Taxis

There are over 15,000 taxis in Sofia: some of these are rusty crates driven by frustrated rally drivers; the majority are roadworthy vehicles operated by more-or-less reputable companies. Legitimate taxis are coloured yellow and have an oval sticker on the windscreen; they also display a square sticker indicating the rates in BGN. Charges are supposed to be metered, but some drivers will switch the meter off and demand an inflated fare if they think you’re a gullible foreigner. By law a receipt should be issued for every taxi ride you take. The charges are cheap, ranging from 0.59Lv – 0.70Lv per kilometre. The agreeing of flat-rate fares beforehand is a common practice, even in licensed cabs, especially for destinations outside the city limits. A tip of 10-15% is common practice. Most taxis hang around at the big intersections, although you can order them by phone - just don't expect to get through to an English-speaker (you can always ask your hotel receptionist to do it for you). Don’t be surprised if your driver doesn’t have a detailed knowledge of the city and asks you for directions. Few drivers speak a foreign language.
You’d be well advised to stick to the taxi companies recommended below in order to keep overcharging problems to a minimum, although you’re unlikely to survive without being ripped off at least once during your stay.

Taxi companies
OK Supertrans tel. 973 21 21, for mobile 1TAXI, www.oktaxi.net.
Taxi S Express tel. 9 12 80, for mobile 1280, www.taxi91280.net/.
Radio CV Taxi tel. 9 12 63.
Ricars Taxi tel. 9 11 14.