Burgas is an easily accessible city, especially from May to September, when the local airport receives a large number of charter and regular low-cost flights.
By land, Burgas is well connected to resorts along the Bulgarian coast (by bus only) or the capital Sofia (by train and bus).
International buses also run several times a day throughout the year to Istanbul.
By air
Burgas BOJ Airport is 11 km north of the city centre.
Charter flights from all over Europe head to Burgas, but during the summer season you can also buy individual tickets here, especially with low-cost airlines Ryanair, Jet2, Wizz Air or easyJet.
You can buy very cheap tickets especially at the very beginning and end of the summer season.
The only year-round route that also flies throughout the winter is Wizz Air's connection to London-Luton LTN airport.
Compare prices for flights to Burgas in 1 click
To find out how to get from the airport to the city centre, read our guide - Getting to/from Burgas Airport.
By train
In the centre and near the port is the terminus of one of the main railway lines in Bulgaria.
The only direct frequent connection from Burgas is to Sofia, and it runs in two directions:
- Burgas - Yambol - Stara Zagora - Plovdiv - Pazardzhik - Sofia
- Burgas - Sliven - Kazanlak - Karlovo - Sofia
On average, there are 5 trains running during the day and 2 night sleeper/berth trains running once every day.
The journey time to Sofia varies considerably depending on the number of stations.
- Fastest trains - approx. 6 hours
- Slowest trains - 7.5 hours
You can also get to Varna by train, but only with a change in Karnobat. The whole journey takes about 1.5 to 2 hours longer than by bus and is only about 5 bgn cheaper.
Where to buy tickets?
You can buy train tickets online on the website of the only carrier - Bulgarian Railways: bileti.bdz.bg.
You need to register on this website to buy. Online ticket sales always start about 5-7 days before departure. Before that, the vast majority of trains cannot be bought.
Once purchased, the ticket will be emailed to you in pdf format. You don't need to print the ticket, just save it on your mobile, laptop or tablet and show it to the conductor on the train.
Ticket prices vary slightly depending on the type of train and route chosen and are approximately as follows:
- Sofia - 29 bgn to 32 bgn
- Plovdiv - 19 bgn
- Karlovo - 18 bgn
- Stara Zagora - 12 bgn
By bus
The bus service to Burgas is very frequent from all resorts along the coast and towns inland.
Which bus station?
There are two bus stations in Burgas. The regional lines, for which you can't normally buy tickets online, run from precisely designated bus stations.
However, long-distance lines for which you can buy tickets online (such as Arda Tur or Union Ivkoni) sometimes run to certain destinations from both bus stations. So always pay close attention to the boarding station on your ticket.
- South - closer to the centre and next to the train station
- The whole coast (resorts like Sunny Beach, Nessebar, Sozopol, Pomorie, Ravda, Primorsko, Lozenets, Kiten, Chernomorets, Dyuni, Carevo, Achtopol)
- Varna (most connections), Sofia, Istanbul, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora (some connections), Thessaloniki (Union Ivkoni) and other international destinations
- Location on the map
- Public transport lines: B1, B2, B11, B12, T1, T2, 11, 12, 15, 17
- Tip for accommodation near the station: Hotel Burgas *** (approx. 80 metres)
- West - on the north-western edge of the city
- Regional connections to inland (Aytos, Kamensko, Karnobat, Sredets, Yambol)
- Veliko Tarnovo, Stara Zagora (some connections), Varna (Arda Tur only), Thessaloniki (Arda Tur) and others
- Location on the map
- Public transport lines: 3, 6, 7, 7a, 8, 11, 12
- Tip for accommodation near the station: Family Hotel Central *** (approx. 850 metres)
Routes, tickets and timetables
Online tickets are only available for long-distance routes, typically to Sofia, Istanbul, Thessaloniki or other international destinations.
You can buy tickets online from the following carriers:
- Union Ivkoni - the largest bus carrier in Bulgaria with the most routes.
- union-ivkoni.com
- Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Sliven
- Thessaloniki, Athens
- Arda Tur - Bulgarian branch of the modern Turkish carrier
- ardatur.bg
- Varna, Stara Zagora, Kardzhali, Haskovo, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Berlin - from the West bus station
- Istanbul - from bus station South
- Metro - Bulgarian branch of the modern Turkish carrier
- metrotourism.bg
- Istanbul - from South Bus Station
- Nisikli - Turkish bus carrier
- nisikli.com.tr
- Istanbul - from South Bus Station
- M-Bus - regional carrier, but also operates several long-distance routes with online ticketing
- mbus-bg.com
- Veliko Tarnovo, Varna
- Alex OK - small Bulgarian carrier
- alexok.com
- Veliko Tarnovo
Tickets on regional lines (e.g. Sunny Beach, Nesebar, Pomorie, Primorsko, Sozopol, Chernomorets, Ravda, Lozenets and others) are always purchased only inside the bus from the conductor. You can always pay in cash only.
After boarding the bus, take your seat and wait for the conductor to find you.
To give you an overview, here is a table of indicative prices and frequencies to selected destinations from Burgas.
From South Bus Station
| Destinations | Price | Frequency | Travel time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahtopol | 13 bgn | 1x daily | 2,5 hours |
| Carevo | 11 bgn | 4-6 times a day | 1.5 hours |
| Chernomorets | 4 bgn | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Istanbul | From 50 bgn | 8-12x daily | 5 hours |
| Kiten | 10 bgn | 6-7x daily | 1.5 hours |
| Lozenec | 11 bgn | 2-4 times a day | 1.5 hours |
| Nesebar | 6 bgn | 20 minutes | 50 minutes |
| Horizon | 11 bgn | 60 minutes | 1,5 hours |
| Plovdiv | From 25 bgn | 3x daily | 5 hours |
| Pomorie | 4 bgn | 15-20 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Primorsko | 9 bgn | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Ravda | 5 bgn | 20 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Sinemorets | 13 bgn | 1x daily | 2.5 hours |
| Sofia | from 30 bgn | 9-11x daily | 5.5 hours |
| Sozopol | 5 bgn | 30 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Sunny Beach | 8 bgn | 20 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Stara Zagora | 20 bgn | 5-6 times a day | 3 hours |
| Thessaloniki | from 25 bgn | 1x per day | 13.5 hours |
| Varna | 20 bgn | 60 minutes | 2,5 hours |
From the bus station West
| Destination | Price | Frequency | Travel time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aytos | 6 bgn | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Kardzhali | 28 bgn | 2x daily | 4.5 hours |
| Malko Tarnovo | 11 bgn | 4 times a day | 2 hours |
| Plovdiv | 25 bgn | 1x per day | 3.5 hours |
| Razgrad | 25 bgn | 3x daily | 3 hours |
| Shumen | 20 bgn | 3 times a day | 2.5 hours |
| Sliven | 18 bgn | 2x daily | 2 hours |
| Sofia | 31 bgn | 3 times a day | 5,5 hours |
| Sredets | 7 bgn | 5 times a day | 40 minutes |
| Stara Zagora | 20 bgn | 1x per day | 2 hours |
| Varna | 19 bgn | 2x daily | 2.5 hours |
| Veliko Tarnovo | 30 bgn | 2x daily | 4 hours |
Ferry
The only regular passenger service runs across the Black Sea to Georgia on the Burgas - Batumi route.
Boats sail 1x a week. Usually sailing only from May to September, but there may be added winter sailings.
It is not possible to buy a pedestrian only ticket, but you always pay for the whole car.
- 1450 eur In the direction Burgas -> Batumi
- 800 eur in direction Batumi -> Burgas
Detailed information can be found on the website of the shipping line operator: pbm.bg/schedule.
