to Bulgaria by train was much easier. There were direct holiday coaches from Krakow to Burgas or Varna, and in recent years, also from Budapest to Burgas or Varna.
Just a dozen or so years ago, you could easily travel from Budapest to Belgrade by train and then catch a day or night train to Sofia.
At one time, the Budapest-Sofia train passed through Vidin, but the extremely long travel time made it an unpopular option, and it was quickly discontinued.
References:
- https://www.bdz.bg/en/a/sofia-vidin-craiova-vidin-sofia
- https://www.bdz.bg/en/a/sofia-bucuresti-sofia
- https://bileteinternationale.cfrcalatori.ro/en/
- https://jegy.mav.hu/
