Everything about Night Trains in Bulgaria

In this blog, I'll share everything you need to know about the night trains in Bulgaria. I personally took the night train from Sofia, the capital, to Burgas, but you can also travel from Sofia to Varna, and there are even international routes, such as to and from Istanbul, Turkey, and Bucharest, Romania. The train departs around 22:30 and arrives in Burgas the following morning around 6:30. When I spoke to some locals in Sofia the day before my trip and told them I was taking this train, they wished me good luck, saying that the night train in Bulgaria is an absolute nightmare. I thought to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?"

Classes & Tickets

Bulgaria's night trains have no less than 5 different classes (2 in regular seat compartments and 3 in sleeper compartments):

- 2nd Class Seat

This is just a standard 2nd class seat. Nothing special. A one-way ticket from Sofia to Burgas costs around 22 BGN (about €11).

- 1st Class Seat

This is a slightly more spacious 1st class seat. It costs around 27 BGN (about €14).

- 2nd Class Sleeper Compartment

This is a sleeper compartment with 3 beds, so you'll share the space with 2 others. It costs around 34 BGN (about €18).

- 1st Class Sleeper Compartment

This is a sleeper compartment with 2 beds (or actually 3, but the middle one is folded up and not in use). You'll share the space with 1 other person. It costs around 43 BGN (about €22).

- Business Class Sleeper Compartment

This is a sleeper compartment with 1 bed (there are actually 3, but the middle and top ones are folded up and not in use). This means you get your own private compartment. It costs around 52 BGN (about €27).

The sleeper compartments are essentially the same, so the difference between the classes comes down to how many people you share the compartment with. If you want a private compartment, be sure to book at least a week in advance, as these rooms often sell out quickly. There are only about 8 rooms in the sleeper train. I traveled during the off-season and was lucky to get a Business Class compartment.

You can buy tickets at any major train station or through the official BDZ website (БДЖ in Bulgarian): https://bileti.bdz.bg/

Comfort and Hygiene in the Sleeper Compartments

As I mentioned earlier, locals warned me that the sleeper train would be a nightmare. To be honest, I found it to be much better than I expected. However, it’s worth noting that if you book a shared compartment (1st or 2nd class), there can be quite a bit of theft. Your bag is easy to rummage through while you're fast asleep. Additionally, it’s quite noisy due to the banging and sounds of the rails, so definitely bring earplugs. Otherwise, you might not sleep well.

Sleeper Compartments

Okay, if you're used to good hotels, this isn’t exactly what you’d expect. But it was reasonably clean. The mattress feels very thin, but that’s just the outer edge. The bed is fairly narrow and short, but it’s not too uncomfortable. The pillow is a bit basic, but for one short night, I found it acceptable. There’s a mirror, a power outlet, and a sink. However, there’s no toilet in your compartment; it’s located in the hallway and is shared with others. Typically, the toilet is old, smelly, and not very pleasant.

Seats

The seats are fine for shorter trips, but for longer distances, I would definitely recommend booking a sleeper compartment.

All in all, the night train from Sofia to Burgas was a unique experience. Despite the warnings from locals about the "hell" of the night train, it turned out to be much better than expected. Although, I must admit, a nice hotel would have been a bit more comfortable. And oh, one extra tip: make sure to bring some extra snacks and water because amenities are minimal. There’s no dining car, and there’s no coffee machine or anything like that.

Have you ever taken the night train, or would you consider it? Let me know in the comments!

Do you want more information about this article, or do you have any questions about this? Let me know in the comments, and I'll respond as soon as I can!