IH Directors’ ConferenceSofia 2018

Pre-departure Information

Welcome to Sofia!

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. It is a vibrant, lively, affordable and interesting city to explore.

Being one of the oldest human settlements in Europe, Sofia has preserved many ancient historical and architectural monuments, museums, cathedrals and churches - a genuine cultural experience for all visitors!

It is also a fast-growing, cosmopolitan city, where visitors can find great shopping malls, modern concert halls, opera and contemporary business buildings. Sofia is ancient, yet modern; a unique mixture of old and new.

There are many buzzing outdoor cafes and stylish restaurants in Sofia, where visitors can enjoy the delicious Bulgarian cuisine and have a glass of Bulgaria’s wonderful Thracian wine.

Bulgarian food is full of delicious fresh vegetables, creamy yoghurts and tasty cheeses. It’s a fusion of Balkan cuisines, such as those famous grilled meats you’ll find all across the region, and more Mediterranean flavours from neighbouring Greece.

Our capital city is really green and boasts amazing scenery and lovely parks. Beautifully surrounded by mountains, it offers ski slopes and hiking trails just 20mins drive from the city centre - the perfect getaway from the buzzing city life.

We have four seasons here, where summer is warm, spring is fresh & colourful and winter is white and beautiful with plenty of sunny days throughout the whole year. Compact and walkable, Sofia will lure you with its rich history, green parks, hospitable people, delicious food and plenty of cultural things to do under the bright blue skies!

Sofia Airport to Sofia City Centre

Sofia Airport is located about 10 km away from the city centre (where the Grand Hotel Sofia is located).

Grand Hotel Sofia address: 1, Gurko Str., 1000 Sofia , Tel: 00359 2 811 0811

The airport has two terminals – Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, where one can find free-of-charge transportation between the two Terminals every 30 minutes between 7:00am and 7:00pm local time.

Luckily, there is a pretty good transport infrastructure to get you downtown. Available public transport includes the metro and three bus lines (84, 384 and 184).

However, we recommend that you take a taxi in front of the arrival building at both terminals. The company that currently has a contract with Sofia Airport (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2) is called OK Supertrans Taxi (9732121). They have regulalated prices.

https://www.oktaxi.net/offices.php

Generally the price per kilometer is less than *BGN 1 (0,50 cents). A journey to downtown Sofia (Grand Hotel Sofia) should be around BGN 10-15 (5 – 8 euros), depending on the time period.

Please, bear in mind that there might be fake taxis waiting at the airport that will charge you higher prices. So choose your taxi very carefully, look for OK Supertrans Taxis (9732121) only!

More info about Taxi services in Sofia can be found here: https://freesofiatour.com/blog/taking-taxi-sofia/

Useful Bulgarian Phrases

Good Morning Dobro utro Добро утро Good day Dobur den Добър ден Good evening Dobur vecher Добър вечер Hi Zdraveite Здравейте Have a nice day Priyaten den Приятен ден Please Ako obichate Ако обичате You’re welcome Molya Моля Thank you Blagodarya Благодаря Excuse me Izvinete Извинете

Book an Excursion!

Interested in exploring more of Bulgaria? Book a post-conference excursion by emailing Niki at Balkanwanders@gmail.com

*BGN=leva (BGN is the abbreviation for our currency Bulgarian Leva). The offi-cial exchange rate in Bulgaria is currently: 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN.

*Telephone dialling code: 00359