Frequently Asked QuestionsWhere is Bulgaria?Bulgaria is small country located in South Eastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula, North of Greece and Turkey and South of Romania. The river Danube (Dunav) acts like natural border with Romania. Black Sea is on the East and separates Bulgaria from Ukraine, Romania, Georgia, Russia and Turkey. The West border is with Republic of Serbia and Montenegro, and Macedonia. How can I travel to Bulgaria?Any major Airline will take you to Sofia and 3 other international airports in Bulgaria, Varna Burgas and Plovdiv. It is mere 3 hours away from all big UK airports. Salonika is 2-3 hours drive. Athens is around 4 hours comfortable drive. Istanbul is about that much as well, depending where in Bulgaria you are. Where can I buy flight ticket to Bulgaria?Practicly any travel agent within the UK will sell you ticket to Bulgaria. We can assist here as well. We also recommend to shop around for promotions in air carriers such us British Airways, Hemus Air, Bulgaria Air, etc. as prices vary and is well worth it. What currency is used in Bulgaria?The local currency is Lev (BGN plural Leva, shortened lv ), which exchanges around 3 to the pound. The Lev is fixed by law and one Lev is about 50 euro cents. One Lev is contains 100 stotinka, shortened stotinki. From 1 January 2007 Bulgaria is expected to enter the EU and the official currency will become the Euro. Can I use my Credit/Debit card in Bulgaria?In a word Yes. All major cards such us Master Card, Visa, Visa Delta, American Express, Maestro, even JCB are widely accepted in Bulgaria. There are thousands of shops, restaurants, banks hotels, offices and other outlets where you can pay for your services with Credit or Debit cards. Practicly in any bank you can draw cash with credit, debit and current bank card. Cash points are quite widespread. Where can I exchange money in Bulgaria?All banks and exchange bureaux (some of them work 24 hours) in Bulgaria will exchange your currency. How can I transfer money to Bulgaria?The safest bet is trough a bank. Money Gram and Western Union are available, but come with a hefty fee. All major banks in Bulgaria, like UBB, Bulbank, Raiffeisen Bank, Allianz Bank, Hebros Bank, Postbank are associated and work with Lloyds TSB, Barclays, HSBC, Halifax, etc. Do I need visa to get in Bulgaria?All British nationals and holders of valid British passport DO NOT need a visa to visit Bulgaria for up to 30 days within each period of six months. For further information you can contact the Bulgarian Embassy. Where is Bulgarian Embassy in UK?Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria Website: www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk Where is British Embassy in Bulgaria?British Embassy Website: www.britishembassy.gov.uk What transport is available in Bulgaria and how much it cost?Public transport is widely available. Rail is not as sophisticated as in UK, but for the major connecting points Sofia-Varna, Sofia-Burgas, etc. there is a descent transport. The coach services are prefered between cities. In the cities there is abundance of taxis and minicabs. In Sofia there is Tramway and Troleyway as well as Metro Undergroud services. Where can I rent a car?In all the big cities, airports and all resorts. There is Herz, Avis, Rent a Car, Budjet, Europe Car, Sixth and other rental companies available to choose from. How much is the cost of accommodation in Bulgaria?Anything from pretty penny £5 up to the top end of around £500 per night. The golden average is £25 per night descent kip, hotel fully packed with all the facilities and services. Can I use my mobile phone in Bulgaria?Absolutely. There is very good network in Bulgaria of three mobile operators, which will cover all UK mobile phones including 3G network UK. M-Tel, GloBul, Vivatel. Voice calls, text messages, voice mails, etc. can be send and retrieved as usual. There is only not video conferent link as yet on 3G as in UK, due to licensing laws etc., but its coming very soon. What is a spoken language in Bulgaria?The official language is Bulgarian - close to Russian, Serb - Croation and other slavic languages. Almost everyone in Bulgaria speaks Russian (which is widely spoken but rarely acknoledged) or another language on a satisfactory or understandable level such as English, German, French, Spanish even Greek. At airports, hotels, restaurants, etc., you will find people speak quite good English, German, French. Bizarely, when a Bulgarian means No, he nods his head in a way the English say Yes and when he means Yes shakes his head from side to side or wags the head in a strange manner. More of the Bulgarians know that the English do the oposite. We can not explain the origin of this, but even sometimes when they speak to a foreigner, make thinks even more complicated if they express themselves like westerners. They know they are doing it the "wrong" way. Generaly Bulgarians are patient and polite and will turn every discrepancy into humor. |