Getting To The Monastery
Getting to Rila from Sofia comes down to how much money or time you're willing to spend. The easiest option is to take one of the day trips offered by travel agents like Balkantourist and the capital's bigger hotels, which cost about US$60 per person including lunch. Trips offered by Odysseia-in and Lyub Travel, although less frequent, are more informal, more fun, and cost significantly less. Travelling by public transport, it's well-nigh impossible to treat the monastery as a day trip from Sofia, and you really need to stay overnight. Half-hourly buses leave Sofia's Ovcha Kupel terminal for Dupnitsa , from where there are two daily services to the monastery (if you miss these, take one of the four daily buses from Dupnitsa to Rila village, and try to pick up a connecting service there). If you're approaching the area from the south, you might be able to save time by catching one of the four daily buses to Rila village from Blagoevgrad - although bear in mind that you might have a long wait in the village before a bus to the monastery shows up. Whichever direction you're travelling from, it pays to make an early start, and to check timetables carefully at each stage of the journey in order to plan your return trip.
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