🇵🇱 Cross-border drive · Poland → Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Driving from Gdańsk to Sofia
- Drive time
- 18h 27m
- Distance
- 1,848 km
- Same day?
- Split it
- 12 h+, plan a stop
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €236
- petrol · diesel ≈ €208
- Tolls
- ≈ €76
- mixed
- EV charging
- Plenty fast
- 15 of 52 ≥50 kW
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Alternative
+1h 24m- Distance:
- 1,868 km (+20 km)
- Duration:
- 19h 51m
Via: A1 · A4 · M30 · M5
Avoids motorways
+11h 36m- Distance:
- 1,785 km (−63 km)
- Duration:
- 30h 3m
Via: 91 · DN6 · M44 · 81
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
18h 27m
1.848 km · €236 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
1.848 km is far beyond a typical multi-day cycle tour. Try a shorter pair like a day or weekend stage.
No direct service
Our coach data (FlixBus + BlaBlaCar) doesn't list a direct service for this pair. National operators (e.g., National Express in the UK, Eurolines feeders) may still cover it — check their site directly.
31h 7m
PKP Intercity · České dráhy, a.s.
See details ↓
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Overnight recommended
Too long for a single-driver day. Plan on 2 overnight stop(s) to do this trip right.
A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Kiskunfélegyháza (hu).
- Distance:
- 1,848 km
- Duration:
- 18h 27m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Włocławek 🇵🇱 pl
≈231 km≈ 19 km detour from the main route
-
Częstochowa 🇵🇱 pl
≈462 km≈ 12.7 km detour from the main route
-
Hulín 🇨🇿 cz
≈693 km≈ 1.8 km detour from the main route
-
Mosonmagyaróvár 🇭🇺 hu
≈924 km≈ 2.9 km detour from the main route
-
Kecskemét 🇭🇺 hu
≈1,155 km≈ 8.8 km detour from the main route
-
Kovilj 🇷🇸 rs
≈1,386 km≈ 7 km detour from the main route
-
Paraćin 🇷🇸 rs
≈1,617 km≈ 7.6 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Multi-country chain · PL → CZ → SK → HU → RS → BG
You'll cross 6 countries on this drive — each with its own toll system, fuel pricing, and motorway rules. Skim the must-know section below before you set off, and have your registration plus insurance card in the door pocket for any roadside check.
Tolls on motorways in PL
Budget for motorway tolls — France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal charge per-km, Croatia and Greece by section. Contactless cards work almost everywhere; have one loaded.
Vignette required in CZ / SK / HU / BG
Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Romania require a sticker or e-vignette for motorway use. Buy at the border — missing one is a heavy on-the-spot fine.
Long rural stretch on D1
Plan for about 180 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Long rural stretch on D2
Plan for about 118 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
Czech e-vignette is plate-linked, no sticker
Must knowCzechia replaced paper vignettes in 2021. Buy on edalnice.cz with your plate, valid from the chosen date. 10-day is CZK 290 (~€12), annual CZK 2,300 (~€95). Police read plates electronically — no display required. The first 90 minutes after purchase, the system sometimes hasn't synced; keep your purchase confirmation accessible.
Hungarian vignette tied to plate AND vehicle category
Must knowHungarian e-vignette costs depend on category — D1 covers most passenger cars (HUF 5,150 / ~€13 for 10 days). Buy on autopalya.hu or at any major fuel station. The system is plate-linked, no sticker. Critical detail: a roof box that pushes you over 2m height triggers category D2 — pay the higher rate or risk a fine.
You'll hit three different toll systems on this trip
Must knowThis route crosses countries with mismatched toll mechanics — France's ticket-and-pay, vignette stickers, electronic-only stretches. There's no single transponder that works everywhere, but a Telepass EU device covers FR/IT/ES/PT and a Bip&Go covers the same plus a few more. For a one-off trip, contactless cards plus a Swiss vignette and Austrian e-vignette is the simplest mix.
Driving rules & habits
Plan your stops, not just your finish time
UsefulOSRM gives you free-flow drive time. Realistic add: 10% on motorway-heavy routes, 25% if you're crossing two cities. Eat at off-peak hours (11:30 lunch, 18:00 dinner) — service-area queues at noon kill 20 minutes. EU fatigue research is consistent: 15-minute break every 2 hours, full 45-minute break before 6 hours. The drive between hours 7 and 9 is where avoidable accidents cluster.
Fuel stations
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Diesel and petrol typically 15–20% cheaper than DE/CZ
TipPolish fuel prices are among the lowest in the EU. If you're crossing from Germany or the Baltics, fuel after the border. Major brands (Orlen, BP, Shell) accept all major contactless cards; some independent stations are cash-only — the queue is the giveaway.
Money & connectivity
EU roaming covers calls, texts and data at no extra cost
TipYour home EU SIM works at home rates across every EU member, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The "fair use" cap on data only applies if you're abroad more than four months. For a 2-week road trip, just use your phone normally — but switch off "data roaming" if you're leaving the EU into UK / CH for any segment.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
A1 Autostrada Bursztynowa996 km
-
D1 —180 km
-
M15 —163 km
-
M5 —151 km
-
D2 —140 km
-
A4 —105 km
-
A 6 Автомагистрала Европа51 km
-
M0 —29 km
-
91 Trakt Świętego Wojciecha5 km
-
S6 Aleja Kazimierza Jagiellończyka4 km
-
S7 Południowa Obwodnica Gdańska3 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 81%
- Secondary
- 18%
- Other / rural
- 1%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Demanding
Tough drive — multiple complicating factors compound fatigue. Strongly recommend splitting across days.
- Long drive: 18h 27m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- Cross-border: pl → bg. Keep documents accessible and check border rules.
- About 325 km on non-motorway roads where speeds and conditions vary.
Elevation profile
Highs, lows, and the total climb / descent along the route.
- Lowest point
- 7 m
- Highest point
- 562 m
- Total ascent
- ↑ 890 m
- Total descent
- ↓ 335 m
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €236
138.6 L × €1.70 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €208
110.9 L × €1.87 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €153
323 kWh × €0.47 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €76
- PL — €0.05/km on the motorway network (≈ 557 km in-country ≈ €28)
- CZ — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €13.00 for 10 days Annual vignette is €88.00 if you drive often
- SK — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €12.00 for 10 days Annual vignette is €60.00 if you drive often
- HU — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €15.00 for 10 days Annual vignette is €130.00 if you drive often
- BG — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €8.00 for 7 days Annual vignette is €51.00 if you drive often
Prices last refreshed 2026-10-12.
Fuel and EV charging along the route
Stations within a few kilometres of the road, sampled at evenly-spaced waypoints.
EV charging
15 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).
Fastest first
- IONITY Kaszewy Kóscielne (Kutno) — Kaszewy Kościelne 350 kW
- Tesla Supercharger Gliwice — Gliwice 250 kW
- Parking Bila — Sofia 120 kW
- Сердикийски събор 120 kW
- MOL Plugee M1 Páty N — Páty 75 kW
- Laboratorium LINTE^2 — Gdańsk 70 kW
- Greenway Galeria Metropolia Gdańsk — Gdańsk 60 kW
- MAKRO Gdańsk - RAWICOM — Wiślina 50 kW
- Greenway Gdańsk Galeria Przymorze — Gdańsk 50 kW
- Olivia Business Centre — Gdańsk 50 kW
- Greenway Polska Park Handlowy Arena Gliwice — Gliwice 50 kW
- Greenway Polska Auchan Gliwice — Gliwice 50 kW
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇵🇱 Gdańsk
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4°
0°
|
5°
-0°
|
9°
2°
|
13°
5°
|
17°
8°
|
21°
13°
|
23°
15°
|
23°
15°
|
21°
13°
|
13°
8°
|
7°
2°
|
5°
2°
|
| 66mm | 57mm | 37mm | 38mm | 45mm | 65mm | 138mm | 71mm | 39mm | 71mm | 69mm | 51mm |
hot mild cold
🇧🇬 Sofia
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7°
-2°
|
9°
-2°
|
14°
3°
|
17°
5°
|
19°
9°
|
27°
15°
|
31°
18°
|
30°
17°
|
25°
13°
|
19°
8°
|
12°
3°
|
7°
-0°
|
| 45mm | 14mm | 51mm | 62mm | 102mm | 58mm | 18mm | 38mm | 28mm | 70mm | 99mm | 56mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Sofia
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Mon 26
🌧️
13° / 6°
17.4mm
-
Tue 27
⛅
10° / 4°
5.2mm
-
Wed 28
⛅
11° / 6°
10.6mm
-
Thu 29
⛅
14° / 9°
0.4mm
-
Fri 30
🌧️
12° / 9°
2.9mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 29 manoeuvres
- Targ Drzewny 0.1 km
- Trakt Świętego Wojciecha (91) 5 km
- Południowa Obwodnica Gdańska (S7) 3 km
- — 2 km
- — 0.6 km
- Aleja Kazimierza Jagiellończyka (S6) 4 km
- Autostrada Bursztynowa (A1) 75 km
- Autostrada Bursztynowa (A1) 491 km
- (D1) 180 km
- (D2) 118 km
- (D2) 13 km
- — 0.5 km
- — 0.3 km
- (D2) 9 km
- (M15) 163 km
- (90402) 1 km
- (90402) 0.3 km
- (M0) 29 km
- — 1 km
- (M5) 151 km
- — 0.4 km
- (M5) 0.1 km
- (A1) 215 km
- Обилазница око Београда (A1) 215 km
- (A4) 105 km
- Автомагистрала Европа (A 6) 51 km
- бул. Рожен 4 km
- бул. Рожен 1.0 km
- бул. Цар Освободител
By train from Gdańsk to Sofia
Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.
- Fastest journey
- 31h 7m
- 4 changes
- Lead operator
- PKP Intercity
- + 1 more
- Alternatives
- 5
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- IC 265 Baltic Express
- Ex32 (EC 265)
All operators across alternatives
- PKP Intercity
- České dráhy, a.s.
Show route on map
Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, OpenTopoData SRTM 30m for elevation, EU Weekly Oil Bulletin for cross-border fuel-price bands, and Open Charge Map for EV charging stations. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.