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How to get fromEssen to Bulgariaby train, plane, bus, night train, car, or car train

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There are 13 ways to get from Essen to Bulgaria by train, plane, bus, night train, car, or car train

Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.

  1. Train to Frankfurt, fly to Sofia Airport

    best
    1. Take the train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurttrain train
    2. Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane plane FRA - SOF
    6h 46m
    $153–391

  2. Fly Dortmund Airport to Sofia Airport

    cheapest
    1. Fly from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane plane DTM - SOF
    6h 49m
    $64–452

  3. Train, bus via Leipzig

    1. Take the train from Essen Hbf to Leipzig Hbftrain train 51
    2. Take the bus from Leipzig to Sofia Central Bus Stationbus bus
    27h 36m
    $174–320

  4. Night train, train

    1. Take the nighttrain from Essen Hbf to Wien Hbfnighttrain night train Nj
    2. Take the train from Wien Hbf to Bucuresti Nordtrain train 347
    3. Take the train from Bucuresti Nord to Sofiatrain train 461
    42h 36m
    $372–673

  5. Drive  1,918.8 km

    1. Drive from Essen to Sofiacar car 1,918.8 km
    16h 55m
    $316–457

  6. Fly Düsseldorf International Airport to Varna Airport

    1. Fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Varna Airport (VAR)plane plane DUS - VAR
    8h 13m
    $210–469

  7. Train to Cologne Bonn Airport, fly to Varna Airport

    1. Take the train from Essen Hbf to Koeln/Bonn Flughafentrain train
    2. Fly from Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Varna Airport (VAR)plane plane CGN - VAR
    9h 26m
    $192–572

  8. Train, train to Eindhoven Airport, fly to Sofia Airport

    1. Take the train from Essen Hbf to Viersen Bahnhoftrain train
    2. Take the train from Venlo to Eindhoven Centraaltrain train
    3. Fly from Eindhoven Airport (EIN) to Sofia Airport (SOF)plane plane EIN - SOF
    8h 22m
    $82–435

  9. Fly Dortmund Airport to Varna Airport

    1. Fly from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Varna Airport (VAR)plane plane DTM - VAR
    7h 20m
    $128–461

  10. Train to Frankfurt, fly to Bucharest Otopeni, bus

    1. Take the train from Essen Hbf to Frankfurttrain train
    2. Fly from Frankfurt (FRA) to Bucharest Otopeni (OTP)plane plane FRA - OTP
    3. Take the bus from Buchurest to Rusebus bus
    9h 11m
    $160–366

  11. Train, bus

    1. Take the train from Essen Hbf to Kassel-Wilhelmshoehetrain train Re
    2. Take the bus from Kassel Grüner Waldweg to Sofia Serdica Bus Stationbus bus Citylines 17
    30h 49m
    $162–260

  12. Bus

    1. Take the bus from Essen Hbf to Niš, Autobuska Stanicabus bus
    2. Take the bus from Niš, Autobuska Stanica to Sofiya, Avtogara Serdikabus bus
    36h 12m
    $165–208

  13. Drive, car train

    1. Drive from Essen to Fuldacar car
    2. Take the cartrain from Fulda to Villach Hbfcartrain train
    3. Drive from Villach Hbf to Sofiacar car
    21h 10m
    $348–479

Essen to Bulgaria by night train, train, and tram

Calendar15Weekly Services
Duration42h 36mAverage Duration
Ticket$372Cheapest Price
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Comparing Your Travel Options

Map of how to get from Essen to Bulgaria.ExpandLaunch map view
  • Distance: 1,662.3 km
  • Duration: 6h 46m

What companies run services between Essen, Germany and Bulgaria?

Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, and Wizz Air fly from Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) to Varna Airport (VAR) once daily. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Essen Hbf to Serdika via Niš, Autobuska Stanica, Sofiya, Avtogara Serdika, and Central Station in around 36h 12m.

Airlines
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Want to know more about travelling around Bulgaria

Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.

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