Visas
A valid passport/ID is required to travel to Bulgaria. Citizens of some non-EU countries need a visa. Please check online
at http://www.mfa.bg/en/.
Arrival by Air
Sofia Airport ( https://www.sofia-airport.bg/en/passengers) is located 9 km
east of the city centre. It has two terminals: T1 and T2. All international flights are operated by T2.
How to reach your hotel from the airport
- By Taxi
We recommend you use a taxi service with legitimate company details (for example 'OK' taxi, '91119' taxi, '9-12-80' taxi). Taxi fare from the airport to the
recommended hotels should be approximately 20 BGN. The easiest and best way is to hire a taxi from the office of 'OK' taxi at the airport in the Arrivals hall.
- By public transport
Public transportation in Sofia comprises metro, buses, trams, microbuses and trolley buses which run from 05.00 to 23.00. You can plane your trip from the
Sofia transportation site: https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/common.
• Metro (recommended)
Sofia Metro Line 1 connects Sofia Airport to the city centre. One metro ticket costs 1,6 BGN = 0,80 €. If you use the metro, you can buy ticket with magnet
stripe at the kiosk at the entrance of the metro station. Metro station is placed in front of T2 terminal. Please validate your ticket before entering the metro
station. Metro tickets are not valid for buses/trolley buses. You have to go out at Metro Station G. M. Dimitrov. The conference venue (Vitosha Park Hotel) is
at walking distance of about 1 km (see the map).
• Bus
The ticket for buses/trolley buses can be purchased for 1,6 BGN = 0,80 € at each kiosk or directly on the bus/trolleybus. A single ticket is valid for one
journey. Please validate (perforate) your ticket on the bus. You can also buy 10-ticket-packages for 10 journeys (12 BGN). Bus line 84 stops in front of the
Arrivals hall. The bus goes from the airport to downtown.
About Sofia
Sofia is Bulgaria's capital and largest city. Touring information can be found here:
https://sofia.bg/en/web/sofia-municipality.
Electricity
The voltage in Bulgaria is EU standard of 220 V, 50 Hz with two pin plugs. Please ensure that you have the proper adapters for your appliances.
ElectricityWeather and climate
Bulgarian's climate goes from continental to Mediterranean along the Black Sea cost. It is mostly temperate, with cold damp winters (average temperature 0°C) and hot dry
summers (average temperature 23° C). The weather at the end of October is usually with low average rainfall and average temperatures of 6°-10° C.
Time – GMT +2
Currency
Bulgaria officially uses the BGN (Lev). Abbreviation: BGN. Pronunciation: 'Lev'. 1 BGN (Lev) is divided into 100 stotinky. Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 stotinky 1BGN; Banknotes:
2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 BGN.
Current exchange: 1 € = 1,955792 BGN; For more information on the actual rates please consult the website: www.bnb.bg.
Banks, Credit Cards, Exchange
Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged in the banks and exchange offices as well as at the hotels. Most banks are open Monday-Thursday 09:00-16:00, Friday and
Saturday - 09:00-13:00. The commission can vary slightly from bank to bank - avoid changing money near the most famous tourist sites. ATM machines are available at the
airport, in the city centre and at the MoD.