Transports to Bulgaria: which routes are suitable for deliveries from Germany and Western Europe
For German and Western European companies, Bulgaria is an important location for production, trade and the distribution of goods in south-eastern Europe. Key destination regions include Sofia, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna and Burgas. Several international corridors are available for road freight transport, differing in distance, border clearance and transport costs.
The most important decision is often made before loading: should the truck go to Bulgaria via Romania or via Serbia?
Both connections can make economic sense. The route via Romania runs within the European Union. The route via Serbia can be shorter depending on the place of departure and the destination, but it involves transit through a third country.
Which connection is suitable therefore depends not only on the distance but also on the customs status of the goods, the vehicle used and the agreed delivery date.
Which main routes lead from Germany to Bulgaria?
For truck transports from Germany and Western Europe, three routings are the main options.
Route 1: via Austria, Hungary and Romania
Germany → Austria → Hungary → Romania → Bulgaria
This connection is particularly suitable for transports where the goods are to remain within the EU customs territory throughout the carriage.
Depending on the destination region, entry into Bulgaria takes place, for example, via:
- Giurgiu–Ruse: Danube bridge between Romania and Bulgaria, relevant for transports to Ruse, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo and other regions.
- Calafat–Vidin: Danube bridge in the west, a possible connection for deliveries to Sofia and north-western Bulgaria.
The main advantage is simpler customs handling for ordinary intra-Community deliveries of Union goods.
However, roadworks, bridge repairs, traffic volume and the charges at the Danube crossings can affect the journey.
Route 2: via Hungary and Serbia
Germany → Austria → Hungary → Serbia → Bulgaria
The route usually runs via Budapest, Belgrade and Niš to the Serbian–Bulgarian border crossing at Kalotina and then on to Sofia.
For deliveries from southern Germany or Austria to western Bulgaria, this corridor can be attractive in terms of distance and driving time.
The decisive difference: Serbia belongs neither to the European Union nor to the Schengen area. Even if the goods are transported from one EU member state to another, the necessary customs and transit formalities must be complied with when passing through Serbia. The route is therefore particularly interesting if transit handling is reliably prepared and the expected time saving justifies the additional border processes.
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Route 3: via Romania towards north-eastern Bulgaria and the Black Sea coast
Germany → Central Europe → Romania → Ruse or Vidin → Bulgaria
For consignees in Ruse, Shumen, Varna or Burgas, a routing geared towards northern Bulgaria can be more favourable than an approach via Sofia.
For deliveries to Varna or Burgas, it should also be checked whether the shipment is to be delivered directly by truck or combined with a port or warehousing service. The following applies to all three corridors: the final route must be calculated on the basis of the specific place of loading, the vehicle class, the weight of the goods and the current traffic situation.
Route comparison: Romania or Serbia?
| Criterion |
Via Romania |
Via Serbia |
| Routing |
Austria – Hungary – Romania – Bulgaria |
Austria – Hungary – Serbia – Bulgaria |
| EU customs territory |
Entirely within the EU |
Transit through a third country |
| Schengen |
Schengen internal borders |
Schengen external borders on entry and exit |
| Customs procedure |
For ordinary carriage of Union goods, generally no transit procedure required |
Transit procedure and proof of customs status required depending on the case |
| Suitable destination regions |
Northern, eastern and central Bulgaria; depending on the route, also Sofia |
Especially western Bulgaria and Sofia |
| Typical time risks |
Danube bridges, roadworks, traffic volume |
Border clearance and transit formalities |
| Cost factors |
Tolls, bridge charges, additional kilometres |
Tolls, transit handling, border waiting times |
Decision criterion: for a time-critical transport to Sofia, the Serbia route can be attractive despite the additional border clearance. For a shipment to Varna, the connection via Romania may be more practical.
A general statement that one of the two routes is always faster or cheaper would not stand up professionally.
What has changed with Bulgaria’s full Schengen membership?
Since 1 January 2025, Bulgaria has been fully part of the Schengen area. Regular checks on persons at the Schengen internal land borders have been lifted.
For international freight transport, this applies in particular to the connections between Bulgaria and Romania and between Bulgaria and Greece. This development generally improves the conditions for predictable carriage in south-eastern Europe.
However, there are three important limitations:
- Schengen membership does not mean that trucks can continue at every border without waiting. Traffic regulations, bridge bottlenecks and other official checks remain relevant.
- Bulgaria has been part of the European Union since 2007. Joining Schengen has not fundamentally changed the customs basis for trade in goods with Germany.
- The borders with Serbia, North Macedonia and Turkey remain Schengen external borders. The corresponding border and customs procedures continue to apply there.
Customs handling for transports via Serbia: T1 or T2?
Transit through Serbia is an essential aspect of transport preparation.
Serbia participates in the common transit procedure. Electronic handling takes place via the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS).
For goods carried from Germany to Bulgaria via Serbia, the customs status is particularly decisive.
T2 procedure for Union goods
For Union goods, the common transit procedure T2 can be used to record and prove the status of the goods during carriage through Serbia.
Example: a machine in free circulation in Germany is transported to Bulgaria via Serbia. A proper T2 procedure can secure carriage through a third country under customs law.
T1 procedure for non-Union goods
For non-Union goods that are still under customs supervision, an external transit procedure such as T1 is generally the option.
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Which documents are required?
Depending on the procedure and the shipment, the following documents in particular may be needed:
- CMR consignment note
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Transit accompanying document or electronic MRN
- where applicable, proof of the status of the goods
- required transport permits and vehicle-related documents
Important: a T2 procedure is not an export declaration. Nor should an ordinary CMR consignment note be confused with a proof of transit under customs law.
The specific choice of procedure should be agreed with the responsible customs service provider before departure.
What delivery times from Germany to Bulgaria are realistic?
To calculate a transport request, the place of loading, place of unloading, vehicle type and mode of transport must first be distinguished.
Under normal traffic conditions, the following orders of magnitude can serve as non-binding planning values:
| Mode of transport |
Guide transit time |
| FTL from southern Germany to Sofia |
approx. 2–3 working days |
| FTL from northern Germany to Sofia |
approx. 3–4 working days |
| FTL to Plovdiv or Burgas |
depending on the place of loading, often approx. 3–5 working days |
| LTL / part load |
often approx. 4–7 working days |
| Express with a suitable vehicle concept |
individual calculation depending on route and driver crew |
These figures are not guaranteed delivery times. With LTL transports, additional loading points, transhipment and consolidation affect the transit time.
With FTL transports, the statutory driving and rest times must be observed in particular. Express carriage can only be faster if the vehicle and driver concept used can cope with the actual route legally and operationally.
Truck tolls, Danube bridges and national traffic regulations
Bulgaria charges a distance-based toll for heavy goods vehicles on the tolled road network.
For vehicles with a technically permissible gross weight of more than 3.5 tonnes, corresponding electronic toll procedures are available. The amount of the charges depends, among other things, on the vehicle class, the number of axles, the emission class and the route driven. On the route via Romania, additional charges may be payable for the Danube crossings.
Particularly important are:
- Ruse–Giurgiu: the Danube bridge is a significant bottleneck in cross-border traffic. Repairs and traffic regulations can affect the arrival time.
- Vidin–Calafat: the western Danube crossing is an alternative, especially for journeys towards north-western Bulgaria and Sofia.
- For heavy and special transports, permissible axle loads, bridge load capacities, dimensions and, where applicable, permits must also be checked.
- Toll and bridge costs are part of a complete freight calculation. They should not only be taken into account after the order has been placed.
- Which Bulgarian regions are particularly relevant for shippers from Germany?
Sofia: trade, distribution and industry
Sofia is Bulgaria’s most important economic area. The region has industrial and logistics sites, warehouse space and connections to international transport axes. For deliveries from Germany, both the route via Serbia and the route via Romania are possible.
Plovdiv: production and industrial supply chains
The Plovdiv area is an important industrial location. Companies here need, among other things, the transport of machines, components, production material and finished goods. For regular deliveries, agreed delivery windows, reliable capacities and precise load planning are important.
Ruse: logistics close to the border on the Danube
Ruse lies directly on the connection to Romania. The city is therefore attractive for deliveries from Central Europe and for onward distribution within Bulgaria.
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Varna and Burgas: the Black Sea region
The two port cities are important locations for maritime transport, industry and regional distribution. For shipments to port facilities, terminal requirements, container or handling processes and the available delivery times must be taken into account.
An example from industry: Liebherr in the Plovdiv area
A publicly documented example of the importance of industrial supply chains in Bulgaria is the Liebherr Group.
Liebherr has production activities in the Maritsa area near Plovdiv. These include refrigerators and freezers as well as activities in the field of air conditioning and thermal management systems. In June 2025, Liebherr also announced the expansion of its assembly capacities for aerospace and transportation systems in the region. The site shows the demands that international production networks place on transport logistics.
What does this mean for planning a supplier delivery?
Let us take an example delivery of machine components from southern Germany to an industrial company in the Plovdiv area.
Note: the industrial site and the activities mentioned are real and publicly documented. The transport planning below is a professional example and not a claimed customer order of MARTIN or Liebherr.
Shipment data of the example:
- Place of loading: Baden-Württemberg
- Place of unloading: industrial area near Plovdiv
- Goods: packed machine components
- Mode of transport: FTL
- Status of goods: Union goods
- Delivery condition: agreed unloading window
Option A: transport via Romania
The shipment remains within the EU customs territory. For ordinary Union goods, no T1 or T2 procedure is required solely because of this route. In particular, the Danube crossing, the toll costs and the route within Bulgaria must be taken into account.
Option B: transport via Serbia
Depending on the place of departure, the route may be shorter. Before departure, however, the appropriate transit procedure for transit through a third country must be prepared. In addition, border clearance, the required documents and possible waiting times must be taken into account.
Operational decision
For the final choice of route, both options are compared in terms of total costs and the expected arrival time. It is not just the lowest price per kilometre that counts. What matters is whether the vehicle can meet the agreed unloading date under realistic conditions. Especially for production-related deliveries, a missed delivery can be more expensive than a slightly longer route.
FTL, LTL, express and special transports to Bulgaria
Not every shipment needs the same transport concept.
FTL – full truckload
Suitable for larger quantities of goods, direct transports and shipments where additional transhipments are to be avoided.
LTL – part load
Economical for smaller quantities of goods. The transit time depends on consolidation with other shipments and the respective line or scheduling concept.
Express transport
For time-critical spare parts and smaller production shipments. Vehicle size, driver crew and the actual border conditions determine the achievable transit time.
Temperature-controlled transports
Heavy and oversized transports
For large machines and equipment. In addition to choosing the vehicle, permits, axle loads, bridges and possible escort vehicles must be taken into account.
Bulgaria as a transit country for Greece and Turkey
Bulgaria is not only a destination market in its own right but also a transit country for international transports.
Onward transport to Greece
For transports to northern Greece, the route via Bulgaria can be an alternative to other Balkan connections. As Bulgaria and Greece belong to the EU and the Schengen area, the rules for intra-Community trade in goods generally apply to ordinary carriage of Union goods.
Onward transport to Turkey
For Turkey, the Kapitan Andreevo–Kapıkule border crossing is of particular importance. Another connection exists via Lesovo–Hamzabeyli. For such transports, the necessary export, transit and import formalities must be observed. Depending on the type of goods and the customs procedure, additional documents such as A.TR. or proofs of origin may be relevant. Driving through Bulgaria does not replace proper customs clearance at the EU external border.
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