Reaching the hotel from the airport
Reaching the official conference hotel (Park Hotel Moskva) from Terminal 2 is extremely easy. One just takes the metro from the airport to the stop called “Joliot Curie”. The hotel is 2 min away from this stop (please have a look at google maps).
Transportation from Terminal 1 is more complicated. You can take the shuttle to Terminal 2 (https://www.sofia-airport.bg/en/passengers/and-airport/inter-terminal) and then the metro, use a combination of buses or a take taxi. You can find more information at:
https://www.sofia-airport.bg/en/passengers/and-airport/public-transport
A map of the metro can be found at
http://www.metropolitan.bg/en/map/
Transportation from the hotel to the Sofia University Rectorate
If you are accommodated at Park Hotel Moskva, please take the metro from the stop called “Joliot Curie” (just outside the hotel) in direction city center and take off at the stop called “SU Sv. Kliment Ohridski”. This stop is just outside the Rectorate.
Metro
The most convenient way of transportation in Sofia is the metro, due to the huge traffic jams. A map of the metro can be found at
http://www.metropolitan.bg/en/map/
Bus and metro tickets
The bus tickets are bought from special kiosks at the bus stops (unfortunately such kiosks are not present at every bus stop). Very often, the bus drivers also sell tickets. In general, you should not expect the driver to speak English. The price of a single ticket is 0.80 EUR.
You can buy tickets for the metro at every metro station. There are discount prices if you buy an electronic card with 10 or 20 tickets.
https://www.metrosofia.com/en/tickets
If you consider more than two travels for a given day you may consider a daily pass. It cost 4 BGN and it is valid for all ground lines + metro. It has a stamped date on it so you should not validate it except for the metro. For the metro you validate it at the kiosk and the use is as a single travel tick to enter (you should do this every time).
Using taxi in Sofia.
The taxis in Sofia are relatively cheap – below 0.5 EUR per km. Most of the taxis are good and fair but unfortunately there is a small number of taxis with extremely high prices and one can easily mistaken them. That is why we would advise you in case you need a taxi to ask the hotel or the organizers to order you a taxi. One of the biggest companies, that services also the two terminals of the airport, is “OK supertrans” (www.oktaxi.net).
Currency
The currency in Bulgaria is Bulgarian lev (BGN). The conversion rate from EUR to BGN is fixed, 1 EUR =1.95421BGN. You can exchange EUR in almost every bank. There are specialized exchange offices but please make sure first that the conversion rate they offer is OK for you.
It is not a common practice to the shops to accept EUR. The big super markets and some of the small shops accept debit cards. Please, check your back politics about paying with your card on POS terminal abroad.
Restaurants
There are many restaurants near the Rectorate of University of Sofia. You can find a map at the conference web site under “Meals”. Some nearby restaurants, that offer good meals and reasonable prices (for the city center standards) are: Krivoto, O!Shipka 2, Godzila, Happy Bar&Grill and Divaka. Traditional Bulgarian restaurants that are good quality but at a little bit higher prices are Hadjidraganov's Cellars and Pod Lipite. The hotel, Park Hotel Moskva, has also a restaurant.
Some restaurants accept debit cards (Krivoto for example).
Posters
The standard size of a poster is assumed to be A0. You can print the poster either in your home institute or in Sofia. We can not cover, though, the price of printing the poster in Sofia that would be around 15 EUR. A big copy shop that is located close to the city center and also close to a metro station can be found at:
https://maniaprint.bg/en/contact-us/
“Mania 5” on that web page (Copy Center Mania 5, Address: 1st Hristo Smirnenrski Blvd.)
Please, be prepared that if the copy shop is very busy, the printing of the poster will be done within a few hours.
How to reach the lecture hall
If you are traveling with a metro, the metro station "Sofia University 'St. Kliment Ohridski'" is just outside the Rectorate. Once you enter the building there will be signs that will lead you to the lecture hall. Here is a scheme with the entrances and the shortest path you can take.
