Bulgaria's useful ride apps dispatch licensed metered taxis; Uber and Bolt passenger rides are not part of the market. The right app also changes by city: Sofia and Plovdiv have different fleets.
In Sofia, install two documented local dispatchers and keep a third fleet ready. At the airport, use the official concession desk, signed rank or verified booking channel. Plovdiv has its own operators. Always match the company and plate, read the windshield tariff and insist on the meter. Bolt doesn't provide the expected passenger-ride fallback.
| Your situation | Use this |
|---|---|
| A city ride in Sofia | Try TaxiMe, then Yellow or OK Taxi if no suitable car appears.456 |
| Walk-up pickup at Sofia Airport | Use the official Yellow desk or signed rank and reject terminal solicitors.1 |
| A ride in Plovdiv | Use Eko Taxi or Taxi One, not a Sofia-only app or an unknown station car.7810 |
| You already have Bolt installed | Its Sofia page lists food delivery and micromobility, not Bolt passenger rides.9 |
Dispatches selected licensed taxis in Sofia, with fare estimates, live tracking and cash or card payment.
Dispatches Yellow taxis in Sofia and is the official taxi service at Sofia Airport.
The official OK Supertrans app for licensed taxi orders across Sofia, with scheduling and payment preferences.
The established EKO TAXI dispatch app for Plovdiv, with scheduled orders, live tracking and driver messages.
A current Plovdiv taxi app with live driver tracking, advance booking and cash or card selection.
| At a glance | TaxiMe | Yellow Taxi 91119 |
|---|---|---|
| Signing up | TaxiMe says a ride can be ordered without creating a profile, reducing setup friction for visitors. | Account and phone verification may be required for full app features; test it before airport arrival. |
| Paying | Store a card only after checking the final currency; keep euro cash ready if authorization fails at booking time. | Card can settle inside the app or in the vehicle, with cash as a third advertised route. |
| English | Menu labels and the booking map are translated; a phone call may still be Bulgarian-first. | The order flow can be used in English; retain the booking screen if spoken coordination becomes difficult. |
| Where it works | On-demand and scheduled dispatch in the capital, with the live quote and plate attached to the request. | Airport-concession depth plus a large capital fleet, useful for both rank and booked journeys. |
Not available here Uber has not operated in Bulgaria since 2015. Travelers use licensed taxi apps, with TaxiMe, Yellow Taxi 91119 and OK Taxi in Sofia and separate local apps in Plovdiv.
Uber does not operate passenger rides in Bulgaria, and Bolt's localized Sofia service page currently offers Bolt Food, scooters and e-bikes rather than the Rides product. A generic app-store listing can't settle that distinction. The working model is a local dispatch app connecting you with a licensed yellow taxi.91
TaxiMe, Yellow Taxi 91119 and OK Taxi serve Sofia. Eko Taxi and Taxi One are Plovdiv tools. Recent Bulgarian discussions confirm that city split and recommend ordering through a known app rather than choosing an unknown car at a station. In Varna, Burgas and smaller cities, ask the accommodation for the current reputable dispatcher.1087
Sofia's official 2026 range sets day mileage between €0.73 and €1.24 per kilometre and night mileage between €0.84 and €1.52. The day period runs from 06:00 to 22:00. Those are legal bounds, not a promise that every trip costs the minimum. The taxi must display its tariff, so compare it before entering.12
A similar logo or almost-correct company name can hide a much higher displayed rate. Sofia's resident guidance warns about imitation companies around hotels, hospitals and the centre. Check the company spelling, assigned registration, roof sign and windshield tariff. If any detail differs from the app, let the car go and request another.32
Visit Sofia identifies Yellow as the airport's taxi service. Order at the official desk, use the marked rank or book in the verified Yellow app. A person approaching inside arrivals is not made official by holding a phone or naming your hotel. Match the car to the dispatch record before loading luggage.15
TaxiMe and Yellow advertise card options, and Taxi One offers cash or card selection in Plovdiv. Registration, foreign-card authorization or a vehicle terminal can still fail. Test the app before a late arrival and keep enough euro cash for the metered ride. Never allow a driver to take the card out of sight or choose a dynamic currency conversion for you.458
For an early flight, late train or rural pickup, schedule through a known fleet and keep its phone number. An accepted advance request still deserves a time buffer and a second dispatcher. In a resort or small town, ask the property which company actually answers at that hour rather than assuming a Sofia app will find a car.10
Keep the meter visible and the app booking active. If the route or total looks wrong, record the company, registration and receipt before disputing it. Do not agree to cancel an app request and replace it with an unrecorded fixed price unless you knowingly choose a licensed taxi and clearly understand the quoted amount.2
If the apps fail, ask the hotel or restaurant to call a known licensed taxi, or use an official rank. Confirm the company name, meter use and approximate route before departure. At Sofia Airport, return to the official Yellow channel rather than bargaining with someone in the terminal.13
Do not rely on either app for a passenger ride. Book a registered yellow taxi through a local dispatcher, then check the company, registration and meter before entering.
Begin with TaxiMe and keep another established Sofia taxi service ready. At the airport, follow signs for the official taxi service and refuse unsolicited offers inside the terminal.
Order a known company, match the registration, read the displayed per-kilometre tariff and insist on the meter. Avoid lookalike brands and terminal solicitors.
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