Sofia taxi service
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria welcomes over 9 million international tourists a year. So, you can imagine how difficult it can be to get around this bustling city using public transport. To avoid the crowds and enjoy exploring this historical place on your own time, we suggest taking a Sofia taxi service. The metered taxis are available 24 hours a day and can whisk you off on a private door-to-door service to anywhere in the city centre and beyond.
Getting a taxi in Sofia couldn’t be easier. You can find them driving around the city streets, by talking to a Sofia taxi rank, calling a phone dispatch taxi, on a mobile application or by pre-booking transfers such as your Sofia Airport taxi ride.
Hand picked & english speaking drivers
Same price as a regular Taxi from the line
Drivers are always on time
24/7 Email & Phone support
How much does a taxi cost?
| Taxi prices | Day time (05:00 - 24:00) | Night time (00:00 - 05:00) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| FROM AIRPORT TO CITY CENTRE | 9 € | 9.25 € | 20 MIN |
| FROM AIRPORT TO SPORT HALL ARENA | 5.20 € | 5.80 € | 15 MIN |
| FROM AIRPORT TO CENTRAL BUS STATION | 9.50 € | 10 € | 25 MIN |
| FROM SOFIA TO VITOSHA | 13 € | 14 € | 30 MIN |
| FROM CENTRAL BUS STATION TO RILA MONESTERY | 50 € | 57 € | 1 HR 50 MIN |
What are the Sofia taxi rates?
Sofia taxi prices are calculated using a taximeter based on two elements: time and distance. This means that the cost of your Sofia taxi will depend on where you’re travelling to and the levels of traffic at that time. There are also two different tariffs when it comes to the taxi price in Sofia: Tariff 1 (daytime 06:00 to 22:00) and Tariiff 2 (nighttime 22:00 to 06:00 and Sundays).
Tariff 1 –
Base fare: €1.26 (BGN 2.47)
Price per km: €0.62 (BGN 1.22)
Tariff 2 –
Base fare: €1.42 (BGN 2.79)
Price per km: €0.72 (BGN 1.41)
Extra Charges:
It’s worth noting that there will be extra charges for things such as keeping your driver waiting for an hour €5.52 (BGN 10.80), travelling during public holidays, passengers over the 4th and using a phone dispatch service €0.40 (BGN 0.90).
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How to get a taxi in Sofia
There are hundreds of taxis available throughout Sofia day and night. There’s not one set taxi company in the city, so the Sofia taxis aren’t a uniform colour or size. However, most do have a large ‘TAXI’ sign on top and the company phone number and logo on the side door and car bonnet. You can easily hail a Sofia taxi in the street, call a phone dispatch Sofia taxi number, use a mobile application, pre-book your rides or walk to a designated taxi rank. The Sofia taxi ranks can be found outside of all the major tourist attractions, at Sofia Airport, Sofia Central Bus Station, Palace of Justice, and Central Railway Station.
How to get a taxi from Sofia Airport
There are official taxi ranks outside of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Sofia Airport. Only one taxi company is partnered with the airport and that’s Sofia Yellow Taxi. You will see the long line of yellow-coloured vehicles as you exit the Arrivals Hall. Before getting in a taxi at the airport, you will need to head to the kiosk in the airport and request a ride. You will then be given a receipt with your name, destination, designated taxi number and license number. This receipt will then be presented to the member of staff at the taxi rank and they will show you to your vehicle.
How to get a taxi from Sofia Central Bus Station
Taxis wait outside of the Sofia Central Bus Station during the operating hours of the trains. There’s no official taxi company for the bus station, so you will see different colours and companies waiting to pick up passengers. All taxis wait on the curb side and will use a taximeter to calculate the cost of your journey.
The top Sofia taxi app options
Although Uber is banned in Bulgaria, there are countless Sofia taxi app options. Almost every Sofia taxi company has their own app, so levels of service can vary drastically between the mobile applications. Having said that, the following are a few of the better-rated Sofia taxi apps, with TaxiMe coming out as the most popular: TaxiMe, Yellow Taxi, TaxiMaxim, Sofia Taxi, Ok Taxi, and Taxistars.
To ensure a 5-star service every time, you can also pre-book your taxi in Sofia with a trusted international company such as Welcome Pickups.
Useful Sofia taxi numbers
To avoid having to download multiple taxi apps, you can use one of the phone dispatch taxi companies. There are many different Sofia taxi numbers available and your hotel will usually be happy to do call their preferred company for you. However, if you feel confident speaking to the Bulgarian dispatch person, you can phone of of the following numbers yourself:
Yellow Taxi Sofia: +359 (291) 119
OK Supertrans: +359 (297) 3 2121
Taxistars: +359 (87) 714 4144
The benefits of pre-booking a Sofia taxi service
As there are many different taxi companies operating in Sofia, the level of service you will receive can vary greatly. There may also be extremely long wait times when using their apps or phone dispatch service.
To avoid this, you can pre-book your taxi in Sofia with a trusted, international company such as Welcome Pickups. They offer on-time pickups, whenever and wherever you want, personalised door-to-door transfers, stellar 24/7 customer service, hand-picked English-speaking drivers and competitive fixed-rate pricing.
Sofia taxi tips
- Before starting your journey, ensure that the taximeter has been turned on and set to the correct tariff and base fare.
- A standard Sofia taxi can take up to 4 passengers.
- Some Sofia taxi drivers take longer routes in order to charge more; it is advised to monitor the ride on a GPS app such as Google Maps.
- Not all Sofia taxi drivers speak English, we recommend pre-booking your rides to ensure an English-speaking driver for your convenience.
- You can sometimes pay for your Sofia taxi by credit card. However, we do recommend checking with your driver beforehand and looking for the Visa or Mastercard logos in the window of the vehicle before beginning your ride.
- It is common to tip your taxi driver in Bulgaria. Adding around 10% to your final fare will be a good amount.
- Sofia taxis don’t offer baby seats as standard but you can bring and fit your own for free.
- Pre-booking your taxi in Sofia will ensure guaranteed on-time pickups, all-inclusive fares, English-speaking drivers and 24/7 customer support.
Wheelchair-accessible taxi in Sofia
Unfortunately, regular Sofia taxis aren’t equipped with the specialised ramps or lifts needed for wheelchair users. However, there is a company that offers wheelchair-accessible vehicles and fully trained drivers 24 hours a day. You can pre-book your transfers with Accessible Taxi Sofia online or by calling them at +359 (8) 845 9 9293.
Sofia taxi safety and complaints
Sofia taxi drivers are usually very friendly and polite. However, as there are so many different companies operating throughout the city, some do have a reputation for overcharging their customers. If this is your case, you can report your driver by filing an official complaint with your hired taxi company. Be sure to note down your driver’s ID number and the taxi number before making a complaint.