Hitchhiking in Bulgaria
Hitchhiking to Bulgaria
Recent reviews in Bulgaria
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
42.19811, 24.63237
We tried to hitchhike to Istanbul (2 men). Overall, the location is average/poor – few drivers were going to Istanbul, most were heading towards Burgas, and the Turks heading to Istanbul were reluctant to pick up additional passengers. First, we tried hitchhiking at a gas station, then we tried to hitchhike directly on the highway. This seemed like a better method. Ultimately, we managed to hitchhike to a gas station on the A1, just before the junction for the Istanbul and Burgas roads.rating: 2/5, wait: 120 min 🪧, ride: 58 km →
―Moonhans, Thu 11 Sep 2025, 18:00
42.63049, 23.46504
We tried to hitchhike to Istanbul. Overall, the location seemed quite good, but we had significant difficulties – few drivers were heading to Istanbul; most were heading towards Burgas, and the Turks heading to Istanbul were reluctant to pick up additional passengers. Eventually, we managed to hitchhike to a gas station outside Plovdiv.rating: 4/5, wait: 120 min 💬+🪧, ride: 134 km ↘
―Moonhans, Thu 11 Sep 2025, 16:00
41.72547, 26.32393
Overall the spot is bad, the only thing that works is talking to people who stopped here. Most people pasing or stoppimg are turks in german cars and they will not take you.rating: 2/5, wait: 30 min, ride: 319 km ↖
―Anonymous, September 2025
43.86375, 26.01536
No one wanted to give me a ride at the truck stop, so I got frustrated and was going to walk across the border to Romania. But as I was walking past a gas station, I saw a car and asked if he can take me across the border. It turned out that he was going to Bucharest.rating: 5/5, wait: 5 min 💬+🪧, ride: 63 km ↑
―Okubobrakurbober, Thu 28 Aug 2025, 19:15
43.43522, 24.60517
An excellent spot to go to Bucharest or Ruse.rating: 4/5, wait: 30 min 🪧, ride: 153 km ↗
―Okubobrakurbober, Thu 28 Aug 2025, 15:30
42.70711, 23.45781
I stood there with a sign saying "Ruse." The problem was that it was already late for such a long journey (8 p.m.). However, one guy offered to take me to Pleven. There is a lot of traffic at the gas station and at the exit.rating: 4/5, wait: 60 min 🪧, ride: 154 km ↗
―Okubobrakurbober, Wed 27 Aug 2025, 20:00
42.63802, 23.44972
I just wanted to drive a couple of kilometers north to the next intersection. But I was unlucky. I stood there for almost 90 minutes in the sun. My thumb didn't work. The "2 km" sign worked. Stand where the turning lane almost connects to the highway.rating: 2/5, wait: 90 min 🪧, ride: 10 km ↑
―Okubobrakurbober, Wed 27 Aug 2025, 16:00
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
41.72547, 26.32393
This gas station was full of Turkish/German/Austrian families coming back from holidays in their big and expansive German cars. More than being not very sympathic, they are all full. Finally a Ukrainian truck took me to the next city Svilengrad where I found other carsrating: 2/5, wait: 120 min, ride: 15 km ↖
―Anonymous, August 2025
42.68079, 27.69984
Got lucky and found people willing to take me further than my sign but good space for people to stop single lane traffic moving at a medium speed.rating: 5/5, wait: 10 min 🪧, ride: 204 km ↑
―Xavybaby, Sat 23 Aug 2025, 09:24
42.53208, 27.46965
Double lane traffic moving relatively fast but it’s at a gas station so good to just get moving along.rating: 4/5, wait: 30 min 🪧, ride: 31 km ↗
―Xavybaby, Sat 23 Aug 2025, 08:54
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
43.59787, 28.56748
Second car got merating: 5/5, wait: 5 min 👍, ride: 5 km ↑
―sisiamigomio, Thu 14 Aug 2025, 19:44
43.54388, 28.55226
I waited a bit but it was like the 10th car that stopped. Very very quickrating: 5/5, wait: 20 min 👍, ride: 5 km ↗
―sisiamigomio, Thu 14 Aug 2025, 17:45
42.72213, 23.23784
It’s a shit place. We were trying to go to North Macedonia. We got recommended to go to the border town Kjustendil first. After we changed the sign from City names to 10km we got picky up after 5min.rating: 1/5, wait: 90 min 🪧, ride: 67 km ↓
―Anonymous, Mon 11 Aug 2025, 10:30
42.25278, 23.09307
Super easy to get a short ride, because it’s a small town. We are trying to go to Kjustandil as a border city to get to Skopje, because Kjustandil got us recommended by a local to cross the borderrating: 5/5, wait: 2 min 🪧, ride: 38 km ←
―Lauralaks, Mon 11 Aug 2025, 11:19
42.21406, 24.73317
The spot is in the insertion place for highway but car can stop on a side and it a very good sport to the way to Istanbul !rating: 5/5, wait: 15 min, ride: 464 km →
―Anonymous, August 2025
43.43522, 24.60517
it took quite a while to walk here from the town but it was worth the walk... a car stopped almost instantly and took us two to Ruse where we were headedrating: 5/5, wait: 10 min, ride: 154 km ↗
―Anonymous, August 2025
42.14795, 26.55743
No shade but pretty good spot because it’s mostly long distance drivers either truckers or Germans coming back (those usually have full cars though)rating: 4/5, wait: 30 min 🪧, ride: 329 km ←
―Anonymous, Fri 08 Aug 2025, 11:52
Recent reviews mentioning Bulgaria
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
44.34362, 21.0789
Good spot, found a ride to Bulgaria in seconds (he was going all the way to Burgas).rating: 5/5, wait: 2 min 💬, ride: 312 km ↘
―anettlee17, Sat 30 Aug 2025, 18:00
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
42.21888, 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
43.34157, 21.92819
Kind of the only decent spot towards Bulgaria, police spend a lot of time here just as locals for coffee.I've been trying for 3h until night with the little traffic from the petrol station (police was there) and 4h straight on the highway the next morning with a sign BG - СРФИЯ.
Most cars were completely full, I left with a big beer box under my legs and my backpack on my knees, that was the only room available in the car, but I made it to Sofia.
rating: 3/5
―RoadTripeur, Sat 12 Apr 2025, 12:00
43.89788, 25.99694
Still possible to walk bridge from Romania to Bulgaria as of december '23, but I hitched a lift to Ruse here.rating: 4/5, wait: 10 min 🪧, ride: 8 km ↓
―pixelatedcrab, November 2024
40.68284, 22.94078
only 4 cars stopped none went to the bulgaria directionrating: 1/5, wait: 180 min 🪧
―minecarman, March 2024
44.28595, 23.79918
Realy good Spot to get a Ride outside of the City to califat (Border of bulgaria). 2 other locals Guys also tryed to hitchhike but 2 young Guys took us.They drove like crazy and IT was realy funny.
rating: 5/5, wait: 2 min, ride: 78 km ↙
―Anonymous, March 2024
44.66333, 20.61238
A lot of space for hitchhiking just after the toll booth. Lot of trucks go to Bulgaria, I got the ride to Niš after 5-6 minsrating: 5/5, wait: 6 min, ride: 219 km ↘
―Kompas, February 2024
44.01532, 22.88841
there is often a long cue of trucks waiting for the toll (since bulgaria is not a schengen country) and you can walk along the cue with your sign and find a pretty long riderating: 5/5, wait: 10 min, ride: 593 km ↖
―tonipeperoni, December 2023
41.68706, 26.46837
This is the spot you can use to get out of Turkey to Bulgaria. My experience in October 2021 was rewarding. I came to the border gate and the officials said "you can't walk" (it's been like that for years) and when I stood up few hundreds metres before, soldiers from Jandarma told me to get backwards and try asking at/inside restaurants. This doesn't work if you, like me, look Middle Eastern so the truck drivers will ignore you thinking you're irregular. So I took a dolmuş back to the pinned gas station and waited 2 hours (could be much less) until a Turkish man took me with him to casino in Svilengrad, offered me the entrance and a private hotel bedroom.rating: 5/5, wait: 120 min, ride: 30 km ↖
―GiovanniTonucci, November 2023
43.34196, 21.92703
This is the best spot for HH direction Bulgaria !!! It's not another spot better than this in my own opinion! But I hitchhiked on Sunday, very lonely gas station!!! No cars !!! No trucks !! The best way to HH is to have a sing with ***Pirot*** or ***Dimitrovdgra***HH to the border can be difficult!!! Because people is afraid about immigrants!! So, better if you look White person hahahaha I am from Colombia and I look very árabe sometimes, but still I am lucky.
The best advice is to HH from the entrance of the gas station, because also you can catch the cars who is passing on the highway, because if you stay inside the gas station! * without traffic* you can be there for hours !!!
To arrive to this gas station you can take the bus Number 4 Ang get out 2 bus stops before the end. And then walk in the highway for 15 minutes and that is ! You will see, use Google maps ! Or just walk from the center if you are too backpacker.
Remember that HH IS ABOUT LUCK!!!!
rating: 4/5, wait: 40 min
―Anonymous, October 2023
46.60889, 19.83917
Mostly all Cars an Trucks Go to romania, If they leave hungary.The Cars to serbia we're "full", company Cars, or they dont Take "Strangers", or Just ignore you.
Even Cars/Trucks to Turkey, bulgaria Go via romania, maybe because the Police controll all bulgarian/turkish Cars and Truck very hard
rating: 1/5, wait: 360 min, ride: 63 km ↓
―sebbo, September 2023
43.11862, 22.62263
Tramprennen 2023 - This spot is strategically if you are going towards Bulgaria. It has shade as it is a bridge and if you are more than one person, one can hitchike on the normal road and another can have access to the highway (easily)rating: 5/5, wait: 45 min, ride: 225 km ↘
―ipesanz, August 2023
42.44206, 27.47233
Got spot how to set to the borders between Bulgaria And Turkey. Also good way to get to Istanbul.rating: 4/5, wait: 20 min, ride: 103 km ↓
―Anonymous, July 2023
45.70525, 21.91835
Lots of long distance traffic from southern Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey. Possible to get rides beyond Hungary. Place to stop and a petrol station to ask around for confidence.rating: 5/5, wait: 120 min, ride: 537 km ↖
―duffajfka, June 2023
42.10729, 21.6985
The best place for going to Bulgaria along a route which is not too frequented. I stayed at the barrier and simply asked drivers with Bulgarian numbers (not big letters BG, which is Belgrade) while they were paying their tickets. Toll workers don't pay attention, but be respectful of course. This way got direct drives to Sofia even in the evening!rating: 4/5, wait: 20 min
―kadaifbalkan, June 2023
42.21284, 22.34643
We gave up after waiting for three hours, and were actually picked up while walking up the mountain road.Locals don't stop because they assume you are for the border, and Bulgarians assume it's a local thing. Mornings there is huge amount of traffic to a mine (рудник) so put up a sign "5km" or something of the sort. From where the road of the mine goes off the main road it is just a few bends of the road to the top where the border is (and you can find path that cut those bends).
But generally if you coming from inside Macedonia towards Bulgaria, much better option is to use the spot at the Kumanovo toll station (patarina) and ask directly cars with BG numbers. They seem to be less willing to stop on foreign territory.
rating: 2/5, wait: 180 min
―kadaifbalkan, June 2023
41.38142, 23.36274
The border is a great place to get a ride into Bulgaria! Many trucks, easy to go to Sofia. I didn't even need to ask, just started talking with the truck drivers, and one offered me a ride!rating: 5/5, wait: 0 min, ride: 74 km ↑
―Doda, June 2023
41.28741, 23.33438
It is on a highway so a bit dangerous but the emergency lane is wide. All cars here have to go to Bulgaria. Note: it is illegal to stay on highway, so better catch a ride fast :)rating: 4/5, wait: 10 min
―Imchoo, May 2023