Cheapest€28.23
- Florentia Bus Sofia OOD FB198006:168h 54m15:10Sofia Central Bus StationBudapest Nepliget
Door to door 9h 38mCO2 17.0 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Traveling from Sofia to Budapest costs €28.23 at the cheapest and takes 4h 24m door to door at the fastest, across 2 modes and 5 operators. The route covers 641 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Flight.
At a glance
- Distance
- 641 km
- Fastest
- 4h 24m
- Average
- 7h 3m
- Services per day
- 24
- Cheapest
- €28.23
- CO2 per passenger
- 88.5 kg
Every way to make this journey
Journey times below are door to door, so they include getting to the terminal and away from it at the other end. Fares are the cheapest we currently sell on September 22, 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | 4h 24m | 1h 14m | 3h 10m | €71.53 | 159.9 kg | 12 |
| Coach | 9h 12m | 8h 28m | 44m | €33.18 | 17.0 kg | 12 |
- 4h 24mFastest, by Flight
- €33.18Cheapest, by Coach
- 17.0 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 641 kmDistance traveled
The cheapest and the fastest on September 22, 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€58.55
- Bulgaria Air BA442818:281h 14m19:42Sofia SOFBudapest BUD
Door to door 4h 24mCO2 159.9 kgChanges 0Fixed, no changes
Today's real departures
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modeled until our booking connectors are live.
| Operator | Service | Departs | Arrives | Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FlixBus-eu2 changes | FlixBus N981 | 08:22 | 04:19 | 20h 3m |
| FlixBus-eu2 changes | FlixBus N981 | 08:22 | 03:26 | 19h 20m |
| FlixBus-eu2 changes | FlixBus 983 | 10:18 | 11:39 | 25h 27m |
| FlixBus-eu2 changes | FlixBus 983 | 10:18 | 11:09 | 25h 10m |
| FlixBus-eu3 changes | FlixBus 983 | 10:18 | 10:55 | 24h 58m |
| FlixBus-eu2 changes | FlixBus N981 | 19:42 | 13:09 | 17h 33m |
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of traveling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Sofia to Budapest | TueSep 8 | WedSep 9 | ThuSep 10 | FriSep 11 | SatSep 12 | SunSep 13 | MonSep 14 | TueSep 15 | WedSep 16 | ThuSep 17 | FriSep 18 | SatSep 19 | SunSep 20 | MonSep 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €60.13 | €52.98 | €70.03 | €51.33 | €52.43 | €51.88 | €47.48 | €33.18 | €35.38 | €45.28 | €41.43 | €41.43 | €38.68 | €35.38 |
| Flight | €113.42 | €105.16 | €131.12 | €101.62 | €103.98 | €98.08 | €87.46 | €71.53 | €74.48 | €99.26 | €81.56 | €85.10 | €79.79 | €73.89 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-22 · €28.23
That is the traveling done. What happens after you walk out into Budapest is not something we sell.
Rooms within reach of Budapest Keleti
Hotels and apartments near downtown, most of them with free cancellation, on a map that shows what is walkable.
Search Budapest on Booking.comOr compare on Expedia
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When to book Sofia to Budapest
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €32.6390 days
- €28.2360 days
- €30.4345 days
- €26.5830 days
- €29.8821 days
- €35.3814 days
- €47.487 days
- €70.033 days
- €60.131 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 30 days ahead, at €26.58.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and most expensive lead time is 163 percent. The most expensive point is €70.03, 3 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 30 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 30 days ahead. You are inside that window.
Which departure day costs least
Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.
- €38.68Sun
- €35.38Mon
- €33.18Tue
- €35.38Wed
- €45.28Thu
- €41.43Fri
- €41.43Sat
How the fare moves month by month
The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.
- €33.18Sep
- €30.43Oct
- €28.23Nov
- €27.68Dec
- €26.03Jan
- €23.83Feb
The route
What the journey actually looks like
Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.
- How far it really runs
- The route covers 641 km against 631 km in a straight line, a detour of 2 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
- First and last departure
- The first service of the day leaves Sofia at 06:26 and the last at 18:28, across 12 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Where you leave from and where you arrive
The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.
Sofia
Rail
- Sofia Central
- Sofia-Sever
- Sofia railway station
Bus
- Sofia Central Bus Station
- спирка Ехо
Air
- SOF
Budapest
Rail
- Budapest Keleti
- Budapest-Déli railway station
- Budapest-Közvágóhíd HÉV station
Bus
- Budapest Nepliget
- Budapest, Kelenföld vasútállomás
Air
- BUD
Ferry
- Dock 42
- Dráva utca
Landing at BUD after the trains have stopped is the case this solves. We do not run cars.
A car waiting when you land in Budapest
Settled in advance, so the ride into Budapest costs what it said it would rather than what the cab stand says.
Book a ride from BUD with Welcome PickupsOr check Daytrip
Partner links. We do not operate transfers. We earn a commission on a booking, and the fare is the same as going direct.
Who runs this route
Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.
| Operator | From | Fastest | Typical speed | Flexibility | On board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bulgaria Air | €58.55 | 4h 24m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
 FlixBus | €28.78 | 8h 57m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi |
| Florentia Bus Sofia OOD | €28.23 | 8h 58m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi |
 Ryanair | €57.96 | 4h 24m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
 Wizz Air | €62.68 | 4h 24m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
What the fare is made of
Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operator fare | €22.50 | 80% |
| Taxes | €2.25 | 8% |
| Supplier fees | €1.49 | 5% |
| Our service fee | €1.99 | 7% |
| Total you pay | €28.23 | 100% |
A day in Budapest hauling a suitcase is a shorter day than it needs to be. We do not store bags.
Baggage storage near Budapest Keleti
Priced by the bag and by the day, booked before you get there, and insured while it sits.
Check Budapest on StasherOr try Bounce
Partner links. We do not run these networks. We earn a commission on a booking, and the price is the same as going direct.
Questions about Sofia to Budapest
The questions people actually ask about this trip, answered from the same prices and times the page above is built on rather than written once and left to go stale.
How long does it take to get from Sofia to Budapest?
The fastest journey from Sofia to Budapest takes 4h 24m door to door, of which 1h 14m is spent moving, on the Flight. Most services take around 7h 3m, because that average includes slower stopping services and journeys with a connection. Times include reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end.
How much does it cost to travel from Sofia to Budapest?
The cheapest fare from Sofia to Budapest is €28.23, checked on September 22, 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €70.19. Both figures are the total for one passenger, including taxes, supplier fees and our service fee, so nothing is added at checkout.
What is the cheapest way to get from Sofia to Budapest?
The cheapest way from Sofia to Budapest is by Coach, at €33.18 for one passenger on September 22, 2026. That journey takes 9h 12m door to door. Cheaper is rarely faster on this corridor, and the comparison table on this page shows what each mode costs against what it saves.
What is the fastest way to get from Sofia to Budapest?
The fastest way from Sofia to Budapest is by Flight, at 4h 24m door to door. Only 1h 14m of that is spent moving; the remaining 3h 10m is reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end. The cheapest fare on that mode is €71.53.
When should I book Sofia to Budapest?
Fares from Sofia to Budapest bottom out around 30 days before departure, at €26.58. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive lead time is 163 percent, measured on September 22, 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Sofia to Budapest?
Tuesday is the cheapest day to depart from Sofia to Budapest, at €33.18. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on September 22, 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Sofia to Budapest?
February is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Sofia to Budapest, at €23.83 for one passenger. Each month is priced on its fifteenth, so the comparison is like for like rather than a mix of weekends and midweek departures.
Who runs service from Sofia to Budapest?
5 operators sell services from Sofia to Budapest across 2 modes: Bulgaria Air, FlixBus, Florentia Bus Sofia OOD, Ryanair, Wizz Air. Journey times, fares and fare conditions differ between them, and the operator table on this page compares all of them on speed, flexibility and what is provided on board.
Is there a direct service from Sofia to Budapest?
Every service we sell from Sofia to Budapest is direct, with around 24 departures a day and a fastest journey of 4h 24m door to door. No connection is needed, so there is no missed connection risk to plan around on this corridor.
How much CO2 does the journey from Sofia to Budapest produce?
Traveling from Sofia to Budapest by Coach produces about 17.0 kg of CO2 per passenger, the lowest of any mode on this corridor. The same journey by Flight produces about 159.9 kg, roughly 9 times as much for one passenger.
Which station or terminal do services from Sofia to Budapest use?
Services from Sofia to Budapest by Flight leave from Sofia SOF and arrive at Budapest BUD. Allow about 3h 10m in total for reaching the departure terminal and leaving the arrival one, which is already included in every door to door time on this page.
Can I change or refund a ticket from Sofia to Budapest?
2 of the 5 operators we sell from Sofia to Budapest allow a change or a refund. A change on a changeable fare costs €5.00. The operator table on this page names which is which, and the condition is shown again before you pay.
Where these numbers come from
Observed service A carrier record shows this named operator serving this named pair, and we carry that through unchanged.
Schedules, seat counts and fares are generated by our own model until the supplier contracts are signed. Places, coordinates, operators, which operator serves which pair, and every distance are real. We would rather say that on every page than let a modeled number pass for a filed one.
Defined in full at Door to door, Fares, The booking window, Carbon, Distances
- On this page
- Every figure above was computed for Sofia to Budapest on September 7, 2026: 641 km of route against 631 km in a straight line, 24 services a day, 5 operators, a cheapest fare of €28.23, and 4h 24m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
The trip is the easy half to plan. The days in Budapest are the half people leave until last.
What to book in Budapest before you go
Day trips that leave Budapest in the morning and cover a good part of Hungary by evening.
See Budapest on GetYourGuideOr browse Viator
Partner links. We do not sell tours or tickets. We earn a commission on a booking, and it never changes the price.
Other ways to make this journey
Arriving in Budapest
Leaving Budapest
- 249Places you can leave for
- 61Countries
- 98Operators
Plan a trip from here
Ask Ori for the same corridor under a different constraint, or for a longer trip that starts on it.