Useful information
Currency and prices
Bulgaria is part of the European Union, but not of the Euro zone. It is advisable to exchange in the banks or the special places for it. Banks are also open in the shopping malls on weekends. Have always some cash in your pocket because there are many places where they do not accept card payments.
Basic budget/average: 25€ / 50€
Hostel/Hotel: 13€/32€ per night
Food: “Shopska” salad 3€
Drinks: Beer (0,5l) 1€
The weather
Bulgaria has a nice climate and is suitable to come and visit the country at any time of the year. In summer, the sun offers a very beautiful skin tone and in winter the snow covers the mountains completely. We have periods with rain and they are mostly during spring and autumn.
Spring: Between 7 and 17 Cº
Summer: Between 14 and 35 Cº
Autumn: Between 9 and 17 Cº
Winter: Between -5 and 4 Cº
The transport in Bulgaria
Transportation nationwide is well developed. However, if there is a problem it is not always easy to arrange it with the drivers or the ticket reviewers (most of them don’t speak english). Try not to make mistakes when buying tickets for a trip. It is advisable to rent a car to travel to the most interesting points of the country in a comfortable way.
City transport (Sofia): 0.80€ one way / 2 € daily ticket
Country-wide: Sofia – Plovdiv 5€ (train) 5€ (bus)
www.avtogari.info (buses) / bdz.bg (trains)
Language
One of the first things you will notice upon arrival is the alphabet. It is different but there are some letters are the same. In the “Guide” section you can find a dictionary in PDF format and download it on your mobile. Saying some of the words can be very fun.
Gestures with hands and head are very popular, do not hesitate to use them. This is the longest word in our dictionary:
NEPROTIVOKONSTITUTSIOSTVOVATELSTVUVAITE
Healthcare
Any emergency: 112
Always carry your ID with you!
There are no vaccines necessaries when travelling to Bulgaria.
You should carry the European Health Card with which you will receive the same treatment as any Bulgarian. It is always advisable to pay for a travel insurance.
Tap water is safe and drinkable, however, consuming bottled water is always the best option.
Each relatively large city has hospitals with acceptable standards, but not always high. Private clinics are recommendable.
Bank Holidays in Bulgaria 2019
1st of January: New Year
3th of March: Day of the liberation of Bulgaria
26, 27, 28 and 29 of April: Holy Week (Easter)
1st of May: Day of the labour
6th of May: Day of bravery and Bulgarian Army
24th of May: Day of education, culture and Slavic writing
6th of September: Day of the union of Bulgarian
22nd of September: Independence day
1st of November: All Saint’s day
24,25 and 26th of December: Christmas Eve and Christmas