Memo to tourist - Bulgaria | UsefulTravelArticles.com

Memo to tourist - Bulgaria

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Starting your trip

Choosing a resort

The most popular beach resorts in the country are Golden Sands, Sunny Beach and Albena. The latter is very suitable for families. At the resorts of Hisar and Velingar, you can improve your health by relaxing in the hot springs. And the resort of Saints Constantine and Helena, in addition to healing, also offers excursion holidays. In addition, large cities are undoubtedly good for sightseeing holidays, especially Sofia. It is best to ski in Bulgaria in Pamporovo and Borovets.

Bulgaria

Brief information about the country

Bulgaria is located in the southeastern part of Europe and has borders with Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Romania. In the east, the country is washed by the Black Sea.

The capital of Bulgaria is the city of Sofia. Other large cities: Varna, Plovdiv, Ruse, Burgas, Pleven, Stara Zagora, Shumen, Sliven and Dobrich.

Time in Bulgaria is two hours behind Moscow.

A year in Bulgaria, as well as in Russia, is divided into 4 seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn. Winter in Bulgaria is cool, but most often the temperature is kept at around 0 ° C. In spring it is much warmer and more comfortable than at the same time in Russia. Summer, especially on the seashore, is hot and sunny, and autumn is very warm compared to Russian.

The official language of the country is Bulgarian. Many words of this language are understandable to Russian, although some familiar words sometimes have unusual meanings, for example,"right" means"directly." You can find Russian speakers in the country.

There is no official religion in Bulgaria, but most of the population there are Orthodox Christians.

Holiday seasons

· Since the end of May to August - high season with the most expensive prices and the hottest weather;

· From late September to April - low season;

· From June to September - beach season. In general, some begin to swim in May, but at this time the water is still cool;

· September is a velvet season with not too high prices for vouchers and comfortable, not very hot weather. It is worth considering that by the second half of the month the sea cools down greatly, so it is better to plan your vacation at the beginning of September;

· From December to March - the ski season. It starts and ends at different times in different resorts, but it always peaks during the winter holidays.

Bulgaria

Things to know and do before you travel

Some cards that work in Russia and other European countries, may not work in Bulgaria, so it is better to cash out the money. It is difficult to exchange rubles in Bulgaria, so make sure to exchange them for euros in advance.

No special vaccinations are required before traveling to Bulgaria.

Road

You can get to Bulgaria by plane. Direct flights regularly depart to Sofia from Moscow, there are several rare flights from St. Petersburg. Often, tourists fly to Sofia with a stopover in Istanbul. In general, charter flights to Sofia, Varna, Burgas and Plovdiv depart from most major Russian airports.

A direct flight from Moscow to Sofia takes almost three hours, and from St. Petersburg - 3.5 hours. You can fly to Bulgaria by airplanes of Aeroflot, Aerosvit, Transaero, S7 and many others.

You can also get to Sofia by train - the journey takes only three days, and trains from Moscow leave regularly and pass through several major European capitals. Of course, traveling by train is not so convenient, but if you are afraid of airplanes or want to slowly admire the landscapes of Europe on the road, then this option is for you.

Flight

The flight to Bulgaria is not very long, so you will hardly have time to get bored. For entertainment, you can bring a book or other leisure activity with you. If you plan to sleep, take care of a blindfold - the lights are usually on in the aircraft cabin.

Bulgaria Airport

Railway

If you have chosen to travel by train, it is worth considering that you will be crossing the Romanian border, which means that you also need a Romanian visa. All borders are passed directly on the train, so it is somewhat more convenient than when flying by plane. Trains can be hot in the summer, so be sure to bring water with you and don't dress too warmly.

Visa, Customs

If you have a Schengen visa, then it will be enough to enter Bulgaria. If you do not have a Schengen visa, then obtaining a Bulgarian visa will take very little time.

Required documents:

· A passport valid for at least three months after the planned the end of the trip;

· Copy of the first page of the passport;

· Color photograph 3.5 by 4.5 centimeters;

· Completed application form;

· For children, even those entered in the parental passport, a questionnaire and the entire set of documents are required;

· Also, a child will need a copy of a birth certificate;

need.

A visa is issued within 5-7 working days, urgent registration is possible in three days. Tourists receive a six-month multiple-entry visa, and those who have already visited Bulgaria - an annual visa.

If you apply for a visa yourself, you will also need a round-trip ticket and confirmation that your income allows you to stay in the country all this time .

You can import 250 cigarettes or 50 cigars, a liter of strong alcohol or two liters of wine, any amount of foreign currency into Bulgaria duty-free (amounts over 5 thousand levs must be declared). Jewelry and equipment are also subject to declaration.

It is forbidden to import weapons and drugs into Bulgaria, as well as chocolate, canned meat and non-canned food. Customs is usually easy and hassle-free.

Please note that that Bulgarian customs officials have different attitudes towards accidental and deliberate violations. If prohibited items are in their natural places, then they will simply be confiscated without writing out a fine. If, for example, you hide undeclared money in the lining of a suitcase, then if they are found, you will also be fined.

Staying in a foreign country

Accommodation

The traditional classification of hotels by stars is adopted in Bulgaria. Please note that breakfast is almost never included in the room rate, so you will have to pay for it separately. A hotel room on the beach will cost significantly more than in the city. There are a lot of family hotels in Bulgaria that compete with large companies. These hotels offer guests home-cooked food, comfort and a particularly relaxed atmosphere.

On the coast, many locals rent apartments and private houses. You can also stay in a bungalow, camping or other cheaper, but less comfortable accommodation option.

Food

Bulgarian cuisine is quite familiar to a Russian person - all unusual and national dishes can be eaten without fear get an upset stomach.

The price of meals varies greatly depending on the prestige of the resort. For example, in Albena, lunch will cost 30 euros per person, and alcohol and fruits are on average 1.5-2 times more expensive than in the rest of the country.

If you are staying in a less popular tourist city, then the prices there, of course, will be lower. This, however, also depends on where the cafe is located - eating in the city will be cheaper than on the beach. If you really like in some cafe, you can agree with the administrator about constant meals. Then you will pay in advance for five days, and you can safely go here to dine. The price for three meals a day is 10 euros, as there is a serious discount for regular meals. Also note that the cafe will pick up the dishes for you, that is, it will be like eating in a canteen.

Bulgarian soup - chobra

Leisure

People generally go to Bulgaria for a beach holiday on the Black Sea coast. The beaches here are clean, there are many free places where you can get additional services in the form of a towel or a sun lounger for a surcharge. The beaches are well equipped and usually crowded.

The seaside vacation can be diversified by various active sports: windsurfing, diving, volleyball, tennis, etc. You can also go banana, water skiing, etc.

Bulgaria has all the opportunities for skiing - there are several European-level ski resorts with a very developed infrastructure.

In addition, there are several health resorts in Bulgaria, where beach holidays can be combined with mineral waters and health procedures.

Excursions

Recently, Bulgaria began to organize an excursion to the Turkish capital Istanbul. This two-day excursion costs about 180 levs. Tourists travel by bus from Sofia to Istanbul, they leave things at the hotel and go to several popular attractions, and for a surcharge, you can visit several more interesting places. In the evening, an entertainment program is also arranged for an additional fee, and several more excursions are planned for the next day. It is worth considering that for such a trip you need to get a double-entry Turkish visa in advance.

Prices for excursions in Bulgaria range from 20 to hundreds of euros, depending on where you want to go. There are both excursions to monuments and entertaining excursions for children and adults, such as a boat trip or a pirate game battle.

Beach in Bulgaria

Shopping

There are three main places for shopping in Bulgaria - bazaars, fairs and shops. Bazaars are permanent, they are open from morning until 4 pm and are located both in small resort towns and in megacities. The fairs are organized according to the schedule, and a tourist can get to them only by accident. Bulgarian shops are open on weekdays, sometimes on Saturday, and sometimes completely seven days a week. There are convenience stores. Please note that Bulgaria is not a cheap country and it is not worth going there specifically for shopping - however, during the rest you can treat yourself to buying souvenirs.

Here you can buy quite colorful clay products, jewelry, as well as inexpensive leather goods. On the market you can buy national sweets, wooden crafts and beautiful knitted items. Very high quality spices are sold here.

Prices in resorts are sometimes two to three times higher than in cities, especially for souvenirs, so it's better to buy something in Sofia or other large settlements. But in the resort, unlike the city, you can buy delicious honey in clay pots.

In the covered market of Albena, silk shawls and stoles, as well as cashmere mufflers and scarves are sold. And the Golden Sands resort offers tourists products made of stones and silver, as well as woven handbags and hats.

There are many Greek shops in Bulgaria where you can buy fur products at Greek prices.

What you need to do in Bulgaria

· Get to know Alyosha - a monument to the Soviet liberator soldier in the city of Plovdiv. In general, this 11-meter sculpture is unnamed, but the Bulgarians gave it a name, and now it is one of the favorite monuments of both local residents and Russian tourists;

· Feel like a real Roman by watching a performance in an ancient amphitheater of the 2nd century BC. This amphitheater is located in Plovdiv - one of the most ancient cities in Europe;

· Visit the Rose Valley - on 30-meter flower fields planted with Damask rose oil. The aroma is simply magnificent;

· Visit the village of Rupite, where the famous clairvoyant Vanga was born;

· Look at the city under water - a part of Nessebar, a city with three thousand years of history. During the earthquake, half of the peninsula on which the city is located was submerged, and now from the boat you can see ancient buildings resting on the seabed;

· Dive to the sunken TU-154. This plane was sunk specifically to attract divers;

Look at the strangest building in the world - a house in the form of a multicolored snail.

House-snail

Health

Tourists in Bulgaria definitely need a medical insurance - without it they don't even issue a visa. An ambulance for Russian citizens will be provided here free of charge under a special agreement, but subsequent treatment will cost money. You can see a doctor at the hotel, but his services will cost more than the services of private doctors, and the cheapest way to go to government agencies.

The quality of medicine in Bulgaria is at its best, all the more so as it is beneficial for local doctors to treat foreign tourists. The equipment is not particularly modern, but it is maintained in good condition.

Bulgaria is a clean country, so for prevention you just need to follow basic hygiene rules.

Safety

Bulgaria is a fairly safe country for tourists, but you still need to be aware of what may lie in wait for tourists.

Often in Bulgaria due to economic turmoil, demonstrations and rallies take place, so there are interruptions in work taxi and public transport. Rallies usually do not cause other problems for tourists.

Tourists usually become victims of minor crimes. In transport, In crowded places and on the busy streets of resorts, it is easy to fall prey to a pickpocket. To avoid this, constantly monitor your bag and pockets, avoid carrying valuables in your backpack. It is also better to leave documents, valuables and large amounts of money at the hotel - they offer special safes for this, often free of charge.

Fraudsters often try to deceive tourists near ATMs, so be careful that the PIN code from your cards did not get to unauthorized persons.

Some problems are associated with Bulgarian taxi drivers - they often greatly inflate prices for services. It is better not to get into cars without meters - this way you will lose more money than you really should.

Actions in case of an emergency

If you are robbed, you should immediately contact the nearest branch police, where you can come across an English- and even Russian-speaking employee. When contacting, have at least a copy of your passport with you.

If you have lost your passport, immediately call the Russian Embassy - there you will be given further instructions for action.

Phone

To call from Russia to Bulgaria, you need to dial 8-10-359 (country code) - city code - subscriber number. To call from Bulgaria to Russia on the contrary, you need to dial 00-7- city code - the subscriber's number.

City codes:

Sofia - 2;

Plovdiv - 32;

Burgas - 56;

Varna - 52;

Dobrich - 58;

· Nessebo - 554;

Official contacts

Firefighters - 160;

Ambulance - 150;

Police - 166;

Russian Embassy in Bulgaria - (+359 2) 963-44 -58, 24-hour number;

Consular Section - (+359 2) 963-40-21;

Duty Consul for Emergencies - (+359) 884-510- 955, around the clock.

Currency

The official currency of the country is the lion, equal to 100 hundred square meters. Money can often be exchanged without commission at exchange offices; it is not profitable to do this in hotels. Banks are open on weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm. In addition to lions, the euro is in use in the country. One lev is equal to about 20 rubles.

Prices in Bulgaria are quite comparable with ours, so if you want to relax comfortably, eating in restaurants and visiting excursions, then for two the amount starts from 300 euros for 10 days. If you plan to buy gifts and attend expensive excursions, then the amount should be increased. You will also spend more at the popular resort.

Bulgarian money

Transport

Public transport in Bulgaria is mainly buses, trolleybuses and minibuses. Sofia has metro and trams. Buses stop running at midnight, tickets for them must be purchased at kiosks or from the drivers.

You can get around the city and take a taxi. Catching cars on the sidelines is not customary, but people often take taxis at train stations and bus stops. A taxi will cost an average of 25 cents per kilometer, you have to negotiate with some taxi drivers, which is not very convenient and does not always work out in favor of the tourist.

Buses, trains, water transport run between cities. Some places can be reached by plane. Rail transport is usually more convenient than buses.

Renting a car in Bulgaria will cost $ 50 per day + petrol. Can be found cheaper. For rent, you will need international driving license. Please note that road conditions in Bulgaria are not very good, and drivers often use old vehicles, so you should be careful when driving. There are toll roads that cannot be entered without a special card.

Tipping

Tipping is usually 7-10% of the service cost. You can give a reward to the maids and the porter. It is customary for waiters to round off the bill, unless, of course, tips are already included in it.

Clothes

There are no specific clothing standards in Bulgaria - you can safely wear what you wear in Russia. Even the climate in this country is similar to the Russian one, so there should be no problems with the selection of clothes - just take what you usually wear at this time of year.

National characteristics and traditions

Bulgaria as a whole is very similar to Russia in terms of traditions and norms of behavior.

Remember that when agreeing, Bulgarians shake their heads from side to side, and when they deny, they nod. However, in tourist areas it is sometimes the other way around, so in order to avoid misunderstandings it is better to use words, especially since “yes” and “no” sound the same in Bulgarian.

Bulgarians are generally very friendly and tolerant of people, to their religion and worldview. They are also very proud of their homeland, so try not to accidentally offend their country or hometown when talking to them. Also Bulgarians are not punctual. Bulgarian men are very temperamental, almost like Spaniards and Italians, so they often show attention to girls, but, as a rule, unobtrusively.

Return

Customs

Objects of historical or artistic value cannot be taken out of Bulgaria without special permission, so before purchasing an expensive piece of art, be sure to find out if you can take it home. Also, you can not export the amount of money more than was declared at the time of import. To export undeclared equipment and jewelry, you will need a receipt for their purchase.
so try not to accidentally offend their country or hometown when talking to them. Also Bulgarians are not punctual. Bulgarian men are very temperamental, almost like Spaniards and Italians, so they often show attention to girls, but, as a rule, unobtrusively.

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Topic: Memo to tourist - Bulgaria.

Author: Kelly Costine

Memo to tourist - Bulgaria (Topic)