Travel to Bulgaria

By | October 6, 2021

Best travel time for Bulgaria

The spring (from April to mid-June) is an excellent time for a visit to Bulgaria. During this period, the weather is usually good, the theater and entertainment venues are in full swing and low-season prices often still apply. The summer (mid-June to early September) is ideal for hiking and festivals, but this is also the high season, especially on the coast of the Black Sea. The temperatures can be very high during this period. The September is perhaps one of the best months to see Bulgaria. The trees are colored in autumn, fruit and vegetables are abundant, mass tourism is over, and you can still sunbathe and bathe in the Black Sea.

Almost all holiday resorts on the Black Sea will be closed from mid-October. In the following two months it gets colder, winter (December to March) arrives in Bulgaria. As soon as the first snow falls (around mid-December), the Bulgarians travel to the Bulgarian ski resorts, some of which remain open until mid-April.

The high season on the Black Sea coast is between mid-July and the end of August, in the ski areas around Christmas and New Year and between February and mid-March. If you avoid the high season in these places, you will run into very few tourists. Visit sunglasseswill for Bulgaria Travel Guide.

Bulgaria – traveling in the country

Airplane: Air Bulgaria offers domestic flights between Sofia and Varna and between Sofia and Burgas.

Car: Probably the best way to travel to Bulgaria – especially when visiting remote villages, monasteries and national parks – is by rental car or motorcycle. There are petrol stations along the highways and in all major cities.

Car
Who rent in Bulgaria a car would be at least 21 years old and have his driver’s license for at least one year. Car rental companies are everywhere in the country. However, Sofia offers the largest selection. Larger car rental companies include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Tany 97 and Tourist Service. Motorbikes can be rented from Motoroads, among others.
Prices vary depending on the car rental company. All major credit cards are normally accepted.

Insurance
Third party liability insurance is compulsory. The green (or blue) insurance card is also valid in Bulgaria.

Local transport: Most Bulgarian cities have a good and inexpensive public transport network. Buses are the fastest and most convenient means of public transport to travel around Bulgaria. However, they are often overcrowded and very hot, especially in summer. There are regular ticket controls, especially in Sofia. Extra tickets must be purchased for large pieces of luggage.
Trains are usually slower than buses. Express trains are only used on some longer routes. Bigger cities have trams. Sofia also has a metro network.

Train: the Bulgarian State Railways has a nationwide rail network covering more than 4,000 kilometers. However, the railway only connects the most important or largest cities and municipalities.
Apart from a few routes, e.g. Sofia-Kyustendil and Sofia-Plovdiv, the trains are often outdated and very slow. They are classified as ekspresen (express), barz (fast) or patnicheski (slow passenger trains). As a rule, it is advisable to take a fast or express train.

The two most spectacular train routes run along the Iskar Gorge from Sofia to Mezdra and the narrow-gauge railway line between Septemvri and Bansko.

Traveling by train is usually safe in Bulgaria. However, there have also been reports of robberies, pickpockets and drunkenness on some cross-border routes, such as the route from Serbia to Turkey.
The trains have first and second class compartments. The Intercity-Express offers single seats in open cars. Sleeper and couchette cars are available on the routes between Sofia and Burgas and Vargas. They have to be booked in advance. The prices for train tickets are low compared to Western European countries.

Bus: Bus trips in Bulgaria are inexpensive. There are bus connections to all larger and smaller cities as well as between villages and the nearest transport hub. The state buses that run in some places are often old, uncomfortable and slow compared to the city buses. Newer, faster, and more comfortable buses often operate in larger cities and often cost marginally more to ride.

There are numerous private bus companies in Bulgaria. Etap-Grup and Biomet are among the largest. They offer their service in Sofia and most of the major cities.
Bus timetables (in Cyrillic) are posted in all bus stations. Tickets are usually available at the bus stations. In some cases, however, tickets are also sold on the bus.

Along the On the Black Sea coast and in ski areas, minibuses often run between the individual places. Tickets are usually available from the bus driver. Minibuses also run between the suburbs of central Sofia. They are called marshroutki and operate as a kind of shared taxi.

Bicycle: the use of bicycles is not recommended in the cities due to the risk of accidents; however, they are ideal for exploring rural regions and the Black Sea coast. There are also many rental options there.

Travel to Bulgaria