Bucharest Airport (Otopeni) to Sofia

Updated: October 29, 2026

Bucharest Henri Coanda Airport (OTP, Otopeni) to central Sofia is about 410 km by road via Giurgiu, the Danube Bridge and Ruse. The drive takes around 6 to 7 hours, depending on Bucharest traffic and the bridge. There are no routine border checks between Romania and Bulgaria as of autumn 2026. A private transfer costs 285 € per car, from the terminal to your Sofia address.

Who lands in Bucharest for Sofia?

Otopeni is Romania’s main international airport, with long-haul and low-cost connections that Sofia does not always match. Travellers from North America, the Middle East and parts of Western Europe sometimes find a cheaper or more direct flight into Bucharest. Others are visiting both capitals on one trip, or travelling on to northern Bulgaria, where Bucharest is in fact the closer airport.

Destination in Bulgaria	Closer airport	Approx. road distance from Otopeni
Ruse	Bucharest	95 km
Veliko Tarnovo	Bucharest or Sofia, similar	200 km
Pleven	Similar	245 km
Sofia	Sofia	410 km

The route from Otopeni

1. From the airport, north of the city, the road follows the Bucharest ring or cuts through the city towards the DN5, depending on traffic. This first stretch can take anywhere from 45 minutes to well over an hour.
2. The DN5 runs south to Giurgiu, about 60 km of mostly straight road through villages.
3. The Danube Bridge between Giurgiu and Ruse, with toll points on both sides.
4. From Ruse, the road heads south-west through the Danubian Plain past Byala and towards Pleven or Lovech, joining the Hemus motorway near Yablanitsa for the last stretch into Sofia.

The Danube Bridge and its toll

Cars pay a toll on each side of the bridge. Reported figures in June 2026 were 15 lei (about €3) on the Romanian side and around €2 on the Bulgarian side. Romania has been rolling out online prepayment for its side under the name eTarifGiurgiuPod. Repair work on the bridge often limits it to one lane with alternating traffic, so queues are possible at any time of year.

Documents and borders

If you are flying in from outside the Schengen area, you go through passport control at Otopeni, and as a non-EU national you are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System there, which has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. From that point you are inside Schengen, and the road border at Giurgiu–Ruse has had no routine checks since 1 July 2025.

Carry your passport throughout the journey. Police can still stop vehicles and check identity on either side of the river.

Planning around your flight

• Put your flight number in the booking form so the arrival time is clear.
• Choose the right vehicle: Sedan for up to 4 passengers and 4 bags, Minivan for up to 6 and 6 bags, Van for up to 8 and 8 bags.
• For an evening arrival, consider a night in Bucharest or Ruse and an onward transfer the next morning; six hours on the road after a long-haul flight is tiring, especially with children.
• Add child seats or boosters if you need them.

Ruse makes a good overnight stop. It is about an hour and a half from Otopeni, has a handsome centre on the Danube, and splits the journey into a short evening leg and a relaxed four-hour drive the next day.

Other options

There are flights between Bucharest and Sofia, and coach services between the two capitals. Both involve getting from Otopeni into the city first, which takes time. For one traveller with a flexible day the coach is the cheapest; for families and anyone arriving late, a door-to-door transfer saves several changes.

Comparing gateways? See Thessaloniki Airport to Sofia and Nis Airport to Sofia. If you are heading for the Black Sea instead, read Bucharest Airport to Golden Sands.