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Sofia Airport Passenger Reviews and Sofia Airport Traveller Reports
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SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 19 May 2012 by Susan Moore (UK) |
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Rating : 5/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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What struck me about this airport was how empty it was. Several of the shops were closed and many of the
others, including alcohol, were very poorly stocked. There is nothing to do but the good point is that there
was free wifi there. However on my most recent visit they seem to have removed seating and power sockets
that were plentiful before. The airport was quick to get in and out of.
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SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 20 January 2012 by Angelo Tzarevski (South Africa) |
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Rating : 6/10 |  |
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The new terminal is a lot more modern than the old one, but the airport cannot compare to other major EU
airports. T2 seems somewhat dingy after you check-in and go through security. Signage is sparse but the
terminal is small so it is easy to get around. Duty free is almost non-existent and cafes/restaurants are
expensive compared to others in Sofia. The staff's attitude is mediocre.
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SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 19 December 2011 by Antonia Ni (Singapore) |
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Rating : 2/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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As I'm Bulgarian, I've been flying in and out on multiple occasions. T2 is modern and convenient but seems
empty compared to other EU or worldwide airports. In terms of facilities, there is nothing much to do waiting
for your flight. Luckily, there is WiFi. Duty Free lacks variety, the cafes are overpriced and the shops over-
priced. Always go to the taxi kiosk and ask for estimation for your fare. Public transport connects the Central
area and the airport. Overall, the Bulgarian hospitality and food and entertainment need to be advertised
better.
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SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 5 July 2010 by Arlene Olver (UK)
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |
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We've flown in & out of Sofia several times now and have used both terminals (depending on who we've flown
with). I'd agree with others that prices for drinks etc are OTT but that's common to most airports. Another
reviewer mentioned going to a taxi kiosk - you really should book a cab at the desk and be put into it by the
person managing the rank if you don't want to be ripped off. The person in the office will give you an estimate
(between x & y depending on the traffic) of cost to your destination. We've used ok taxis to and from the
Central Bus Station a few times and have never been charged more than the estimated fare. Do make sure you
book at the desk though. There is a shuttle bus service to the City Centre - we haven't given this a go yet but
have seen the buses and they seem quite frequent. One thing to watch out for I'm afraid is being over charged at
the duty free shops. This has happened to us a few times. Ask for the till receipt as well as your credit / debit card
receipt and check the number of items on the till receipt against what you actually bought. Do this as close to the
shop as you can, and go back if you need to. Someone else was waiting to query her bill while we were being
dealt with. The woman in the shop claimed that there was some problem with their bar coding system. If this is
so, they should get it sorted out - the problem seems to having been going on for quite some time.
SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 10 June 2010 by D Callaghan (Ireland)
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |
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Sofia Airport Terminal 2, being light and spacious, but calm and quiet. The baggage reclaim
took forever! There were 3 or 4 baggage reclaim belts but only one was being used for 3
flights that had just arrived. The baggage took forever to come round and when it did it was
all wet and slushy from the snow outside and several bags were damaged. Free WiFi so I could
check e-mails etc while I was waiting for bags. When leaving, check in staff weren't the
nicest but did what they had to efficiently. The security checkpoint is in the middle of the
airport between the check in hall and arrivals. The security check was quick, but this was
because they were very lax about everything, many people went through with bottles of water
and drinks and they were generally making the minimum of effort. Had to pass through passport
control again which was quick. Upon arriving in Bulgaria we had docked at a jet way so walked
off the plane and into the airport. When leaving our plane was parked at a remote stand so we
went to a bus gate to be bussed to the aircraft. Shops were hard to find but I found this
quite refreshing instead of usual duty free shops squashed into the corner of every other
airport I usually go through.
SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 22 February 2010 by D Kemp (UK)
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Customer Rating : 2/5 |
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Flight inbound to Sofia arrived on time, but took nearly an hour for luggage to start coming
on the carousel in dribs and drabs. On the outbound flight back to Gatwick the security was
slack (a fellow flier was allowed to take bottled water in) and security staff rude in both
directions at passport control. The prices were astronomical in the airport (Ģ4 for a can of
beer which I didn't purchase) and Ģ5 for two half filled cold cups of coffee with huffy and
eye rolling service from a snotty woman in the cafe booth. Seriously not what was needed after
a days travelling and the prospect of further travelling to come. The airport was clean and
although small appeared spacious. Overall the airport was okay but let down by the staff who
are in need of training in customer service, regardless of what language they or the
travellers speak. Saying that this is the only choice for most travellers coming into
Bulgaria, however we were disappointed as to how the airport prices were exploiting the
travellers using it the most we have experienced in any country so far.
SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 8 January 2010 by Henning Brogaard
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
The airport as such is very pleasant. I am only talking about terminal 2. Itīs a small airport
with limited facilities. Prices are high, but I donīt know any airport which is cheap.
Immigration and customs formalities are quick, kind and very effective. It is an agreeable
airport until you leave the building and start looking for a taxi - you can rest assured that
you will be cheated the way you canīt imagine. If it is possible ask your hotel to order
transport for you.
SOFIA AIRPORT customer review : 22 October 2008 by P Bedson
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
T2 is modern and OK but T1 is like something out of the Third World not an EU member state!
Taxi drivers in Bulgaria are bandits - do not accept an offer from a tout in the arrivals hall
- you could easily end up having to pay €60 or €70 - there are two or three little booths
opposite from where you emerge in arrivals. Go to them and tell them where you are going -
they give you a little form to give the driver and there is usually someone to point you at
the right car. If you do this the rate will be reasonable (but still twice the rate back from
town if you get an honest driver - ask your hotel to get you a car). Airside facilities are
not great and the bars are very expensive
SOFIA AIRPORT review : 10 October 2008 : by S Reed
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Customer Rating : 2/5 | |
The new airport has a lot of space, but there are already signs that the building work might have
been a tad rushed. While I was waiting for a BA flight a small piece of rubbish dropped from above,
followed by a large but (mercifully) dead cockroach. The range of food on offer was limited, poor
and expensive although the ice cream stall is worth a visit. Bulgarian food is normally good, but
there is no sign of any Bulgarian grub inside the airport, not even a slice of banitsa. The
authorities have missed a great chance to promote the food and culture of the country. Elsewhere
there could be sales points for good Bulgarian souvenirs plus a good choice of folklore CDs.
Bulgaria has a wonderful music culture which many visitors have come specifically to sample. The
gentleman in the duty free was very helpful about the different products but, again, the range was
very limited. However, I enjoyed the relative peace and quiet.
Sofia Airport review by B Cale
6 April 2008 Customer Rating : 
"Public transport not advertised". Go to the Sofia Airport Web site. Click on Transport under
Services. Then click on Buses on the left hand menu.
Sofia Airport review by Lawrie Hall
5 April 2008 Customer Rating : 
Sofia Terminal 2 is easy to use. That's it. It is a big rip-off if you need to eat or drink. Mind
you, yesterday (2/4/2008) the restaurant was closed, and knowing that Bulgaria Air only provides a
sandwich on its 2030 flight to London made things difficult as well as expensive (if it had been
open). Coffee in central Sofia 1.5 to 2 lev. airport 4.5 lev. 50cl beer in Sofia downtown 2 lev,
small-town Bulgaria 1.2 lev. Airport 6 lev. Outrageous. Don't even ask about spirits. Gets even
worse airside. So be prepared. There is a taxi prepayment if you arrive at the airport and want to
go downtown, but be prepared to haggle to go back to the airport from the City. Public transport
not advertised and incredibly difficult to find out about. Under no circumstances take a taxi from
the Central Rail or bus Station. Taxi driver will calm you by saying he will use the meter - but
will flag a tariff 4-5 times the official rate. Sad but true. Probably the worst airport in Europe
for rip-off.
Sofia Airport review by Lee Melbourn
26 October 2007 Customer Rating : 
Sofia Aiport T1 - Whilst everyone is raving about the new terminal, if you are unlucky and have to use
T1 be prepared. It is awful. Probably one of the worst airports I have been to. Considering this is
the capital of Bulgaria, there is nothing there. The only thing that was open was a news-stand. I
bought a paper then discovered it was 7 days old! This place needs knocking down.
Sofia Airport review by Maurice Kardas
18 October 2007 Customer Rating :
It was a great relief that the new terminal was opened beginning of this year. Arriving is very quick.
Departing is still a mess. Being an elite plus member of Skyteam I use the business check in. This
counter however is normally not there or is being used by everybody. There are 2 business lounges.
Use the one downstairs, a lot larger and more seats and tables to work on. Also duty free is
improving. Pleasant airport although the business lounge could do with AC.
Sofia Airport review by Jack Sheldon
28 May 2007 Customer Rating : 
Used Sofia this week and the new terminal made a favourable impression.
On arrival, there was no line at immigration and having no luggage I was
on the street within about 10 minutes of touch-down, before the person
collecting me had turned up. On departure, arrived at the airport at
6:05 am for a 07:10 departure, had accomplished check-in, security and
immigration with 10 minutes. The airport terminal is a bit spartan and
there are still very few outlets. I was given access to the "business
lounge", which looks like it was designed by EasyJet (it's all in bright
orange too!). All access to and from planes seems to be by bus. There
are finger docks but they don't seem to be in service at all and most of
the planes are parked at remote gates. The one plane parked in front of
a finger dock, wasn't attached to it. The toilets looked as though they
hadn't been cleaned in a long time, but overall the airport gave a
generally professional impression.
Sofia Airport review by George Tamamdjiev
14 February 2007 Customer Rating : n/a
The new terminal is now open and some of the airlines are using this
facility. The building is brand new, very spacious. Some of the shops
and restaurants are not opened yet but this airport is miles better
than the old one.
Sofia Airport review by Ivan Ilieff
27 October 2006
Being a Bulgarian native I fly into and out of SOF on a regular basis.
The old building cannot possibly handle the increasing passenger traffic
and the launch of the new shiny terminal is being posponed since
November of 2005 until present day. SOF has the unfriendliest check-in
staff in Europe and the United States (New York excluded). Make sure you
check the weight of your luggage carefuly before leaving for the airport
and distribute the luggage evenly in your bags. I was made to remove
stuff out of my 55-pound suitcase and put it in my 35 pound one at the
check-in desk in front of the entire line or else threatened with an
excess luggage charge. Early mornings turn SOF's departure hall into a
zoo, since a few carriers (LH, OS, AZ, BA) have flights departing
between 6 and 8AM carrying primarily connecting passengers for long-haul
flights out of the major hubs in Europe. The airlines usually send their
planes to arrive in Sofia late on the previous evening so that they can
depart early in the morning. On several occasions, however, due to
technical problems at SOF, (the explanation given when that actually
happened to me was that the lighting system on the runway was out of
commission) said planes never make it to SOF in the first place. So it
is a good idea to check with your airline the night before your
departure to ensure your plane had safely landed. Bar on the second
floor (departure hall) is way too overpriced - they charge EUR3.50 for a
beer, with an average price in the city for the same brand of about
EUR1. Security and passport control are usually smooth and once on the
airside a visit to the duty free shop is a must since it still offers
the lowest prices of tobacco and liquor in the world (A carton of
Marlboros costs EUR 15.00!!!) Transfer to the planes is by bus and the
boarding procedure is nonexistent, since everyone is trying to cram on
the plane at the same time. Bulgarians are very skilled in running and
pushing people around, so even if you are the last one to board the bus,
that is the first one to get off the bus and climb the stair onto the
plane, there is no guarantee that you won't be overrun by the crowd.
Overall the airport is inadequate for a capital city, hopefully the new
terminal will soon change the gateway to my home country.
Sofia Airport review by Nakasone Yasuhiro
6 November 2005
Sofia Airport is easily one of the worst airports I have used. Avoid
planes arriving during the day, especially in the early afternoon as
there are 7 or 8 planes landing at the same time resulting in chaos and
traveller misery. Before arrival: Prepare for small planes, full of
people who carry all their baggage onboard. If you get on the plane
late, there won't be place in the overhead compartments for your stuff.
If possible, ask the flight attendant for a seat close to the exit. If
you don't fly business, and are on a plane with an aft door, get a seat
near the aft door. The locals flying on the plane spontaneously burst in
applause on touch-down; it beats me why given what awaits you after
landing. Arrival: Getting off the plane: Passengers are required to get
off the plane and board a bus to the terminal building. Bring an
umbrella and water-proof shoes in case of bad weather, because the buses
stop away from the plane and the terminal building; and jumping over
large pools of water is how you get to the bus/terminal. Try to get on
the second bus, because it stops in front of the passport control booths
that work better. Passport control: Sit on the right side of the bus,
near the door, and be ready to run for the passport control booth. Avoid
control booths after #3 (my experience is they tend to work slower than
#1 to #3, and that the queues there are even less ordered than those in
the first three. Boot #1 is the crew priority booth, and if several
planes land at the same time you may wait a long time before the crews
get checked. Booths are numbered 1 to maybe 8, the last four or five
seem always closed, numbers run from right to left. Queuing is quite
chaotic, so be prepared to be pushed, especially by the locals, to have
people get in the line in front of you, etc. etc. Be prepared that the
passport control official may go out of the booth at any time for a cup
of coffee or a cigarette, and that he/she isn't answerable, polite or
anything. Except for crews, there are no priority lines; flying business
into or outside of Sofia is generally quite pointless, as there is
almost no difference in the way business passengers are treated by the
staff. Don't expect announcements of any kind. You're supposed to know
what you're doing anyway, right? The luggage: there is random wait for
the luggage. In bad weather, the bags come in wet and dirty. I have not
had problems with lost baggage, so I can't comment on that. The customs:
Very convenient. At night there are usually one or two sleepy people
there who try to ignore the passengers. During the day there are more
people, but I have never been asked for anything. The arrival hall:
Another nightmare. Usually full of people who seem to have little or no
buisness there, and get in the way of the folks with bags. Since the
arrival hall is small, it is over quickly. Ignore the people who come to
you and in broken English offer you a taxi ride. Fare to the city: go to
the counter of OK Supertrans taxi in the right corner of the arrival
hall, and have someone to get a cab for you and come with you to the
car. Once I was refused a booked ride by one of the drivers because my
bags were "too big". The fare is (Nov. 2005) around 25 eurocents a
kilometer; a fare to the city center is about 6-8 leva. Before
departure: again, avoid daytime flights. Early morning flights are
early, but arrival, check-in, security, passport control and boarding
are a breeze. Arrive about one hour before boarding, and double the time
if you travel daytime. A traffic jam develops around 2:30pm because of
all the people who come to the airport to greet arriving passengers, and
that you may wait for up to 15-20 minutes on the last kilometre of the
road to the airport. Check-in: there is no advantage in flying business
on check-in. There is a serious advantage in early arrival. The people
on the check-in speak some English, but are generally grumpy and
unhelpful. Make sure you've got the seating you asked for, because the
planes are usually crowded. Security control: this is a nightmare about
as bad as the passport control on the way in. There are two checkpoints,
and no matter how many people are queued up, usually only one is in
operation. The queue usually goes halfway into the departure hall, in
front of the check-in counters - undoubtedly very convenient for
everyone. Prepare for a long wait here during daytime. Passport
control: usually easy, the bottleneck is the security check. Boarding:
board the bus last, and stand on the right side. Getting on the plane:
Try to get first, in order to avoid full compartments.
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