Sofia Metro (Airport station at T2) · ≈18 min to centre interchanges
Where they are
One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
INI7.5+0.5
SOF7.0
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
INI4.5
SOF6.9+2.4
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
INI2.5
SOF6.6+4.1
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
INI7.0
SOF8.3+1.3
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
INI6.5
SOF7.0+0.5
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
INI1.0
SOF6.8+5.8
Best for
INI
Cheap low-cost and Air Serbia flights to and from southern SerbiaShort queues and a quick walk from the kerb to the gateA free city bus into Niš
SOF
City trips using Terminal 2 + metroWizz Air and other low-cost departures from Terminal 1Priority Pass holders departing Terminal 2Short Schengen hops on Bulgaria Air and network carriers
Watch out for
INI
Very little food or drink airsideNo Priority Pass or airline loungeRyanair has left, so the winter schedule is mostly a few flights a week per routeYou must register with the police within 24 hours if your host doesn't do it
SOF
Arriving at the wrong terminal — T1 and T2 are separate buildingsTerminal 1 passengers who need metro must ride the free shuttle to T2 firstNon-Schengen gate pockets that cut you off from some Schengen-side fountains and shopsWinter fog delays on the high plain east of Sofia
Amenities and tips
INI
Duty-free shopCafé-bar (landside)NewsstandFree city bus 34A/34B
Desks open 2 hours before
Check-in opens 2 hours and closes 40 minutes before departure.
New building for departures, old one for arrivals
Depart from the new terminal; arrive through the old one.
Eat before you go airside
Very little airside: a small café-bar landside and duty free airside.
SOF
Primeclass Lounge (Terminal 2)Sofia Airport Metro (Terminal 2)Smart water fountainsTerminal 2 cafés and Bulgarian spotsFree Wi-FiFree T1↔T2 shuttle
Confirm T1 vs T2 before you leave for the airport
Wrong terminal is the classic SOF fail — check the airline/board, then the free shuttle clock if you must switch.
Metro only serves Terminal 2 — T1 needs the free shuttle
T2 is the rail-connected terminal; treat T1 as a short shuttle hop away from the metro.
Expect solid café fare, not a food-hall destination
Adequate airside cafés; city food wins if you have two-plus hours.
INI · Serbia's second-busiest airport, about 4 km northwest of central Niš. It handled 393,102 passengers in 2025. Winter 2026/27 has 10 destinations: Wizz Air to Basel-Mulhouse, Memmingen and Dortmund, and Air Serbia to Belgrade, Vienna, Malta, Frankfurt-Hahn, Istanbul, Cologne and Ljubljana. SWISS returns to Zurich in March 2027. You depart from the new terminal (opened 2024) and arrive through the older building. There is no lounge and food is very limited. Buses 34A and 34B into the city are free.
SOF · A practical two-terminal Balkan capital airport: excellent metro access at Terminal 2, a free shuttle to Terminal 1’s low-cost hall, and a rebuilt Priority Pass lounge — offset by terminal-split gotchas and average airside food.
