Sofia to Nesebar by Bus, Train, Plane or Car: Times and Costs

There are four realistic ways to get from Sofia to Nesebar: a direct bus, the train to Burgas followed by a bus, a flight to Burgas, or your own car on the Trakia motorway. Below are the timetables, fares and journey times for each, checked on the operators' official websites as of October 2026, and where to check the current figures.

At a glance:

Direct bus Sofia – Nesebar: 4 departures a day from Sofia Central Bus Station, from 6 h 53 min to 8 h 2 min, about €22 (as of October 2026).
Train Sofia – Burgas: the fastest direct train takes 5 h 49 min, with a standard second-class ticket from €11.71 (as of October 2026). The railway ends in Burgas, so you finish the trip by bus.
Flight Sofia – Burgas: Bulgaria Air has announced winter flights three times a week, from €78 one way.
Car: the Trakia motorway (A1) is 360 km long; you need an e-vignette, and a weekly one costs €10 since 1 August 2026.

By direct bus: the simplest option

Buses leave Sofia Central Bus Station (100 Knyaginya Maria Luiza Blvd) and stop in Nesebar after passing through Burgas. According to the station's timetable as of October 2026, all of them run daily, and the carrier named on the station's site is Union Ivkoni.

Leaves Sofia	Arrives in Nesebar (approx.)	Fare to Nesebar
08:00	14:53	€22.00
11:00	19:02	€21.90
17:00	00:15	€21.90
23:30	06:45	€22.00

The 08:00 and 17:00 buses continue to Sunny Beach, the 11:00 and 23:30 ones to Sveti Vlas. The station stresses that arrival times are approximate and based on the approved route timetables.

For families: on intercity routes in Bulgaria, tickets for children under 14 are issued only on presentation of the child's birth certificate and cannot be bought online. Bring the document and buy the child's ticket at the ticket office.

Check current times and fares in the "Заминаващи автобуси" (departing buses) search on the station's website, choosing your travel date.

By train to Burgas: which trains and what they cost

The train does not reach Nesebar: the line ends in Burgas. BDZ, the state railway, lists several direct fast trains from Sofia to Burgas for Tuesday 27 October 2026:

Train	Departs	Arrives in Burgas	Time
BV 3621	06:10	11:59	5 h 49 min
BV 8611	06:30	13:12	6 h 42 min
BV 8613	12:55	20:00	7 h 5 min
BV 3623	13:15	19:22	6 h 7 min
BV 3625	16:45	22:40	5 h 55 min
BV 8627 (night train with sleeping car)	22:50	05:49	6 h 59 min

There are also journeys with a change (for example via Karnobat) that take 7 h 40 min or longer. All the fast trains above require a seat reservation or have cars that do.

Fares as of October 2026

BDZ fares are dynamic and depend on the day, the time and the train. For the date above the BDZ site shows:

BV 3621 (418 km): standard second-class ticket €11.71, child aged 7–10 €5.86, seat reservation €0.51.
BV 8627 (450 km): second class €12.53, first class €15.70, seat reservation €0.51; a berth costs extra, €7.67 in second and €10.23 in first class.

You can see the exact fare for your day in the BDZ timetable (the "Цени" button next to each train), when buying online in the BDZ ticketing system, or at a ticket office. The BDZ information centre is on 02 931 11 11.

The night train saves a night's accommodation: you leave at 22:50 and reach Burgas early in the morning.

From Burgas to Nesebar by bus

Buses to Nesebar and Sunny Beach leave from Burgas's Yug (South) bus station, sector 3. According to the timetable published by Burgasbus (read in October 2026), there are two routes:

via Sarafovo, Pomorie, Aheloy and Ravda to the Old Town of Nesebar and Sunny Beach, daily, first departure 06:10, last 22:05 (the 20:20 runs on weekdays only);
via Kableshkovo and Aheloy to the New Town of Nesebar and Sunny Beach, daily, from 06:20 to 21:20.

Together the two routes give a bus throughout the day, usually every 20–40 minutes. If you arrive on the 11:59 train, the next buses from Yug bus station are at 12:10 and 12:30. Allow time to get from the railway station to the bus station.

Nesebar is about 35 km from Burgas. Note that the "Old Town" is the historic peninsula; the "New Town" is the modern part on the mainland. Burgasbus warns that timetables of lines using Yug bus station may change, so check its website or the traffic controller's line, 056/842692, before you travel.

For more on moving along the coast see Getting Around the Bulgarian Coast Without a Car, and for Burgas itself Burgas: The Airport City and Day-Trip Base.

By plane to Burgas

Bulgaria Air says it will fly between Sofia and Burgas throughout the 2026/2027 winter season. According to the airline's announcement, the first flight of the winter schedule is on 1 November, with three flights a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, operated with Airbus A220-100 aircraft. Economy fares start from €78 one way.

If you fly, add the trip to Sofia Airport, check-in and the transfer from Burgas Airport to Nesebar. For the airport transfer options, with prices, see Getting to Nesebar from Burgas Airport: Every Option, Priced.

By car on the Trakia motorway

The Trakia motorway (A1) links Sofia with Burgas and is 360 km long. It passes Ihtiman, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Chirpan, Stara Zagora, Nova Zagora, Yambol and Karnobat. The Balgarovo exit (km 352) is also signed for Sunny Beach, and the motorway ends at Burgas West (km 360). From Burgas it is about 35 km north along the coast road to Nesebar.

The motorway and the rest of the national road network require an e-vignette. Since 1 August 2026 the prices for cars are:

Vignette	Price
One day	€5.30
Weekend	€6.60
Weekly	€10
Monthly	€19.90
Quarterly	€35.90
Annual	€64.50

You buy it on bgtoll.bg, in the BGTOLL mobile app, or at a counter or self-service terminal. Nothing is stuck on the windscreen and you do not need to carry proof of purchase. Online, you can buy it up to 30 days before it starts. If you are driving from abroad, see also Driving to Nesebar from Abroad: Borders, the E-Vignette and What the Route Actually Costs in 2026.

Which option to choose

Travelling alone, light luggage, no rush: the direct bus is easiest, with no change and a fare of about €22.
More comfort for less money: the train to Burgas costs about €12 in second class, but you change to a bus for Nesebar.
Saving a night's accommodation: the night train or the 23:30 bus gets you to the coast early in the morning.
Travelling on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday and preferring to fly: the flight to Burgas, if the fare suits you.
Family or group: by car the vignette and fuel are shared, and you stop when you like.

What to check the day before you travel

Your train's timetable on the day itself: BDZ warns that engineering works on the network can change timetables.
Bus times from Yug bus station in Burgas, if you are changing there.
A valid e-vignette for the car: check it with the registration number on bgtoll.bg.
A birth certificate for children under 14 if you are taking the bus.

If you are arriving in summer, see also Public Transport Around Nesebar — Buses, Taxis, and Getting Around.

Sources

Sofia – Burgas train timetable — BDZ Passenger Services (read 23 October 2026)
Departing buses Sofia – Nesebar — Sofia Central Bus Station (read 23 October 2026)
Burgas – Nesebar – Sunny Beach timetable — Burgasbus (read 23 October 2026)
Yug bus station — Burgasbus (read 23 October 2026)
Bulgaria Air will fly between Sofia and Burgas in winter too — Bulgaria Air (read 23 October 2026)
Vignette prices change from 1 August — BG TOLL, Road Infrastructure Agency (read 23 October 2026)
E-vignette — BG TOLL, Road Infrastructure Agency (read 23 October 2026)
Trakia motorway — Bulgarian Wikipedia (read 23 October 2026)
Nesebar — Bulgarian Wikipedia (read 23 October 2026)