Trakia or Hemus motorway: which way from Sofia to the coast?

Updated: October 29, 2026

For Burgas and the southern coast, use the Trakia motorway: it is complete from Sofia to Burgas, about 385 km and 4 hours. For Varna and the northern coast, both work: the Hemus route is shorter but unfinished in the middle, while Trakia via Burgas is longer but faster in places. A private transfer from Sofia to Burgas costs 265 € per vehicle.

The two motorways in brief

	Trakia (A1)	Hemus (A2)
Runs	Sofia – Plovdiv – Stara Zagora – Burgas	Sofia – (Veliko Tarnovo area) – Shumen – Varna
Status as of autumn 2026	Complete	Open at the western and eastern ends; middle under construction
Mountain passes	None	Western section crosses the Balkan foothills
Typical time Sofia to its coastal end	Around 4 h to Burgas	5 h 30 min – 6 h to Varna, using main roads in the middle
Best for	Burgas, the southern coast, winter travel	Varna and the north, stops in Veliko Tarnovo

Which motorway for which part of the coast

Burgas and everything south of it

Trakia, without question. It takes you to Burgas, and from there the coast roads run south. Going via Hemus would mean a long detour.

The coast between Burgas and Varna

Usually Trakia, then north from Burgas. The towns in the middle of the coast, such as Pomorie, Nessebar, Obzor and Byala, are closer to Burgas than to Varna.

Varna

A genuine choice. The northern route via Hemus and Veliko Tarnovo is about 440 km; Trakia and the coast road via Burgas is about 470 km. Driving times are similar. Choose Hemus for stops in Veliko Tarnovo or Madara, and Trakia for predictable motorway driving.

North of Varna: Balchik, Kavarna, Shabla

Hemus, then continue north from Varna. The extra distance via Burgas becomes significant this far north.

By season

Season	Southern coast	Varna and the north
Winter	Trakia	Trakia via Burgas unless the northern roads are clear
Spring and autumn	Trakia	Either; Hemus if you want stops
Summer weekends	Trakia, leaving early	Hemus can avoid the Burgas bottleneck

Why Hemus is still unfinished

Construction of the Hemus motorway has been going on for decades in stages. The western section from Sofia and the eastern section from Shumen to Varna are in use, and new sections in between are opened as they are completed. Because this changes, check the Road Infrastructure Agency (API) for the latest open sections before you travel.

Service areas and breaks

The Trakia has fuel stations and cafés at regular intervals along its whole length, so a break is never far away. On the Hemus route, the motorway sections have fewer facilities, but the middle section passes through towns such as Lovech, Sevlievo and Veliko Tarnovo, where a stop is easy and often more interesting. On a drive of four to six hours, one break of 20 to 30 minutes is sensible on either road.

Travelling with children changes the calculation. The steady motorway rhythm of the Trakia suits a family that wants to arrive quickly, while a stop at Veliko Tarnovo on the northern route can break a long day into two manageable halves.

Tolls

Bulgaria does not have toll booths on these motorways. Instead, vehicles need an electronic vignette to use national roads, including both motorways. This applies to the vehicle, not to passengers.

What this means for a transfer

The price of a private transfer is per vehicle and shown in the booking form before you book; the choice of motorway mainly changes the journey itself. If you want to see Veliko Tarnovo on the way, read our guide to stops between Sofia and Varna. For detailed route pages, see Sofia to Burgas.

If you are heading north-west rather than east, neither motorway helps much; see Sofia to Vidin.

On summer Fridays the slowest part of either route is often the last 20 km into the coast, not the motorway itself. Leaving before 8 am makes the biggest difference.