arrival and departure

Blagoevgrad lies in the southwest of Bulgaria, one hour away from Sofia airport and on the way between Sofia and Greece. Many paths lead to the city: Whether by car, rail or bus – Blagoevgrad couldn’t be easier to reach.

arrival by train

The journey from Sofia to Blagoevgrad takes between appr. 2 and 3 hours, trains depart from Sofia Central Station and arrive in Blagoevgrad:

7.35 am - 9.59 am
10.30 am - 1.20 pm
12.30 pm - 2.40 pm
3.30 pm - 5.48 pm
4.30 pm - 6.30 pm
5.30 pm - 7.58 pm
7.30 pm - 9.45 pm

The departure times from Blagoevgrad to Sofia are:

08.00 am - 10.05 am
10.00 am - 12.45 pm
12.16 pm - 2.25 pm
2.15 pm - 5.02 pm
3.45 pm - 6.05 pm
7.35 pm - 10.10 pm

The price in one direction depends on the train and which class you prefer and is between BGN 6.50 - 10. You can find the current train schedule on the website of the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ).

If you are coming from the south, from the border with Greece, you can take the following direct trains from Kulata to Blagoevgrad:

10.50 am - 12.15 pm
7.55 pm - 9.39 pm

from the train station to the center

You can walk from the railway station to the center of Blagoevgrad in about 15-20 minutes. The most direct way is along Todor Aleksandrov street, which starts from the station and in its upper part, after a little winding after the roundabout, becomes a pedestrian zone and you end up in front of the Courthouse.

We also offer you a more pleasant route along the river here.

Blagoevgrad isn’t a huge city, which means that many different places are easy to reach on foot. For longer distances, public transportation is a good option.

by bus (public transport)

For many, the most preferred way to reach Blagoevgrad is by bus. The bus station in Blagoevgrad is located right next to the railway station, about 10-15 minutes away walking distance from the city center.

Address Blagoevgrad Bus Station: Blvd. St. Dimitar Solunski 23, 2700 Blagoevgrad

Phone Blagoevgrad Bus Station: 073 884 009, 0889808545

sofia

The bus ride in the direction of Sofia - Blagoevgrad takes about 1.5 - 2 hours, depending on the traffic on the way out of Sofia. The departure is from Central Sofia Bus Station, the end point is Blagoevgrad Bus Station (next to the railway station). The bus schedule with the name of the relevant carrier below is valid every day, unless otherwise described in brackets.

6:40 am - 8:40 am (excluding Sundays and holidays) Union Ivkoni
8:10 am - 10:10 am Union Ivkoni
8:30 am - 10:30 am Union Ivkoni
9:45 am - 11:40 am (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) Union Ivkoni
10:30 am - 12:30 pm Union Ivkoni
11:00 am - 12:45 pm Struma 11
11:25 am - 13:30 pm Union Ivkoni
12:00 pm - 2:10 pm (Saturday and Sunday) Union Ivkoni
12:30 pm - 14:10 pm Struma 11
1:20 pm - 3:05 pm Struma 11
2:10 pm - 3:55 pm Struma 11
3:00 pm - 4:45 pm Struma 11
3:30 pm - 5:15 pm Struma 11
4:15 pm - 5:45 pm Struma 11
4:45 pm - Sonja Tours
6:00 pm - 7:45 pm Struma 11
7:00 pm - 8:45 pm Struma 11

If you would like to travel by bus from Blagoevgrad to Sofia, below you will find the schedule with departure times from Blagoevgrad Bus Station (next to the railway station).

6:30 am – 8:15 am | Struma 11
8:10 am – 9:55 am | Struma 11
8:15 am – 10:00 am | Union Ivkoni
9:10 am – 10:55 am | Struma 11
10:10 am – 11:55 am | Struma 11
11:10 am – 12:55 pm | Struma 11
1:00 pm – 2:45 pm | Struma 11
1:20 pm – 3:10 pm | Union Ivkoni
2:00 pm – 3:45 pm | Struma 11
3:00 pm – 4:45 pm | Struma 11
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm | Union Ivkoni
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm | Union Ivkoni
6:13 pm – 7:45 pm | Union Ivkoni
7:10 pm – 8:30 pm | Union Ivkoni

dupnitsa (sapareva banja and rila lakes)

Dupnitsa is a convenient starting point for visiting the Rila Lakes. If you are traveling by public transport, you can take a bus from Dupnitsa to Sapareva Banya (buses depart from Dupnitsa Bus Station every hour on the hour, and more frequently on weekdays). From Sapareva Banya to the lower station of the Rila Lakes chairlift, you can travel during the active season by shuttle van (there is no fixed schedule; the van departs once enough tourists have gathered) or by taxi.

If you are traveling by bus from Dupnitsa to Blagoevgrad (buses depart from Dupnitsa Bus Station), see the schedule below:

6:30 am –
8:10 am –
8:20 am –
10:45 am –
10:55 am – 11:25 am
12:00 pm –
2:00 pm –
3:20 pm –
4:15 pm – 4:45 pm | Struma 11
5:10 pm –

Here is the bus schedule to travel from Blagoevgrad to Dupnitsa. From Dupnitsa, there are buses to Sapareva Banya every hour on the hour (and more frequently on weekdays). To reach the lower station of the chairlift to the Rila Lakes during the tourist season, you can take a shuttle van that departs once enough passengers have gathered, or take a taxi as an alternative.

6:50 am – 7:20 am | Struma 11

rila monastery

From the Rila Monastery to Blagoevgrad, you can travel conveniently by transferring in the town of Rila, where you can catch a bus to the monastery. Buses operate daily.

First, travel from the Rila Monastery to the town of Rila, then continue by bus to Blagoevgrad. See the schedule below:

From Rila Monastery to the town of Rila:

8:20 am – 8:40 am | Rila Express
5:00 pm – 5:20 pm | Rila Express

From the town of Rila to Blagoevgrad:

9:00 am – 9:40 am | Rila Express
5:30 pm – 6:10 pm | Rila Express

You can find more information about the Rila Monastery and day tours in the area here.

You can travel from Blagoevgrad to the Rila Monastery by transferring in the town of Rila. The bus runs daily from the Blagoevgrad Bus Station.

First, take a bus from Blagoevgrad to the town of Rila. See the schedule below:

7:00 am – 7:40 am | Patnicheski Prevozi
11:00 am – 11:40 am

From the town of Rila to the Rila Monastery, buses run daily:

7:40 am – 8:10 am
3:50 pm – 4:30 pm

Can I reach the Rila Monastery by public transport from Sofia?
Yes! Buses run daily from Sofia Central Bus Station to Blagoevgrad (see the schedule above).

bansko

Several bus lines travel daily on the Bansko – Blagoevgrad route. The journey takes just over 1 hour. The starting point is Bansko Bus Station, and tickets are purchased on board the vehicle.

8:20 am | Iboturs
10:30 am | Iboturs
3:00 pm | Struma 11
5:25 pm | Struma 11

If you want to travel from Blagoevgrad to Bansko by public transport, here is the bus schedule:

10:15 am – 11:28 am | Struma 11
10:30 am – 11:42 am | Union Ivkoni
1:00 pm – 2:13 pm | Struma 11
1:20 pm – 2:35 pm | Union Ivkoni
3:50 pm – 4:57 pm | Popov GM

sandanski

Several bus lines run daily from Sandanski to Blagoevgrad. The journey takes about 1 hour. The starting point is Sandanski Bus Station.

7:00 am – 8:15 am | Union Ivkoni
12:00 pm – 1:20 pm | Union Ivkoni
1:00 pm – 2:05 pm | Struma 11
3:00 pm – 4:10 pm | Union Ivkoni
5:00 pm – 6:13 pm | Union Ivkoni

Several buses travel daily from Blagoevgrad to Sandanski:

8:40 am – 9:40 am | Union Ivkoni
10:10 am – 11:20 am | Struma 11
10:20 am – 11:30 am | Union Ivkoni
5:15 pm – 6:25 pm | Union Ivkoni

с кола

If you are coming from the north, for example from Sofia, you will most likely travel to Blagoevgrad via the country’s newest highway, the Struma Motorway, A3. There are three exits for Blagoevgrad on the highway, all located after the second tunnel when coming from Sofia (near Kocherinovo). The fastest route to the city center is the first exit towards Blagoevgrad/Kocherinovo/Rila. The distance from Sofia to Blagoevgrad is about 90 km, or approximately 1 hour by car.

If you are traveling to Blagoevgrad from the south, the distance from the Kulata border crossing with Greece is about 80 km, or around 1 hour by car.

For those coming from the west or from the Republic of North Macedonia, the route passes near the villages of Obel, Logodazh, and Zelen Dol. The distance from the Logodazh border crossing (which may also be labeled as Stanke Lisichkovo) to the center of Blagoevgrad is about 30 km, or 30 minutes by car.