Language

Bulgaria/ブルガリア North Macedonia/北マケドニア

Skopje to Sofia by Bus (about Ticket, Terminal, Notes)

15/02/2023

Naoto

Japanese Language Teacher🇯🇵【日本語教師】(used to be a Junior high school Japanese teacher/元中学国語教師) World Trip🌎/Education✏️【旅行・教育について】

I would like to introduce how to travel by bus from Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia🇲🇰, located on the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe, to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria🇧🇬.

The Balkan Peninsula is not a Schengen country, with the exception of Greece, so passport formalities are required at all borders, but bus transportation is very convenient.

Based on my experience, I would like to summarize how to buy bus tickets, travel time, and points to note.

【Bulgaria】Airport⇄Sofia City By Metro "40minutes"

"We've arrived at Sofia Airport!🇧🇬 How do I get to the city center from here?" "How do I get to the airport from Sofia city? How long does it take?" In this article, I will show you how to get to the airport from Sofia(and from Sofia to the airport), as well as the procedures and precautions to follow. By No.4 MetroⓂ️ Takes about 40minutes There are 4 Metro lines in Sofia The airport and city center can be reached in about 40 minutes by the No.4 metroⓂ️, the yellow line in the photo above. The cost is 1.6 Lev. (1 lev ...

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About 4.5 hours From Skopje Bus terminal🇲🇰

Skopje Bus terminal and station

From Skopje🇲🇰 to Sofia🇧🇬 is about 4.5 hours by bus.

The reason I say "about" is because it really depends on the day how long it takes to complete the exit and entry procedures when crossing the border.

In my case, I left Skopje at 8:30 in the morning and arrived in Sofia at around 14:30. It took about 6 hours.

I don't know if it was because of snow or some trouble when I crossed the border, but there was a time when the bus didn't move at all for about 2 hours.

The cost was 1,600 MKD (100 MLD= about 1.74 USD).

A little high for bus transportation in this area.

スポンサーリンク

Buy the ticket at the counter or Online

You can buy bus tickets from Skopje🇲🇰 to Sofia🇧🇬 either online or at the bus terminal counter.

The timetable and fares are displayed on this website, so search here first.

Some buses cannot be purchased online depending on the time of day, in which case you should purchase them at the counter.

Bus terminal counter in Skopje

I bought my ticket at the counter the day before. Staff could speak English.

You need to show your passport when purchasing, but you can also pay with a credit card.

You can also buy it right before the day of your visit, but I recommend buying it in advance in anticipation of the crowds on the morning of the visit.

There were quite a few people there in the morning.

Be careful not to take the wrong bus.

When I went to bus stop number 1  the counter told me to go to, one bus that was already parked.

I got on without thinking, but I felt somewhat uncomfortable and asked the person next to me where we were going, and he told me "Germany".

I almost ended up going to Germany, so be sure to check the "destination sign" on the front of the bus.

Bus parking. Check the Destination.

No breaks until crossing the border

The only point of rest for a few hours before arriving in Sofia🇧🇬 is a bathroom break just after crossing the border into Bulgaria.

Until then, it is basically impossible to get off the bus, which is quite a pain if the inspection at the border is prolonged.

I advise you to be prepared with drinks, food, and tools to pass the time.

Since there were only about 10 passengers in total at my time, I was able to relax quite a bit on the bus, but it is expected that there will be more during the spring and summer tourist season, in which case it will be quite a battle of endurance.

The best big, delicious bread at the Skopje Bus terminal

Big and Delicious!

By the way, the bakery at the Skopje bus terminal is open early in the morning. (Some bakeries are open 24 hours a day.)

The bread sold there starts at 60 MKD(100 MLD= about 1.74 USD) per piece, despite being super extra large.

If you have extra Macedonian currency, you can buy a large these here and take these with you on your trip!

スポンサーリンク

Border crossing time depends on "luck"

As I said earlier, it took about 2 hours to cross the border. The reason is unknown.

The driver was explaining something in the local language, but I couldn't understand him. Somehow, I think it was probably due to the snow, but I don't know if it was true or not.

It would be safer to plan your arrival on the assumption that it will be late.

Got to the Sofia Bus Terminal🇧🇬

Bus Terminal In Sofia🇧🇬

ソフィアでは、北マケドニアと比べるとカード払いができるところがだいぶ多いので、ほんとにマイナーなエリアやマーケットなどに行く予定がなければ、カード払いで充分生きていく事は可能

バスターミナル周辺にも両替所はありますが、特に急いで変える必要はないかと思います。

また、北マケドニアと比べて、アジア人を珍しそうな顔で見る人はほとんどいない点も何か落ち着きますね。

In Sofia, there are much more places where you can pay by card than in North Macedonia, so unless you plan to go to a really minor area or market, you can stay well enough by paying by card.

There are also exchange offices around the bus terminal, but there is no need to exchange.

Also, compared to North Macedonia, there is something calming about the fact that almost no one looks at Asians with a curious look.

"Revolut" is a convenient way to visit Bulgaria.

You can use your account in Bulgarian Lev currency, so you don't need to calculate extra rates, and if you exchange money in "Revolut" when the rates are good, you can save even more money on your trip. (Currencies of Albania and North Macedonia are not handled.)

Other currencies, as well as savings and currency exchange, can all be easily done within the app, so it can be used for a wide range of purposes from everyday use to international travel.

スポンサーリンク

End...

Thank you for reading this far.

In this issue, I have written information on how to travel by bus from Skopje, North Macedonia to Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Balkan Peninsula is densely packed with countries, so you can visit several countries in a week. Although they are close to each other, each country has a completely different atmosphere and culture, so you will never get bored on your trip!

 

 

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Naoto

Japanese Language Teacher🇯🇵【日本語教師】(used to be a Junior high school Japanese teacher/元中学国語教師) World Trip🌎/Education✏️【旅行・教育について】

-Bulgaria/ブルガリア, North Macedonia/北マケドニア

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