Lost in Plovdiv

In one of our previous articles about the options for traveling to the capital and back, we discussed in detail all the ways you can do it if you don’t have your own car.

Probably one of the most preferred options of these is bus transport — partly because the trip is relatively fast, and also because there are quite a few buses starting early in the morning.

At the moment, however, the Plovdiv–Sofia line is operated without a long-term contract and without guarantees.

Three companies operate on this route. "Karat-C" departs from the Central Railway Station and runs the afternoon services, while "Meritrans 2002" serves the morning hours from the "South" station. Meanwhile, "Union Ivkoni" offers routes from the North Bus Station — a more convenient location near the highway exit — including direct buses to Terminal 1 of Sofia Airport.

For the morning buses, the only way to reserve a seat is through the Viber mobile app at the number 0894 000 003. You need to provide the date and time of traveling, and you must receive a reply saying: “Reserved!”

Important: reservations must be made one day in advance, not on the day of travel. Tickets are purchased on-site and paid in cash only (15 leva).

Schedule: 06:30, 07:30, 08:15, 09:00, 10:30, and 12:30.

The afternoon services of Karat-C can be reserved online via the company’s website. The price is 15.95 leva. Departure times from Central Railway Station are: 13:00 (1 pm.), 15:10( 3:10 pm), 17:00( 5 pm), 18:00( 6 pm), and 19:00( 7 pm).

For passengers from the northern part of the city, the Union Ivkoni route is more convenient, with its starting point at North Bus Station. Here you can choose from 4 departure times: two options at 10:25 (one of them going directly to Terminal 1 at Vasil Levski Airport), then 17:30 ( 5:30 pm) , and the last one at 21:10 (9:10 pm). The price is about 15 leva and tickets can be reserved via the company’s website.

For the last two bus operators, you can also reserve your travel date and time through the Obilet platform, where the price is 1–2 leva higher. The platform also offers trips with some tourism companies, but at a significantly higher price.