Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in Bulgaria - cash only, or do cards work too?
Honestly, Sofia’s metro is one of the easiest systems in Eastern Europe. I was at Serdika station, and just tapping my Visa worked every time. It felt almost like being in Western Europe. The metro is clean, quick, and all signage is bilingual. Buses were more old school - when I went to Vitosha mountain, I bought my bus ticket in cash from a kiosk outside. It was cheap and simple. For most tourists staying downtown, cards on the metro are enough, and cash for occasional bus trips.
I found Sofia’s public transport a bit inconsistent. Metro machines happily took my Mastercard, but buses in Mladost district would only accept paper tickets from kiosks that were hard to find. Once the kiosk near Orlov Most was closed and I ended up riding without a ticket because the driver refused to sell one. Locals told me inspectors fine tourists a lot, so it felt stressful. If you’re sticking to the metro, cards are fine, but buses and trams are still very cash-based. Not the smoothest system compared to other capitals.
I was staying in Lozenets, Sofia, and used the metro daily from James Bourchier station. The machines accepted cards, but when I switched to buses around Studentski Grad, it was cash only. Conductors sell you a paper ticket for 1.60 lev, and you have to validate it in the little punch machines. I had to run into a Fantastico supermarket just to get coins because drivers rarely have change. Metro = card friendly, buses and trams = mostly cash. A bit mixed, but manageable if you plan ahead.
In Sofia, the metro is modern and you can definitely use contactless cards directly at the gates - I tapped my Revolut and Monzo with no issues. Single tickets cost 1.60 lev, and you can also buy a paper ticket at the vending machines using coins or notes. Buses and trams still rely heavily on paper tickets you buy from kiosks or machines inside the vehicle. When I stayed near NDK metro station, it was easy with cards, but on the tram to Boyana I had to pay cash. Keep small coins if you go outside central Sofia.