🇮🇹 Cross-border drive · Italy → Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Driving from Genoa to Sofia
- Drive time
- 15h 54m
- Distance
- 1,546 km
- Same day?
- Split it
- 12 h+, plan a stop
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €220
- petrol · diesel ≈ €194
- Tolls
- ≈ €72
- mixed
- EV charging
- Plenty fast
- 19 of 69 ≥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.
Avoids motorways
+15h 24m- Distance:
- 1,844 km (+299 km)
- Duration:
- 31h 18m
Via: DN6 · 8 · 1 · 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.
15h 54m
1.546 km · €220 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
1.546 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.
2h 52m
from €40
See details ↓
26h 5m
TRENITALIA · Trenord
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 1 overnight stop(s) to do this trip right.
A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Stara Pazova (rs).
- Distance:
- 1,546 km
- Duration:
- 15h 54m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Pontevico 🇮🇹 it
≈193 km≈ 3.9 km detour from the main route
-
Maerne 🇮🇹 it
≈386 km≈ 1.8 km detour from the main route
-
Postojna 🇸🇮 si
≈580 km≈ 2.7 km detour from the main route
-
Sesvete 🇭🇷 hr
≈773 km≈ 5.5 km detour from the main route
-
Odžak 🇧🇦 ba
≈966 km≈ 17.1 km detour from the main route
-
Filmski Grad 🇷🇸 rs
≈1,159 km≈ 6.9 km detour from the main route
-
Niš 🇷🇸 rs
≈1,352 km≈ 35.4 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Multi-country chain · IT → SI → HR → BA → 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 IT / HR
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 SI / 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 RA13
Plan for about 16 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.
City access & emission zones
ZTL cameras read your plate from any country
Must knowItalian historic centres (Florence, Rome, Milan, Bologna, Pisa, Siena, Verona, Naples, Turin, Palermo and dozens more) are ringed by automatic Zona Traffico Limitato cameras. Driving in without a permit triggers €80–120 per crossing, and the fine reaches your home address up to a year later via cross-border collection. Treat any city centre as off-limits unless you've confirmed your hotel offers a permit, and ask the hotel to register your plate the day you arrive.
Italian historic-centre ZTL — confirm your hotel registers your plate
Must knowGenoa
This city's old town is encircled by automatic ZTL cameras. Crossing without a permit triggers €80–120 per pass. Ask your hotel the day you arrive: "Can you register my plate for ZTL access?" Some only register the entry, not parking — clarify both. Cameras read plates from any country and Italian fines reach foreign addresses up to a year later.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
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.
Telepass saves you the toll-booth queue
UsefulItalian autostrade work like France: ticket on entry, pay on exit. Contactless cards work at most modern lanes (look for "Carte" — avoid yellow "Telepass" lanes without the device). For long routes, a Telepass EU transponder works in IT/FR/ES/PT and pays for itself across two days; at minimum, keep your insurance card and registration in the door pocket — booth attendants occasionally ask.
What your car must carry
Hi-vis vest mandatory before stepping out
Must knowItalian law requires you to wear a reflective vest before exiting the vehicle on a motorway shoulder, day or night. One warning triangle in the boot is also required. Both items are typically €15 at any Autogrill or fuel station — don't arrive without them.
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
"Servito" pumps cost about €0.20/L more
UsefulItalian fuel stations split between fai-da-te (self-service) and servito (attended). The same station typically offers both, with attended pumps charging a 10–15% premium. Off-hours, attended turns into self-service automatically. If a pump is out of paper or won't take your card, try the next station — Italian banking sometimes refuses foreign chip cards on first attempt.
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.
Off-motorway stations close at lunch and on Sundays
TipOutside motorways, expect 12:30–15:30 closures and most of Sunday off. Motorway service areas (autogrill) run 24/7. If you're cutting through a small town in the early afternoon, fuel before noon or push to the next motorway entrance.
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.
-
A3 —410 km
-
A4 Autostrada Serenissima404 km
-
A1 Обилазница око Београда312 km
-
A21 Autostrada dei Vini149 km
-
A2 —104 km
-
A7 A7 dir. Milano - Genova Ovest/Genova Bolzaneto64 km
-
A 6 Автомагистрала Европа51 km
-
RA13 —16 km
-
A1; A2 Južna obvoznica8 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 97%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 3%
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: 15h 54m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- Cross-border: it → bg. Keep documents accessible and check border rules.
Elevation profile
Highs, lows, and the total climb / descent along the route.
- Lowest point
- 1 m
- Highest point
- 638 m
- Total ascent
- ↑ 1,471 m
- Total descent
- ↓ 923 m
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €220
115.9 L × €1.90 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €194
92.7 L × €2.09 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €146
270 kWh × €0.54 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €72
- IT — €0.08/km on the motorway network (≈ 481 km in-country ≈ €36)
- SI — Vignette (motorway sticker / e-vignette) — €16.00 for 7 days Annual vignette is €117.50 if you drive often
- HR — €0.08/km on the motorway network (≈ 152 km in-country ≈ €12)
- 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
19 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).
Fastest first
- Tesla Supercharger Brescia Est — Brescia 250 kW
- EWIVA — San Stino di Livenza 150 kW
- Parking Bila — Sofia 120 kW
- Сердикийски събор 120 kW
- BECHARGE Via Buffalora — Brescia 110 kW
- Be Charge Hotel da Gigi — San Stino di Livenza 110 kW
- Ewiva Conad San Zeno — Brescia 100 kW
- Ewiva Conad Masaccio — Brescia 100 kW
- Via Rodi — Brescia 100 kW
- JOINON Tangenziale Sud 75 kW
- OMV - Orion eMobility 75 kW
- BE CHARGE Via I° Maggio — San Stino di Livenza 60 kW
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇮🇹 Genoa
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
12°
6°
|
13°
7°
|
15°
8°
|
18°
10°
|
21°
14°
|
26°
19°
|
28°
21°
|
30°
21°
|
25°
17°
|
21°
14°
|
15°
9°
|
12°
7°
|
| 162mm | 146mm | 197mm | 109mm | 122mm | 83mm | 55mm | 69mm | 160mm | 257mm | 119mm | 116mm |
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 31 manoeuvres
- Via Fiume
- Strada Aldo Moro
- Sopraelevata dir. Ponente - Strada Aldo Moro 4 km
- Elicoidale 0.1 km
- A7 dir. Milano - Genova Ovest/Genova Bolzaneto (A7) 6 km
- A7 dir. Milano - Genova Bolzaneto/Busalla (A7) 13 km
- A7 dir. Milano - Busalla/Ronco Scrivia (A7) 4 km
- A7 dir. Milano - Ronco Scrivia/Isola del Cantone (A7) 4 km
- Autostrada dei Giovi - Serravalle (A7) 36 km
- Autostrada dei Vini (A21) 149 km
- — 0.9 km
- Autostrada Serenissima (A4) 293 km
- Autostrada Serenissima (A4) 0.1 km
- Autostrada Serenissima (A4) 7 km
- (RA13) 16 km
- (A3) 12 km
- — 1 km
- (A1) 64 km
- (A1) 1 km
- Južna obvoznica (A1; A2) 8 km
- (A2) 104 km
- (A3) 305 km
- (A3) 0.3 km
- (A3) 93 km
- (A1) 33 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 plane from Genoa to Sofia
Indicative travel time on a non-stop flight, based on great-circle distance, average commercial cruise speed (850 km/h), and a 90-minute allowance for taxi, security, and boarding.
- Total time
- 2h 52m
- Door-to-door from :from airport.
- In the air
- 83 min
- At ~850 km/h cruise speed.
- On the ground
- 90 min
- Taxi + security + boarding (typical short-haul).
- Route
- GOA → SOF
- 1.173 km great-circle.
Indicative fare: from €40 — fares vary by season, day of week, and how far ahead you book. Always check the airline or a meta-search before planning around this number.
Show flight path on map
Estimate-only. We don't pull live schedules or fares for flights — see the methodology page for how this number is computed.
Air travel emits roughly 5–10× the CO₂ per passenger-km of rail for the same distance.
By train from Genoa 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
- 26h 5m
- 3 changes
- Lead operator
- TRENITALIA
- + 1 more
- Alternatives
- 4
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- FR 9710
All operators across alternatives
- TRENITALIA
- Trenord
Includes a high-speed rail leg (TGV, ICE, AVE, Frecciarossa-class).
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.