London, Essex to Sofia (STN–SOF) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

STN Airport Page →
1,250 mi airlines 21/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 6 flights Verified 7h ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
FR1730
FR Ryanair
7M8
5:55 AM
GMT T1
11:20 AM
EET
3h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
FR2690
FR Ryanair
7M8
5:55 AM
GMT T1
11:20 AM
EET
3h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
FR9961
FR Ryanair
7M8
4:25 PM
GMT
9:50 PM
EET
3h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
FR1731
FR Ryanair
7M8
5:41 AM
EET T2
7:06 AM
GMT
3h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
FR2691
FR Ryanair
7M8
12:29 PM
EET T2
1:54 PM
GMT
3h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices
FR9962
FR Ryanair
7M8
7:50 PM
EET T2
9:15 PM
GMT
3h 25m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP
2-STOP Loading...
London, Essex to Sofia
1 carrier, 21 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 21 Flights/wk 1,250 mi 3h 25m nonstop +2h ahead 43 1-stop hubs

STN–SOF is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Ryanair leads the route. The flight covers 1,250 miles in approximately 3h 25m. Beyond nonstop, 43 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop STN–SOF service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
FR Ryanair 21 7M8 3h25
Aircraft on this route
7M8 Boeing 737 MAX 8 – FR
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: FR (21 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, STN to SOF direction.
Mon
3
flights
Tue
3
flights
Wed
3
flights
Thu
3
flights
Fri
3
flights
Sat
3
flights
Sun
3
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
3
Nonstop flights
21
Outbound / wk
21
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for STN to SOF.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
43
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~26h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
2,867
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Other ways to reach Sofia from London, Essex

Nearby airports with service to Sofia Airport.
Metric STN→SOF LTN→SOF LHR→SOF
Distance from STN 26 mi 41 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 1 2
Weekly flights 21 12 9
Flight time 3h 25m 3h 10m 3h 5m
Airports within 200 miles of STN with service to Sofia Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+2h
Sofia is 2 hours ahead of London, Essex.
STN: GMT · SOF: EET

When it's 6:00 PM in London, Essex, it's 8:00 PM in Sofia.
Distance & Flight Time
1,250 mi / 2,012 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 3h 25m.
Visa & Entry

British passport holders enter Bulgaria visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. No fee, no advance application. Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure date with at least one blank page.

Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area for air and sea borders in March 2024, with land border controls removed in January 2025. Time spent in Bulgaria now counts toward the shared Schengen 90/180-day limit alongside all other Schengen states. Border officers can ask for proof of accommodation, return travel, and sufficient funds (roughly EUR 50 per day or equivalent in BGN).

Direct flights from London to Sofia run about 3 hours 10 minutes. Bulgaria uses the Bulgarian lev (BGN), fixed at 1.9558 BGN per EUR 1 (the country plans to adopt the euro). Euros are not legal tender but many hotels and tourist shops accept them. No vaccination requirements for UK arrivals.

STN–SOF Quick Facts

Key statistics for the London, Essex to Sofia route.
Route details
Distance1,250 mi / 2,012 km
Flight time3h 25m
Time difference+2 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights21 out / 21 return
1-stop connections43 hubs
Origin: STN
IATA / ICAOSTN / EGSS
TimezoneEurope/London
Passengers/yr28.0M
Elevation348 ft / 106 m
Destination: SOF
Full nameSofia Airport
IATA / ICAOSOF / LBSF
TimezoneEurope/Sofia
Passengers/yr7.9M
Elevation1,742 ft / 531 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about STN to SOF flights.
Nonstop flights from London Stansted Airport to Sofia Airport take approximately 3h 25m. The route covers 1,250 miles.
1 airline operates nonstop service: Ryanair.
There are approximately 21 nonstop flights per week from STN to SOF. The return direction has about 21 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through FMM, PDV, FCO, RAK, EIN, MAD, NUE, TRN, BCN, HHN, FKB, PRG, CPH, SAW, CGN, WRO, VIE, KRK, CIA, OTP, DUB, EDI, BER, BRI, MXP, PMI, NAP, ALC, BGY, LHR, MLA, AMS, ATH, DXB, AGP, CDG, PFO, RIX, BLQ, VLC, BUD, WMI and HAM. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Sofia is 2 hours ahead of London, Essex.
Yes, return flights from SOF to STN are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include LTN, LHR and LGW. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from STN to SOF

London Stansted Airport (STN) and Sofia Airport (SOF) are connected by nonstop service from Ryanair. With 21 weekly departures, this is a well served route.

STN to SOF Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from STN to SOF ranges from 3 hours 25 minutes. The route covers a distance of 1,250 miles (2,012 km). There are approximately 21 weekly flights outbound and 21 return, totaling 42 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

43 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 5 hours via FMM. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Luton, Luton (LTN), London (LHR) and London (LGW).