Sofia to Paris by train
Travel from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Paris (France) by train (1758km): schedule and information to the train connection. Compare fares and buy your ticket.
To travel by train from Sofia in Bulgaria to Paris in France, please read the following information and blog posts.
There are two main routes. Compare them and decide which one feeds your needs best.
- 1Sofia (Bulgaria) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Budapest (Hungary) - Munich (Germany) - Paris (France)
- 2Sofia (Bulgaria) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Budapest (Hungary) - Zurich (Switzerland) - Paris (France)
1758 km
How to use the following information: railcc shows you the best routes and where to buy tickets. On longer routes you may need more than one ticket. Book your tickets step by step as explained. If you have questions about the route from Sofia to Paris, please ask in the Raildude forum. Of course, sometimes there are as well other travel routes possible.
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections : popular connections travelled by other users
Paris - Sofia / Sofia - Bordeaux / Sofia - Lille / Sofia - Lyon / Sofia - Marseille / Sofia - Strasbourg / Burgas - Paris / Plovdiv - Paris / Plovdiv - Lyon / Varna - Paris1 Sofia (Bulgaria) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Budapest (Hungary) - Munich (Germany) - Paris (France)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
1a Travelling from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Belgrade (Serbia)
Travel from Sofia to Belgrade by direct day train connection. In off-season (October to May) you have to change trains in Dimitrovgrad and Niš. Sometimes an overnight train is offered as well.
The journey time from Sofia to Belgrade by direct day train is 09:15 hours. Train tickets are available from 21 EUR in 2nd class. Buy your ticket locally at the railway station. The departure time in Sofia is 09:15. The arrival time in Belgrade (Topcider) is 18:30.
If no direct train is available, you have to travel in several steps:
1. Sofia to Niš.
2. Niš to Dimitrovgrad.
3. Dimitrovgrad to Belgrade.
Find the exact schedules via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Sofia to Belgrade?
Check times&prices The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Belgrade - Sofia
1b Travelling from Belgrade (Serbia) to Budapest (Hungary)
The train connection from Belgrade to Budapest is currently only possible with two changes. The line has been under renovation since 2019 and should be fully operational again from 2026. So far, direct trains have taken around six hours to cover the 350-kilometre route. In 2026, the journey time should be reduced to 2 hours and 40 minutes, with a possible speed of 200 km/h.
Your train departs from "Beograd Centar" station. It continues to Novi Sad. You have to change trains in Subotica and Szeged and then arrive at "Budapest Nyugati" railway station.
You have to buy the following tickets:
#1 From Belgrade to Subotica, the ticket costs 15 EUR. You can buy it on the Serbian Railways website. At the moment it is only in Serbian language, but you can understand it. Otherwise, buy the ticket at the station.
#2 From Subotica to Budapest with the Hungarian railway MAV. If you buy one train ticket, it costs 26 EUR. If you buy two train tickets, it is cheaper. First from Subotica to Szeged from 5 EUR. Then from Szeged to Budapest from 6 EUR.
There are currently three train connections per day with departure from Belgrade at 05:00h, 11:00h and 14:00h. Arrival in Budapest is at 12:10h, 18:10h and 21:10h. You can find the exact timetables on the websites of the Serbian and Hungarian railways.
Where to buy a ticket from Belgrade to Budapest?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
EuroCity (EC)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
B340 Belgrade - Budapest
train company:
MÁV Magyar Államvasutak - MÁV START / SV Srbija Voz
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Budapest - Belgrade
1c Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Munich (Germany)
To travel from Budapest to Munich by train use one of the direct Railjet trains. Train tickets are available as "Sparpreis Europa" (saver price) from 39 EUR. The journey times is about seven hours. The Railjet trains offer at least five direct connections per day.
Beside the day trains there is a night train offering seats from 29 EUR. There are first class sleepers available as well. The journey time of the night train is about 9:30 hours.
Find ticket prices and schedules via our booking links. The ticket price depends on your travel date.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Munich?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Railjet (RJ)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
EN 463 Munich - Budapest / EN 462 Budapest - Munich
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Munich - Budapest
search for train schedules here: Online timetable information, on which you can find relevant, up-to-date connections.
rail.cc Deutsche Bahn
1d Travelling from Munich (Germany) to Paris (France)
Travel from Munich to Paris by ICE and TGV high-speed-trains. Ticket fares start at EUR 39. The journey time is 5 hours 40 minutes. There is a direct daily connection between Munich and Paris without changing trains. Departure is at 06:51 from Munich Central Station (‘München Hbf’). Arrival at "Paris Est" at 12:32. In addition, there are at least five more daily connections with only one change.
If you want to travel comfortably overnight, book a train ticket for the "ÖBB nightjet" night train from Munich to Paris. Departure is at 23:17 from "München Ost" railway station. Arrival is at 09:39 in the morning at "Paris Est" railway station. This night train does not run daily.
Find the exact train schedule and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Munich to Paris?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Intercity (IC) / IntercityExpress (ICE) / ICE Alleo Germany - France (ICE Alleo) / TGV Alleo France - Germany (TGV Alleo)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
ÖBB nightjet NJ468 Vienna - Paris / ÖBB nightjet NJ469 Paris - Vienna
train company:
DB Deutsche Bahn
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Paris - Munich
2 Sofia (Bulgaria) - Belgrade (Serbia) - Budapest (Hungary) - Zurich (Switzerland) - Paris (France)
The route consist of more than one step. You have to buy several train tickets.
2a Travelling from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Belgrade (Serbia)
Travel from Sofia to Belgrade by direct day train connection. In off-season (October to May) you have to change trains in Dimitrovgrad and Niš. Sometimes an overnight train is offered as well.
The journey time from Sofia to Belgrade by direct day train is 09:15 hours. Train tickets are available from 21 EUR in 2nd class. Buy your ticket locally at the railway station. The departure time in Sofia is 09:15. The arrival time in Belgrade (Topcider) is 18:30.
If no direct train is available, you have to travel in several steps:
1. Sofia to Niš.
2. Niš to Dimitrovgrad.
3. Dimitrovgrad to Belgrade.
Find the exact schedules via the booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Sofia to Belgrade?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Belgrade - Sofia
2b Travelling from Belgrade (Serbia) to Budapest (Hungary)
The train connection from Belgrade to Budapest is currently only possible with two changes. The line has been under renovation since 2019 and should be fully operational again from 2026. So far, direct trains have taken around six hours to cover the 350-kilometre route. In 2026, the journey time should be reduced to 2 hours and 40 minutes, with a possible speed of 200 km/h.
Your train departs from "Beograd Centar" station. It continues to Novi Sad. You have to change trains in Subotica and Szeged and then arrive at "Budapest Nyugati" railway station.
You have to buy the following tickets:
#1 From Belgrade to Subotica, the ticket costs 15 EUR. You can buy it on the Serbian Railways website. At the moment it is only in Serbian language, but you can understand it. Otherwise, buy the ticket at the station.
#2 From Subotica to Budapest with the Hungarian railway MAV. If you buy one train ticket, it costs 26 EUR. If you buy two train tickets, it is cheaper. First from Subotica to Szeged from 5 EUR. Then from Szeged to Budapest from 6 EUR.
There are currently three train connections per day with departure from Belgrade at 05:00h, 11:00h and 14:00h. Arrival in Budapest is at 12:10h, 18:10h and 21:10h. You can find the exact timetables on the websites of the Serbian and Hungarian railways.
Where to buy a ticket from Belgrade to Budapest?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
EuroCity (EC)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
B340 Belgrade - Budapest
train company:
MÁV Magyar Államvasutak - MÁV START / SV Srbija Voz
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Budapest - Belgrade
2c Travelling from Budapest (Hungary) to Zurich (Switzerland)
There are direct train connections from Budapest to Zurich. During the day with the Railjet and overnight with the Nightjet night-train.
The travel time from Budapest to Zurich by train is just 10.5 hours.
Ticket prices for the Railjet start at 44 euros. For the nightjet night train, ticket fares start at 29 euros in the seating car, 49 euros in the couchette car and 69 euros in the sleeping car.
We personally recommend the train connection with the night-train. It saves you a hotel stay and is very convenient and comfortable.
It is worth booking early so that you can get saver-fares. You can find the current ticket prices and the timetable via our booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Budapest to Zurich?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
Railjet (RJ) / ÖBB Nightjet (NJ)
night train: Night trains that might be suitable for this trip.
EN 40467 Zurich - Budapest / EN 40462 Budapest - Zurich
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Zurich - Budapest
2d Travelling from Zurich (Switzerland) to Paris (France)
Travel from Zurich to Paris by direct TGV Lyria high-speed-train. The ticket price starts at 29 EUR. The journey time is four hours. There are at least six train connections per day. The trains depart every two hours.
The departure station is Zurich HB. The arrival station is Paris Gare de Lyon.
Find the exact train schedules and buy your ticket via the given booking links.
Where to buy a ticket from Zurich to Paris?
The following links could be interesting for you.
train types: Train types you are likely to travel with.
TGV Lyria France - Switzerland (Lyria)
train connections: popular connections travelled by other users
Paris - Zurich
Need a cheap place to sleep? railcc recommends booking.com
Find a cheap flight! Compare prices on Kiwi.com
Do you have questions about the connection between Sofia and Paris? Does something not work as it should? Just ask in the Raildude forum and get competent answers from rail travel experts.
Eurail: if you want to travel this route by Eurail instead of train tickets, have a look here for reservation fees and further information.
