Travel Tips when travel to Bulgaria.
1. Visas
2. Getting There.
3. Accommodation.
4. Rent a Car, Transfer, Taxis, Busses.
5. Exchange Money, Banks.
6. Food, Drinks, Restaurants, Supermarkets.
7. Pubs, Bars, Night Clubs.
8. Medical Assistance.
9. Post Offices, Police, Embassies, Customes.
10. Religion and Traditions.
11. Useful Phrases.
12. What NOT to do!!!
13. Bulgarian Alphabet.
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1. Visas.Embassies
-In order to travel to and within Bulgaria the nationals of all countries need a passport valid until at least six months after the date of departure
-Nationals of the USA and members of the European Union can travel in Bulgaria without a visa for up to 30 days. What we suggest is always check the regulations which may apply, with the Bulgarian embassy in your country.
-You do not have to produce a return ticket on arrival. All visitors arriving in Bulgaria, who are staying for more than 3 days, have to register at the nearest police station.For those staying at a hotel, a private boarding house or an apartment rented through an accommodation company, registration is taken care of by the proprietor.
2. Getting There.
Bulgaria is a 3 hour flight from the UK direct. Two scheduled airlines currently fly direct to Sofia once a day, most other major European carriers fly indirectly. There are Charter flights available in the summer and winter holiday seasons. The main international airports are: Sofia, Varna and Bourgas. With the interest that has been shown in Bulgaria over the last couple of years, low cost airlines are expected to introduce regular scheduled flights there in the near future.
3. Accommodation.
–Accommodation.
The price of hotel rooms depends on the category, the season, proximity to resorts or to places of cultural interest and the size of the local settlement. As a rule the most expensive hotels are of the world chains of “Sheraton” and “Hilton”. Recently across the country there have been a large number of private hotels in construction, with excellent facilities offered to tourists. Most hotels offer breakfast included in the price. On request you can make arrangements for full or half board. To less choosy tourists there are tourist houses, chalets and tourist hostels. The conditions are decent. Bringing sleeping bags or light mattresses into the chalets or public bedrooms is not necessary.
-Voltage.
Plugs used in , as in most of Europe , are two-pin plugs. The common voltage is 220 V, and it is wise to bring your own adapters as well as converters as these may not be available in the area you are traveling to.
4. Rent a Car, Transfer, Taxis, Busses.
The Bulgarian road system is generally well developed with several motorways and local roads which are continually upgraded, but potholes remain a problem.
Visitors may drive using their national license, as long as it complies with international standards. The use of seat belts is mandatory in Bulgaria. Child car seats are required by law, but only on the back seats. Speed limits are 50 km/h in the cities/towns, 90 km/h out of town and 120 km/h on the highways.
Road signs follow international standards, with major routes and destinations signposted in both Cyrillic and Latin letters.
Petrol service stations are present along all main routes and offer toilet and refreshment facilities. The major fuel retail chains include Petrol, Shell, OMV, Lukoil.
5. Exchange Money, Banks.
Bulgaria is still largely a cash economy, so visitors will need a reasonable amount of BGN (Leva). It is strongly recommended that foreign currency (either Euro, US Dollars or Sterling) is exchanged only at banks or licensed exchange bureaus, as changing money in the street may result in fraud. It is to be noted that damaged or very worn bank notes are often not accepted in Bulgaria. The major branches of Bulgarian banks will cash travellers' checks on the spot for BGN or another desired currency.Most shops, hotels and restaurants, with the exception of the major hotels, still do not accept travellers' checks or credit cards. However, ATM cash machines are increasing in numbers in the main towns and resorts, allowing Leva to be drawn with all major debit/credit cards.
6. Food, Drinks, Restaurants, Supermarkets.
Before 1989 Bulgaria was quite closed for anything coming from outside. That is why there was lack of variety in the Bulgarian restaurants. Soon after the changes Bulgaria opened for the world and at the same time it was no more illegal to do private business. Lots of foreign people came in the country and opened a restaurants serving their national cuisine such as: Chinese, Indian, Italian, Greek, Russian and many more. Now days quite popular (and especially in Sofia) foods are Chinese, Italian (mainly pizza) and so called “Srapska Skara” which is the Bulgarian meaning for steaks, ribs, mince balls and other kind of meat on a barbeque. Strongly recommended is to try the Bulgarian version of mince ball but made in a sausage shape called “Kebapche”. “Kebapche” with beer or red wine is a “must not miss” experience in Bulgaria.
Restaurants in Bulgaria are generally cheap compare to the same in Western Europe but if you are a budget traveller you can shop food from almost everywhere. There are thousands of small food and vegetable shops with plenty of food for any taste. There are few big supermarket chains (Billa, Metro and others), but they are mostly in the outskirts of the cities. It is safe to eat any of the food bought from the shops but if you buy the cheapest stuff the quality might not be that good.
Other cheap option is pizza. Slice of pizza on the go in the capital costs around 40 pence. If you weight about 85 kg you can keep yourself going with 2 slices of it, leaving enough space for the beer later. Do not worry there are plenty of places opened 24 hours, so you can have a bite on the way home next morning.
Football is quite popular game in Bulgaria but nothing can beat drinking as a national sport. The Bulgarians prefer to drink spirits combined with salad, or drinking wines with their main course, or with side dish mainly meat specialities or feta cheese.
There are hundreds of good red wines with prices varied between 1.50-3.00£ a bottle.
The biggest bargains (not for long EU coming soon) are the spirits. If you like your vodka in Bulgaria you will be in heaven. Spirits with good quality goes for something like 2.00£ a bottle!!!
Of course nothing can beat the old lager. Drinking in your apartment with your mates before hitting the clubs can cost as little as 25 pence a bottle!!! Yes 0.25£ a bottle of 500ml perfictly cool Lager.
Drinking beer in average pub/“krachma” (local word for it) can cost you around 60 to 80 pence a bottle. Beat that!!!
Cheers!
7. Pubs, Bars, Night Clubs.
There is quite busy nightlife in Bulgaria. In most of the bigger cities there are plenty of nice places to spend your night out. Every now and again new stylishly furbished pubs and bars open doors for the eager for novelties public. Now days there is no city without an Irish and Bavaria stile pub.
Latest trend in Bulgaria are the piano bars. The entrance in most of them is free and the quality of the music is very good. Most of the musicians especially middle-aged have been to musical universities and are leading musicians and singers in the country.
For the people who value the female charms there are places where for a fraction of the price back home, they can enjoy a good views in a pleasant atmosphere.
Being southerners Bulgarians are quite of a party animals.
The nightclubs are generally busy on Friday and Saturday, but special offers during the week trying to get the increasingly busy locals out of their homes. Like in rest of Europe those places starting to get busy about 12 midnight, and the entrance rarely exceeds 3.00£.
There are lots of different stiles of nightclubs from Techno and Latin to Rock and the most popular of all Pop-Folk/”Chalga” clubs. You must not miss the last one. The kind of music played in them is mixture between Greek/Serbian/Turkish/Bulgarian, but the most exiting of all are the girls dancing something like belly dance, clapping with their fingers in the air, swinging their bums madly.
If you are kind of person who hate to be unnoticed, you need to go inland.
Travelling in the country far from the main tourist resorts, the travellers really get the filing of being discoverers. Every place you visit you will find people looking at you with interest and good feelings. If you are lucky enough to have a red hair, or you are Afro-Caribbean, or Asian you will be in the centre of attention.
Generally Bulgarian people are quite civilised, still according to the Balkans standards, but you will never be unwelcome for being foreign.
8. Medical Assistance.
There are a polyclinics in each town or resort where tourists can receive medical attention. You will be charged for these services, but costs are generally low. Please, keep all receipt for insurance claims, but be aware that most policies have an excess. You must always contact your Insurance company on your return.
9. Post Offices, Police, Customes.
Post Offices:
-To send a letter abroad, one shall obligatorily have the envelope weighed and charged according to its weight in grams. For printed matter a lower tariff is applied, and excise bands may not exceed 2 kilograms.
Parcels and small packages (not exceeding 2 kg) are subject to mandatory customs control. Packaging services are available at the post offices in bigger towns, and where no such service is available, the public and tourists are expected to pack up their parcels in the post office hall after examination by the customs authority.
Registered, express and special deliveries are charged under a higher tariff. All kinds of parcels must bear sender's and recipient's name and address clearly written.
Police:
-Police in Bulgaria is generally OK. There is a great effectiveness in their job. 70% salved crimes (they say). We advise you to protect yourself by being streetwise and sensible when it comes to, walking alone late at night in dark and remote places. In case you get in trouble you need to call 166, but learn some Bulgarian before.
Customes:
-Every tourist visiting the Republic of Bulgaria may import a limited amount of food, cigarettes and alcohol for personal use. The admissible number and quantity of the imported goods is indicated at every customs checkpoint.
Subject to obligatory declaring are golden articles, valuables in excess of personal jewelry, photographic cameras, electronic devices and apparatus of greater value. The same objects shall be declared also upon leaving Bulgaria, whereby the tourist certifies that the objects have not been made present or sold to other persons. Presents and objects carried for Bulgarian citizens or foreigners residing in Bulgaria shall be declared as well.
Subject to a special regime of import and export are the antiquarian objects, works of art, historic and cultural treasures, rare coins of numismatic value and securities. The latter require particular permits and accompanying documents which may be obtained in the respective country by the local authorities and the Bulgarian representations upon import, and by the Bulgarian authorities upon export of the same.
Subject to special control are the deficient raw materials, and protected birds, animals and plants. The import and export of works of art for participation in auctions or sales, in exhibitions, fairs or art expositions, require special documents, which shall obligatorily accompany the exhibits or the works of art. The same applies to medicines, narcotics, weapons and ammunition.
To contact with the Central Customs Office in Bulgaria dial:
+359 (0)2 931 15 12
10. Religion and Traditions.
In Bulgaria 86.6% of the population are Orthodox Christians, 13% are Muslims. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church is autonomous and headed by a Patriarch.
11. Useful Numbers:
- Emergency medical aid - 150
- Fire - 160
- Police - 166
- Road assistance - 146
- Telephone information - 144
12. Useful Phrases.
- Hi ! - Zdravei !
- Hi ! - Zdrasti !
- What's up ? - Kak si ?
- Cool ! And You ? - Super ! A ti ?
- Nice to meet you ! - Priyatno mi e da se zapoznaem !
- Nice to meet you too ! - Na men sushto !
- There you are ! - Zapovyadai !
- Thanks/Thank you ! - Blagodarya !
- Bye, Bye ! - Do skoro !
- Chao ! - Chao !
13. What NOT to do!!!
-Do NOT ever exchange money on the street. There is a 100% guaranty that you will get coned.
-Do NOT give money, gifts or food to the beggars. Insted of getting rid of them you will make the other beggars to chase you for their stake.
-Do NOT leave documents, bags and valuables exposed inside the car. Leave your car at paid parkings, which provide security to your car and belongings.
-Do NOT get involved in conflicts with the locals. Bulgaria is known for having organised crime.
-Do NOT buy and drink alcoholic drinks, purchased from cheap little shops. Check whether the excise bands are firmly affixed to the bottle in factory conditions.
-Do NOT drive fast on roads you haven't been before. There is still quite poor use of road signs warning for hazards. Other things are the potholes sometimes big enough to overturn your car.
-Do NOT risk swimming in unknown and risky places.
14. Bulgarian/Cyrillic Alphabet.
ÁÚËÃÀÐÑÊÀ ÀÇÁÓÊÀ (Bulgarian/Cyrillic Alphabet)
BG eng as in
À , à - alphabet
Á , b - bad
 , v - vain
à , g - grab
Ä , d - dot
Å , e - Elena
Æ , j - Jack (French name)
Ç , z - zero
È , i - Indian
É , j - Jove,
Ê , k - calm
Ë , l - live
Ì , m - mum
Í , n - nose
Î , o - oracle
Ï , p - puppy
Ð , r - rack
Ñ , s - strike
Ò , t - terrified
Ó , u - Ulrike (boo)
Ô , f - fed up
Õ , h - hacker
Ö , tz - it’s
× , ch - pitch
Ø , sh - push
Ù , sht - no idea
Þ , u - you
ß , ya - yak
Ú , a - brother
Have a laugh !!!