Rental cars in Sofia from $38

If your trip to Sofia is all organized but your travel itinerary is looking a bit empty, we can give you a few hints and tips.Experience the best of what this place has to offer by adding Church of St. George and National Archaeological Museum to your schedule. If you have an extra day or two to spare, have a look at Ivan Vazov National Theatre and Russian Church as well.Near the city center, Sofia Central Mineral Baths is one attraction to consider putting on your must-see list. If you still have room on that travel schedule, City Garden and Bulgarian Army Stadium will keep you occupied too.

After spending loads of time networking with like-minded people, it’s always great to know you can kick back and relax somewhere nearby. If you’re visiting Sofia for business, these are some of the top convention centers that are close to hotels and restaurants:

• National Palace of Culture (1 mile away).
• NDK (1 mile away).
• Expo 2000 Congress Centre (2 miles away).

Sure, you can explore Sofia without renting a car. But with so much to check out here, having one would definitely make your trip more fun and convenient. If you’re planning to get out of town and into wide, open spaces, opt for a car rental with a bit of power. A mid-size or full-size SUV will take you to the surrounding snowfields in roomy style. Prefer to spend most of your escape downtown? A small, economical car will be your best bet. Driving through narrow streets and squeezing into tiny parking spaces will be a walk in the park with one of these.

You’ll be happy to hear that there’s a broad range of luxury rental vehicles available in Sofia. What you end up going for depends on how much you want to spend and what you plan to do. Prestige vehicles often spare no expense when it comes to mod cons and comfort. If you’re splashing out, why not grab an elite SUV, or perhaps an upmarket medium-sized vehicle? On the other hand, if you just need a set of wheels to get you from A to B as efficiently as possible, stick with a budget compact vehicle (or something else that won’t blow your budget).

In Sofia, motorists stick to the right side. When traveling someplace new, it’s always a wise idea to rent a vehicle with automatic transmission. That way, you can concentrate on the road and not stress about gear changes.

Nabbing a parking space in Sofia isn’t too hard. Of course, it can depend on the time and place — it could be a bit tricky parking in the very center during busy periods.

Sofia has a population of approximately 1,152,600, so prepare for some traffic congestion. The roads are busy in the early and late rush hours, especially in the city center.

Speed limits vary throughout Sofia, but typically range from 50km/h to 140km/h. Most residential zones have a maximum speed of 50km/h unless posted otherwise.

Generally, one of two things will happen. Your rental car company may charge the amount of the fine to your credit card. This is the usual approach. Alternatively, it may provide your contact details to local law enforcement agencies so the fine is issued directly to you.

It’s against the law to use your cell phone while driving around Sofia, and you may even be charged a fine for simply handling your phone if you’re in control of a vehicle. That being said, using hands-free or Bluetooth functions is permitted, as long as you stay focused on the road.

The legal BAC (blood alcohol content) limit while driving in Sofia is 0.05%. If a big night is on the cards, leave your rental car behind and organize some other way of getting home instead.

No, so don’t risk a fine by doing it. In Sofia, red means stop, with no exceptions. When approaching a set of traffic lights, always maintain a safe speed so you can easily stop if you need to.

They are, so buckle up. Although, there are a couple of exceptions for certain vehicles used by public transportation systems.