Sofia is compact and the hotels that will compete for your time are nearly all located within a tidily arranged city centre that is minutes from the airport. There are plenty of accommodation choices from luxury new hotels to more moderately priced options. As a capital, Sofia is a home to all major international hotel chains like Hilton and Sheraton, however there are many reasonably priced other hotels, including Niky hotel and Light hotel, as well as increasingly more modern private studios. Your choice of hotel will depend a great deal on how much you are prepared to pay in order to be near the heart of things. Generally, places within walking distance from the center tend to charge higher, but budget alternatives and very cheap hotels are not recommended and usually best avoided as they charge rates out of proportion to the level of service they provide. The smaller hotels tend to be comfortable and moderately priced, but in general all quality hotels in Sofia can fill up quickly, so it is advisable to make reservations in advance. Alternatively, why not go even cheaper and opt for independence in a Sofia self-catered holiday apartment. We offer fast and easy online hotel reservation and accommodation booking in Sofia and answer to hotel requests within minutes.

It is never a problem finding somewhere to eat and drink in Sofia. The choice of restaurants and pubs is greater than anywhere else in the country.  You can find a wealth of cuisines served in the capital's numerous restaurants and often the more traditional Bulgarian dishes such as shopska salad, tarator, kebapche, kyufte, banichka, and numerous vegetarian dishes are preferable to Western European favourites. To the variety add Chinese, Indian, Italian and Greek restaurants and literally restaurants with cuisines from all over the world. Mehanas and tourist folk-style restaurants are the likeliest places to get traditional Bulgarian dishes baked and served in earthen-ware pots. For most visitors, prices in restaurants in Sofia are relatively low. A large beer of 500ml is less than £1.5, and a basic meal is approximately 3-4 £. The traditional Bulgarian wines are definitely worth a try and cost 4-6 £. Remarkably inexpensive cafés, bars, pubs and piano bars are everywhere and closing times for all such places are commonly 2 a.m., 7 days a week. Summer brings out the best in the city, when places with outdoor seating remain packed well into the evening.

The capital is a microcosm of history and fine examples of architecture throughout the city abound. The magnificent Aleksander Nevski Cathedral is perhaps the most well-known of Bulgaria's attractions and one of the symbols of the city. This spectacular building is not just awe-inspiring to look at - it also houses a wide range of artefacts from around Bulgaria. Other eye-catching buildings and most of the sites of particular interest are found in the center of Sofia within easy walking distance of each other: the Church of St Nedelya, the 13th century Chapel of St Petka Paraskeva - a medieval foundation dwarfed beneath turn-of-the-century buildings, the Banya Bashi Mosque near Sofia's mineral baths, the sunken Church of St Petka Samardzhiiska originally built in the 14th century, Sofia's oldest church - the 4th century Rotonda of St George, the Russian Church, the National Assembly, the National Art Gallery and the Ethnographic Museum housed in the former royal palace. Located at the foot of Mt. Vitosha, Boyana Church, a protected UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the few complete and perfectly preserved mediaeval monuments of east European medieval art. It is worth making the short trip to Vitosha mountain from Sofia during any season, which in addition to its trekking trails offers modern ski and winter sports facilities within easy reach of the capital. Other worthy natural sights outside Sofia include the Iskar Gorge in the Balkan Range and the old town of Koprivshitsa..

Hiring a car in Sofia means freedom of movement in this modern busy European metropolis, plus the urban business pursuits can be easily combined with the outdoor recreational possibilities of Vitosha mountain, situated just 12 km south of the center, or a day trip to the amazing Rila Monastery and Rila national Park. There is no better way to enjoy your trip to the capital than touring it by a rental car. Plus, the new winter tourist routes to the Bulgarian ski resorts via Sofia Airport and the ever expanding summer Black Sea tourist destinations are the reasons why increasingly more travellers to Bulgaria are looking for car hire and transportation services in Sofia. All major car rental companies have representatives in the capital and some have their offices at Sofia Airport. There are also many local companies that offer rent a car services in Sofia. Make sure you get all-inclusive package, unlimited mileage and don't forget to ask for free car accessories - chain, child seat, map, roof rack. However, if you want to save time and money by instantly booking a car online in Sofia, at Motoroads.com we feature very competitive car hire rates combined with one of the largest, quickest, easiest and safest online car rent booking systems available in Bulgaria and 24/7 customer support.

Sofia is a major transportation hub for the whole country as well as arrival and departure point for many transfer destinations. There are a large number of scheduled bus services to Sofia from every main Bulgarian city and resort. Most inter-city services run from the capital's new bus-station which is located next to the Central Train Station. Trains lines cover almost every town in the country. Public transport is cheap and reasonably efficient, with intertwining networks of buses, trolleybuses and trams that extends to just about everywhere. All major airlines fly to Sofia and the prices of tickets have rapidly decreased in the past few years with many discount options and an increase in budget airlines flying here. If you are flying to Sofia, there is a public bus that runs every ten to fifteen minutes from Sofia Airport, 10 km east of the city center and can be reached by car, taxi, or private shuttle service for 20-25 minutes. Shuttle service and private transfers are available at decent rates - as low as - as low as 5 EUR per person A private transfer between Sofia airport and Sofia city center takes approximately 20 minutes.

Minor complaints can be solved at a pharmacy and most pharmacies in Sofia open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and some are open 24 hours. But if you require a doctor or a dentist, head to the nearest health center and there is one in every Sofia residential district. Urgent cases go to hospitals courtesy of ambulance service (phone for emergency medical service - 150, service free) and emergency medical assistance is available 24 hours a day. All Bulgaria's major hospitals and specialized modern medical centers, as well as myriad of dental offices are located in the capital Sofia. Some medical and all dental services are required to be paid in cash to the medical personnel.

Sofia map