Intercity buses in Bulgaria: timetables and rights

Transport · Last reviewed: 2026-10-07

Where to get service information

The website of the Road Transport Administration Executive Agency (Автомобилна администрация) lists directorates for road transport, international permits and vehicle inspection; the page we read had no intercity route lookup tool. For times and fares rely on the carrier's own site, the station ticket office or the operator you buy from; timetables change by season and day, and we fix none of them here.

1. 1

   Identify the carrier for your route

   Find out which company runs the line from the bus station or the companies' sites; there may be several carriers on one route.
2. 2

   Confirm the time and departure point before you buy

   A town can have more than one bus station or stop; read the departure point on the ticket.
3. 3

   Keep the ticket and journey details

   For a complaint after a delay or cancellation you need the ticket, proof of payment and a record of the day and time.

Rights after a delay or cancellation under EU rules

According to the EU's Your Europe page, bus passenger rights apply to regular long-distance services with a scheduled distance of 250 km or more. If a service is cancelled, the carrier must inform passengers within 30 minutes after the scheduled departure. For cancellation due to overbooking, early departure or operational reasons the passenger chooses between reimbursement of the ticket within 14 days plus free return transport, or continuing or re-routing under comparable conditions at no extra cost.

According to the same page, the same options apply to delays of more than 2 hours; on journeys over 3 hours with a delay of more than 90 minutes, refreshments and accommodation are also provided. If the carrier does not offer reimbursement or re-routing, compensation of 50% of the ticket price can be claimed. These rights apply only under the stated conditions; for journeys under 250 km look at national rules and the carrier's terms.

How to complain

The page says a complaint to the carrier must be made within 3 months of the date the service was scheduled. The carrier must reply within 1 month, and a final reply is due within 3 months of receiving the complaint. If that fails, you can turn to the national enforcement body or to alternative dispute resolution. Which Bulgarian body handles this, find out after sending a written complaint to the carrier, and keep the reply.

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