How to arrive

One possible way to get to Veliko Tarnovo is flying to either Sofia or Varna and then taking a bus or a train.

Some low cost airlines flying from/to Bulgaria are Wizz Air, EasyJet and GermanWings.

Afterwards, if you want to take a bus from Sofia you can check the time tables on the website of the Sofia Central Bus Station (to change the language of their website use the drop-down list on the upper right corner named "Език").

The direction of most of these buses is actually Varna and they are just passing through Veliko Tarnovo. The ride takes approximately 3 hours and the one-way ticket costs 18 levas (9 euros). If you need a bus from Varna you can check the departure hours here. It is approximately  a 3-hours ride again.

In case you choose the train you can find the timetables on the website of the Bulgarian National Railroad company. You can search the national routes here.
Keep in mind that no matter whether you are coming from Sofia or Varna your destination railroad station should be Gorna Orjahovica (you can check the map of the Bulgarian Railroad Network here). This is a small town nearby Veliko Tarnovo. Once you are there you could take a minibus or a taxi.

If you travel from Sofia to Gorna Orjahovica by train the journey would take approximately 4 hours and from Varna it would be approximately 3 hours and a half. The prices differ depending on the type of the train, the class of the seat and the day of the week. For example, a 2nd class seat in a fast train from Sofia to Gorna Orhahovica in the middle of the week costs 13 levas (7 euro)

Buses and trains are another easy way to get to Bulgaria. There are frequent services from the nearby countries. You can find the timetables of the international trains here.

If you are coming from Turkey, you might also consider the Metro Travel buses, and if you are coming from Romania you might consider taking a bus Bucharest–Ruse and then another one Ruse–Veliko Tarnovo.

There is another option if you prefer to travel by plane. You can fly to Bucharest in Romania and then take a train/bus to Ruse. When you get to Ruse, you have to catch another train/bus to Veliko Tarnovo, and again keep in mind that you have to change trains in Gorna Oryahovitza.

If you want to come by car there are numerous roads you can take. Just consider buying a vignette (or “Vinetka” in bulgarian). They are sold in almost every gas station. You’d better buy a vignette for one week. More information on vignettes can be found here.

Remember, that we will try to organize a bus to Veliko Tarnovo for everyone who will land in Sofia. We will inform you as soon as we have more information.

Stay tuned!

Have a nice trip!