Hitchhiking from Sofia
Hitchhiking to Sofia
Recent reviews mentioning Sofia
43.02167, 22.73635
Good spot by the poll station to get a ride to Sofia/Bulgaria. There were a few policemen doing controls but they weren’t interested in us and didn’t stop us. You can even reach this spot by foot (that’s what we did) from Dimitrovgrad by hitchhiking to a spot on the local road nearby and then there’s a path to the toll station. (check out the map)There was a fence around the station but it had big holes you could claim through and toll station employees and police didn’t mind.
rating: 5/5, wait: 3 min 🪧, ride: 75 km ↘
―Anonymous, September 2025
42.19241, 25.19035
The two of us tried to hitchhike from here towards Istanbul. First, we tried asking people at the gas station, then we hitchhiked directly on the highway – a weak point. Few drivers head towards the Turkish border, and those who do, for the most part, don't want to take on additional passengers. Perhaps if you're trying to get to Istanbul, it's a better idea to try and find a driver who goes directly there in Sofia. We finally managed to catch a Bulgarian driver around 7:00 PM. He said hitchhiking to Istanbul was very difficult, so he took us to the bus stop in Haskovo. From there, with a heavy heart, we bought tickets for the bus to Istanbul (it was called "metro" – the ride takes about five hours due to breaks and a stop at the border). We had to go for it because we were pressed for time, and the driver insisted quite strongly that it was the best idea. To sum up, maybe we were just unlucky or maybe hitchhiking towards Istanbul is actually very difficult - Turkish drivers do not want to pick up travelers - we don't know exactly why.rating: 2/5, wait: 90 min 🪧, ride: 53 km ↘
―Moonhans, Thu 11 Sep 2025, 19:15
43.19235, 22.56316
It's hard to say how good this place is. We were heading towards Sofia/Istanbul -> the driver heading to Pirot left us there saying it was a good place. Generally, cars don't drive very fast there – they see you and your sign, but there's no gas station or anything like that. After about half an hour, we managed to catch a truck heading to Sofia. There are often queues of trucks at the border, so there's a chance you'll cross the border and ask drivers one by one if they can take you to Istanbul. We finally made it to Sofia that day, but I think there's a chance you'll catch a driver going further.rating: 3/5, wait: 30 min 🪧, ride: 92 km ↘
―Moonhans, Wed 10 Sep 2025, 16:30
43.38256, 21.80804
If you're heading towards Sofia/Istanbul, this is an average spot for hitchhiking; more drivers head towards Greece/Macedonia. We tried to hitchhike at a gas station for 2.5 hours, then moved directly onto the highway. After 45 minutes, a driver heading to Pirot stopped us. I don't know if we were unlucky or if it's actually a bad spot. It's hard to say. (Perhaps we should ask the drivers at the Nais Hotel on the other side.) Overall, it's a good place for a wild camping trip – there's a quiet meadow behind the fence, and if you need one, there's a shop and a toilet.rating: 3/5, wait: 180 min 💬+🪧, ride: 81 km →
―Moonhans, Wed 10 Sep 2025, 14:25
44.57411, 20.64733
We tried to hitchhike towards Nisz/Sofia, heading towards Istanbul. After a few conversations, we managed (with a good deal of luck) to catch a driver heading towards Nisz. The driver was so kind and positive that he took us to Nisz, even though he was going slightly in the opposite direction. What's more, he took us to a huge dinner at a good local restaurant. (We broke the speed record while hitchhiking, reaching 188 km/h.) Overall, it seems like a great place to hitchhike towards Sofia, with heavy traffic from cars and trucks.rating: 5/5, wait: 20 min 💬+🪧, ride: 202 km ↘
―Moonhans, Tue 09 Sep 2025, 16:00
44.71766, 20.50095
We tried to hitchhike towards Nisz/Sofi. We didn't have time to part well when a very nice TIR driver stopped. He didn't go to Nisz, but he drove us to a large gas station from where it seems that we should easily catch something towards Sofia. In general, the place of great cars slow down is contact with drivers and entry on the A1 road.rating: 5/5, wait: 5 min 🪧, ride: 25 km ↘
―Moonhans, Tue 09 Sep 2025, 14:45
42.21434, 24.73031
An excellent location under the highway to catch a ride from Plovdiv to Sofia. This is where the ramp to the highway begins, and vehicles have sufficient time and space to stop.rating: 5/5, wait: 40 min 🪧, ride: 143 km ↖
―Okubobrakurbober, Wed 27 Aug 2025, 14:00
44.02012, 22.93992
We were the luckiest people on earth. The spot on its own us pretty shitty, zero traffic in the morning. There was one car in the whole petrol station and we talked to them and they were two italians going to sofia who taked us immediatelly. Without them we would be stuck ther for at least 3 hours.rating: 5/5, wait: 1 min, ride: 186 km ↓
―SimonTeamMorho, August 2025
43.78465, 7.53188
Ok so I guess I was lucky to have a couple of kind italians taking me to Ventimiglia in like 10mn of waiting. BUT I think, if it wasn't them, I could wait a lot. There's almost no room to stop, it's just after the border so there are some cops & carabinieri and it puts a negative atmosephere for hitchhiking which reflects on people attitude. Also a lot of fancy cars and tourism which won't likely be the kind of person taking you for a ride (it's valid for the whole coast of Liguria IMO). Grazie Marco e Sofia :)rating: 5/5, wait: 10 min 🪧, ride: 8 km →
―cavalierrustique, Sun 27 Jul 2025, 14:00
42.10729, 21.6985
Good spot because a lot of traffic was at the start (5pm) but then dropped very fast (6pm). Was standing with a sign bulgaria/k.palanka. Maybe a bit far saying signs but there is no other place kinda to go there on that road. Also maybe i was not that lucky because i was trying kinda late in the evening. But eventually very nice truck driver who was paying a toll(stramge because all others had the autamic one) took me all the way to sofia.rating: 4/5, wait: 40 min 👍, ride: 180 km ↗
―kiausiniuvagis, Sat 02 Aug 2025, 18:29
42.99278, 22.84717
Definitely not a great spot, during summer a lot of packed cars from Germany driving to Turkey, almost no locals (Serbians, Bulgarians). On the other hand, we found a car going directly to Sofia.rating: 2/5, wait: 90 min, ride: 61 km ↘
―Honza, August 2025
43.90545, 25.98961
Great spot to ask people, got a ride 20km from Sofia, i think this is the right spot, anyway its just the gas station near the border, make sure to go up to people and not just stand with your thumb outrating: 5/5, wait: 60 min, ride: 301 km ↙
―SunnySupertramp, July 2025
42.63038, 23.46659
Pretty easy to reach by bus from Sofia Centerrating: 5/5, wait: 20 min 💬, ride: 187 km →
―Anonymous, Fri 18 Jul 2025, 16:00
43.07889, 25.59908
Good spot towards Sofia. Take bus 2, 5 or 110 to get around here. You can wait at the bus stop of 110 (bus runs less often, so won’t block buses). Busy traffic. Waited 15 min. I'm a solo woman traveller.rating: 4/5, wait: 15 min, ride: 121 km ←
―Anonymous, July 2025
42.99343, 22.8445
Good traffic, but some waiting. Had a sign Sofia and some Turkish guys coming from Antwerp going to Fethiye gave me a lift to Sofia.rating: 3/5, wait: 40 min 🪧, ride: 54 km ↘
―Anonymous, Mon 30 Jun 2025, 13:24
42.65078, 25.29291
Good spot for Karlovo or even Sofia, enough spacerating: 5/5, wait: 10 min
―Anonymous, July 2025
42.73784, 23.2722
My ride from the day before had invited me to stay the night and took me to the other side of Sofia to a great spot towards Plovdiv early in the morning.rating: 5/5, wait: 0 min 💬, ride: 23 km ↘
―Suip, Sun 27 Apr 2025, 05:30
42.71409, 23.23224
I first tried to take the road south of Sofia towards Plovdiv, but people to Plovdiv are actually using the highway north of Sofia. Not very good place, seems like only local people stop. I got invited to spend the night in the Apartment of a couple as it was getting late. In the morning the woman took me to the other side of Sofia to a much better spot towards Plovdiv.rating: 3/5, wait: 30 min 👍, ride: 5 km ↗
―Suip, Sat 26 Apr 2025, 18:45
42.28131, 22.72283
My previous ride asked a guy that was filling his car at the petrol station and he took me to Sofia. He said it's easier to go to Sofia through the Highway west of Dupniza than through Pernik.rating: 5/5, wait: 0 min 💬, ride: 79 km ↗
―Suip, Sat 26 Apr 2025, 16:10
42.21888, 22.4635
A lot of space, not a lot of traffic, but seems easy. Got taken by a guy that used to hitchhike in the socialist times of Bulgaria. He got me to Kjustendil to a petrol station and immediately found me a ride to Sofia.rating: 5/5, wait: 10 min 👍, ride: 28 km →
―Suip, Sat 26 Apr 2025, 15:30