Parking in the center of Sofia, a challenge or not?

What we need to know if we visit the capital of Bulgaria by car

Parking in the center of Sofia is one of the biggest and most current problems for the city’s residents and visitors. With the increase in the number of cars and limited parking spaces, finding a free parking space has become a challenge for anyone who dares to park there. In this article, we will look at the main parking options in the center of Sofia

Parking in paid zones

“BLUE ZONE”

• Covers a large part of the central area and parking is allowed for up to 2 hours.
• Includes: Surrounded by the boulevards and streets – Blvd. “Gen. M. D. Skobelev”, Blvd. “Opalchenska”, Blvd. “Slivnitsa”, Blvd. “Gen. Danail Nikolaev”, Blvd. “Prof. Milko Bichev”, Blvd. “Evlogi and Hriso Georgievi”, Blvd. “Pencho Slaveykov”, Blvd. “Prague”, “Hr. Botev” Blvd., “Positano” St., “Marko Balabanov” St., “Dobrudzhanski Kray” St.;
• Price for 1 hour of parking is 2 BGN.
• Payment by SMS to short number 1302, in the text write the car number
• Parking in the “BLUE ZONE” is paid in the time interval between 8:30 and 20:00 on weekdays and Saturday from 8:30 to 20:00.

 

 

“GREEN ZONE”

• Covers quieter parts of the central areas. The parking price is lower than that of the Blue Zone and the maximum allowed parking time is double.
• Includes: The area outside the described boundaries of the “BLUE ZONE”, surrounded by the boulevards and streets – “Knyaginya Maria Luiza” Blvd., “Belogradchik” St., “Veslets” St., “Klokotnitsa”, “Budapest” Str., “Kozloduy” Str., “Konstantin Stoilov” Str., “Gen. Danail Nikolaev” Str., “Sitnyakovo” Str., “Mihai Eminescu” Str., “Shipchenski Prohod” Str., “Acad. Lyudmil Stoyanov” Str., “Tsarigradsko Shose” Str., “Evlogi i Hristo Georgievi” Str., “Dragan Tsankov” Str., “Metropolit Kiril Vidinski” Str., “Yosif Petrov” Str., “Velchova Zavera” Str., “Stoyan Mihaylovski” Str., “Peyo Yavorov” Str., “Nikola Y. Vaptsarov” Str., “Atanas Dukov” Str., “Lyuba Velichkova” Str., “Srebarna” Str., “Henrih Ibsen” Str., “Kozyak” Str., “St. Osii Kordobski” Str., “St. Athanasius Veliki” Str., “Kozyak” Str., “Holy Trinity”, “Nikola Obrazopisov” Str., “Episkop Protogen” Str., border of “Yuzhen Park”, “Arsenalski” Str., “Byala Cherkva” Str., “Petko Yu. Todorov” Str., “Akademik Ivan E. Geshov” Str., “Gen. Eduard I. Totleben” Str., “Joakim Karchovski” Str., “Kamen Andreev” Str., “Ohridsko Ezero” Str., “Gueshevo” Str., “Inzh. Ivan Ivanov” Str., “Al. Stamboliyski” Str., “Inzh. Ivan Ivanov” Str., “Konstantin Velichov” Str., “Slivnitsa” Str., “Opalchenska” Str.
• Price for 1 hour of parking is 1 BGN.
• Payment is made again by SMS to short number 1303, with the maximum allowed parking time being 4 hours.
• Parking in the “GREEN ZONE” is paid between 08:30 and 19:30 on weekdays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 18:00.

 

Possible ways to pay for parking in paid zones

Parking rates in paid zones vary depending on the zone in which you wish to park.
You can choose different ways to pay for parking

• With a coupon purchased from a controller, from “TsGM” EAD ticket and subscription card booths, from retail outlets;
• By SMS to short number 1302 for “Blue Zone”
• By SMS to short number 1303 for “Green Zone”
• By message to chatbot “Center for Urban Mobility” in mobile application Viber: https://chats.viber.com/cgm-bot
• By mobile application Urbo city
• By service subscription
• By vignette sticker for local paid parking for residents in hourly paid parking zones

How and where do people with disabilities park

People with permanent disabilities have the right to park in specially designated places in hourly parking zones and in municipally owned parking lots. Other drivers are not allowed to park in these designated places, and in this way the aim is for people with permanent disabilities to have easier access to a parking space. PPS are marked with special cards that certify the status of the person parked in the specially designated places. They are placed on the inside of the windshield in a visible place so that control can be carried out. Preferential parking is carried out in the presence of the person holding the card and parking is allowed for up to 4 hours.

 

 

 

 

Parking in paid zones for fully electric cars. IEPS

If you own a fully electric car, you have the opportunity to park freely in paid zones.
Your right to free parking is established with a duly issued sticker issued by the OP “Parking lots, garages and parking zones”. The sticker is placed on the inside of the car’s windshield in a way that does not hinder control.

Alternatives to parking in the central parts of Sofia

Despite the paid parking zones in the central parts of the city, finding an empty parking space is quite difficult. The large number of cars and limited parking spaces make parking in the central part a real challenge. There are alternatives to parking in the center of Sofia, namely private designated areas/parking lots for paid parking. There may be a difference in value in the price for 1 hour of parking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alternative ways to pay for parking in blue/green zones

There are mobile applications that facilitate the payment for parking in paid parking zones. They are also the only way for a foreigner who does not have a Bulgarian mobile number to be able to pay for his parked car in a blue or green zone. Since the payment for parking to the short number 1302 for the blue zone and 1303 for the green zone is served only by Bulgarian operators. One such application that would be of help not only to foreigners but also to Sofia residents is URBO City – which is available for both Android devices and iOS.

The apartments that SofiaLuxRentals offers to its clients are located in the ideal center of Sofia. They fall into the so-called “BLUE ZONE”.