How to Travel to Beach from Plovdiv by Coach and Train

Weather is getting hot. Everyone wants to touch their feet on sand. Although Plovdiv isn't a sea side town, reaching the most popular beaches in the country is relatively easy and cheap. If you live in or visit Plovdiv, you will know how hot June, July and August can get. Having and option to travel to seaside is a lifesaver during these months. Here is your gude to cool down:

Travelling to Burgas

Burgas is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna. With its long beaches and active city, it is a good option for a weekend holiday in the summer months. 

You can travel to Burgas by train or bus if you don't have a car. Train will cost you around 18 BGN (€9 - $11 - £7,5) while bus journey is around 30 BGN ($19 - €15 - £14) at the time of writing. Both methods are scheduled multiple times everyday including night travel options.

Travelling to Burgas from Plovdiv by train takes 4 hours. If you choose the bus option, it will take roughly 4,5 hours. The distance between Plovdiv and Burgas is 250 km. This road takes 2 hours and 20 minutes if you travel by car. 

Travelling to Varna

Varna is the third-largest city in Bulgaria and the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and in the Northern Bulgaria region. Situated strategically in the Gulf of Varna, the city has been a major economic, social and cultural centre for almost three millennia.

Traveling to Varna by train takes 5,5 hrs costing you 20 BGN ($13 - €10 - £8) while the bus rates are approximately 45 BGN ($30 - €23 - £21) with the travel time around 7 hours. It requires longer travelling hours compared to reaching to Burgas, but don't forget that Varna is home to award winning Sunny Beach. Also, you can travel in the night time for your convenience.

The distance between Plovdiv and Varna is about 370 km and it takes roughly 4-4,5 hrs by car.

Travelling to Greece

This is your bonus destination if you have a car, giving you opportunity to dip your toes into turquoise Aegean Sea. There is no public transport you can use to get there as it's beyond the Bulgaria's borders.

Closest coastal location you can go is a place called Fanari with a kilometres long golden sand beach. From there you can even travel another 1,5 hours to reach to Thassos Island.

Traveling to Fanari takes around 3 hrs by car. The distance from Plovdiv city centre to beach is 200 km.

Before you travel to Burgas or Varna

One thing to keep in mind is knowing the deparature point before you travel. If you travel by train you have only one location where the train departs towards to your destination. It's Plovdiv Central Train Station. But things are slightly different when you travel by bus as there are multiple bus companies with different deparature points. All companies will point out central bus station as deparature point but there are few different stations close to each other. Do not forget to ask to your bus company the exact deparature point.

Useful Links

Buy train tickets online: https://bileti.bdz.bg 

Karat-S and Union Ivkoni are the main coach companies for your journey

Buy coach tickets online from Union Ivkoni

Buy coach tickets online from Karat-S

Coaches towards Varna & Burgas may depart one of the stations below:

Location of Central Train Station

Location of Central Bus Station

Location of North Bus Station

Location of International Bus Station 

Location of Yug Bus & Coach Station