Editing Sofia (section)

=== Popular Destinations ===
==== [[Istanbul]] ====
There is one train leaving Sofia at 19h, but it takes 13 hours. Buses are much faster and more flexible. Bus ticket is between 40 and 50lv for a oneway trip, 75-95lv for a round trip.

Bus Companies serving Istanbul:
* Metro Plus [https://metrotransport.bg/] Going at 09:00, 12:00,17.00, 20:30, 23:00 from Central Bus Station
* Has Turizm [http://www.hasturizm.com.tr/bulgaristan.asp] Going at 10:30, 22:30 from Bus Station Serdika (You can buy Tickets from Air Kona Office]

* Alpar Turizm [http://www.alparturizm.com/] Going at 22:30? from Serdika Bus Station (Buy Tickets from MATPU-96 Office, they also have the exact timetable)
* Materik Going at 9:00, 21:00 from Central Bus Station

More Companies see [http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Transport/bus_ist_sofia.html Turkey Travel Planner]

==== [[Wien]] ====
Possibilities i tried:
* By Bus with [http://www.airkona.com/ Air Kona]. The Bus goes daily from Vienna-VIB/Erdberg to Sofia "[http://www.trafficmarket.bg/en/index.php Trafik Market]" (The old bus stations between the rail station and the new bus station). The tickets can be bought via [http://www.eurolines.at/ Eurolines.at] or at the Air Konu office at Trafik Market (Attention Eurolines.bg is a different company, of which i have heard not so good reviews). 
A two-way ticket is 98EUR/190lv, a one-way ticket is 61EUR/120lv.
*If you for some reasons can't take the Air Konu bus, there is the [http://union-ivkoni.com/ Union Ivkoni] Bus. It starts daily in the Netherlands and goes via various german cities to Vienna. It arrives in Vienna at around 4.00am at the touris bus stop "Belvedere" at Landstrasser Guertel on the opposite site of Südbahnhof. One way ticket is 56EUR and in my case included a free lunch sandvich at a serbian restaurant (huge white bread with lots of hot, fat, spicy meat).</li>
* Bulgaria Air. The flight goes to and from the new Airport in Sofia (Terminal 2). The included food is very basic, but you can get bulgarian wine if you like it. When i was there the bus stop at Terminal 2 was not where the signs say but in front of the entrance.

Possibilities i have not tried:
* Train. It is slower than the bus, 20hour versus approx 13hours.