The main advantage of Bulgaria is the high ratio of price and quality of recreation. Here you will find everything you need for a holiday by the sea:
- warm sea
- wide sandy beaches
- high quality hotel service
- great opportunities for living in the private sector
- stable weather
- reasonable prices
There are also disadvantages. We will tell you about them too.
FAQ
Tour prices
Bulgaria is among the Top 5 budget destinations.
The most budget option for a holiday in a 2-3* hotel with flights and transfers, but without meals, will cost 39-45,000 rubles.
All-inclusive options start from 56,000 rubles.
Traveling on your own: is it worth it?
Bulgaria offers ample opportunities for those who like to travel independently. But organizing a trip yourself pays off only in case of a long stay (12 nights or more).
The average cost of renting private apartments in large resorts is on average 35-40 euros/day. There are discounts for long-term rentals, which can be found on the Airbnb website.
If you are planning a trip together, then there is no point in losing quality. A wild trip will pay off only for families who want to relax in an apartment with a separate bedroom and are willing to come for a longer period. Otherwise, it is more profitable to fly with a tour operator.
How to get to resorts without travel agencies
After the aggravation of relations with Ukraine, then the number of car tourists decreased significantly. Most people prefer to travel by plane. 2.5-3 hours of flight and you already land at the airport of Varna or Burgas, from where you can reach any resort within easy reach.
Those wishing to travel by car to bypass Ukraine will have to travel through Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia or Romania. The trip is not easy due to bad roads in Serbia and Romania, and also requires a Schengen visa.
What visa do Russian citizens need to visit Bulgaria?
Currently Bulgaria issues national visas. Holders of these visas also have the right to enter and stay in Romania, Croatia and Cyprus. Bulgarian visas do not give their holder the right to enter and stay in the Schengen area.
The cost of a visa is 35 euros + 2600 rubles consular fee.
If you already have a multiple-entry visa for the Schengen zone, then this is enough to enter Bulgaria.
You can apply for a visa directly from home using the service. or complete all documents.
When does the season start and end?
Elenite is also considered a specialized family resort. But by and large, except for Balchik, where there are concrete platforms instead of a beach, you can relax with children at any of the resorts.
Nessebar and Dunes are premium resorts. One is famous for its old town, so prices are always inflated there, and Dunes is a resort completely built up with 5* hotels and private apartments.
Features of choosing a hotel and type of food
Bulgaria is one of the few countries where many hotels are built right on the beach. This is very convenient for those who come with children or do not like to strain themselves.
Car rental
In Bulgaria, car rental is not very popular due to the small number of attractions for which it is necessary to visit. But if you plan to go around the entire excursion program, have come for a long time and want to visit remote regions, then finding rental cars at resorts or at the airport is not a problem.
But it is better to rent a car from local rental companies. This is usually noticeably cheaper and more convenient, since global rental cars raise prices and do not make concessions. You can find a car and make a pre-order on the website, which has already done all the work for you and selected the best rental companies. You only need to make a couple of clicks and the car will be waiting for you at the right time.
Shopping in shopping centers and resorts
Shopping at the resorts is limited to market stalls and small shops with inflated prices.
The entire Black Sea zone of Bulgaria is one hundred percent built up with hotels. Moreover, everyone will be able to choose a vacation spot according to their financial capabilities, since the number of stars in hotels and inns varies from two to five.
But you should take care of booking your seats in advance, because the closer the holiday season, the fewer available seats.
It is best for vacationers to choose a vacation spot by March or, in extreme cases, by April. For vacationers, it is important to know the parameters according to which it will be easier to make the necessary choice. First of all, this is the date of departure and date of settlement, the number of stars of the place of residence, the distance to the sea, cafes, restaurants and shops, and the type of room.
Once you have decided on the parameters, you can safely begin searching for a hotel or company that provides room reservation services. It is best to use the services of a company, since it will be difficult for a person who has never been to Bulgaria to decide on a stopping place. In addition, some private hotels do not post their advertisements on the Internet, which makes the search much more difficult, and it will be much easier for a representative of a travel company to choose an acceptable option for you.
A double room in Bulgaria in an ordinary two-star hotel costs no more than 18 euros, a two-room room will cost 40 euros, and a three-room room will cost 50 euros. Meals are not included in the rental price and must be paid for separately. There are also hotels in Bulgaria that offer vacationers to cook their own food, but such hotels are located far from resort complexes.
The average cost of a single room in a five-star hotel ranges from 45 euros to 130 euros. But, these prices are indicated during peak season, so if you book in advance, the price will be significantly lower.
If you book a holiday in March or April, you should be given a discount of ten or fifteen percent. Also, Bulgarian tour operators provide a five percent discount to those who book a vacation with them directly and not through other partners.
There are three airports in Bulgaria, located in the largest resort towns. Airports are located in Burgas, Sofia and Varna. Regular flights fly from Moscow to Bulgaria, departing from Sheremetyevo-2 and Domodedovo, in addition, some airlines organize charter flights.
You can apply for a visa at the Bulgarian Embassy, it will cost you 25 euros. It is worth saying that obtaining a visa from tour operators will cost about 45 euros, but in this case you will not have to fill out forms and stand in long lines. A visa to Bulgaria is issued within three days. To obtain a visa, you must provide the following documents: photocopies of tickets, a passport valid for more than six months, and proof of financial well-being - from 50 euros per person per day.
But these strict rules can be circumvented. To do this, it is enough to show confirmation that you have booked a hotel room in Bulgaria. To obtain the necessary document, you must pay twenty percent of the room price. If you are going to Bulgaria for a long time and with children, then you need to provide a special medical certificate stating that the children need a long holiday at sea. And yet, a mandatory requirement for obtaining a visa is to have insurance. The cost of full health insurance for an adult is one euro per day, and for a child under three years old - two euros per day.
You can get to the hotel by taxi; depending on the resort, the journey from the airport to the hotel will cost no more than ten euros. But, for the budget-conscious, you can use the bus, the cost of the bus is one leva in national currency. By the way, one euro in Bulgaria is equal to 1.95 leva.
If you have booked a hotel or inn with breakfast only, then you do not have to worry, since there are a huge number of restaurants and cafes near almost every resort. Thanks to a lot of competition, you can have a good meal in restaurants at a reasonable price. A family of four can dine for 20 euros, without denying themselves delicacies.
Prices in Bulgaria differ significantly from Moscow, but not every group of goods is cheaper. For example, food in Bulgaria is cheaper, but leather products are more expensive.
From the hotel to the nearest city you can take a bus, the interval of which is no more than five minutes.
Bus tickets cost no more than one euro per person. If you take a similar route by taxi, it will cost you at least ten euros. But, for those who know how to bargain, you can bargain with the taxi driver for half the price. For those who like to travel by car, you can rent a car in Bulgaria. In order to rent a car you must show an international driving license. Renting a middle class car will cost about 65 euros for a period of three to five days. By the way, for lovers of excursions, you can use the services of a sightseeing bus, the cost of the excursion is about 50 leva per person.
You can swim in Bulgaria not only in the sea, but also in hotel pools. Hotel residents can use the pool for free, but hotel guests must pay up to five leva for the service. The same applies to umbrellas and sun loungers.
The climate in Bulgaria is mild, with moderately cold, wet winters and dry, hot summers. Precipitation in summer is rare; if it does occur, it is heavy but short-lived downpours.
The main population of Bulgaria (about 85%) are Orthodox Christians.
They speak Bulgarian in Bulgaria, but many local residents understand Russian well and can even speak Russian. Young people, most often, do not know Russian, but, as a rule, they know English well. Just in case, it’s worth taking a Bulgarian phrasebook with you or learning the simplest questions and expressions in Bulgarian before your trip.
The sign language of the Bulgarians is different from ours - for example, nodding your head here expresses disagreement, and shaking your head - on the contrary, agreement. But many Bulgarians know this discrepancy and use these gestures the way we are used to.
Bulgarian emergency phone numbers are police 166, ambulance 150, fire brigade 160, roadside assistance 146.
Money |
The currency in Bulgaria is the lev. There are 100 stotinki in one leva. The lev to ruble exchange rate is one lev equals approximately 19-20 rubles. For one euro during exchange they give approximately 1.95 leva. For one dollar – about 1.5 leva. It is better to check the exact exchange rate immediately before the trip.
It is best to change money in Bulgaria in banks, which are usually open on weekdays from 8.00 to 18.00 with a break for lunch, and on Saturday - only until lunch. Find out in advance at the bank what commission is charged for the exchange.
The certificate you received when exchanging currency must be kept. You will need it if you want to exchange unspent leva for dollars or Euros.
You should not change money at street exchange offices; there are frequent cases of customers being defrauded.
You can withdraw local currency from major credit cards at ATMs. However, the conversion rate into levs may not be very profitable. You can pay with plastic cards only in large hotels and restaurants, when renting a car.
Traveler's checks are not exchanged at all banks.
If you are going to relax on Bulgarian beaches, you need to know that all beaches in Bulgaria are state-owned. That is, hotels do not have their own beaches, and hotels have no relationship with renting sun loungers and umbrellas on the beach. And if they promise you something different, then most likely it is a deception. Any information on the beaches can be obtained from lifeguards or from people “managing” umbrellas and sun loungers.
On many popular beaches, if you need them, you should book a sun lounger and an umbrella in advance, because by 11-12 o'clock all the places closer to the sea are already firmly occupied. If you plan to relax on the beach every day, it is better to reserve a sun lounger for several days at once, this way you can be guaranteed to get a good place on the beach and, in addition, get a discount.
Public transport in Bulgaria is buses, trolleybuses, and in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, there are also trams and metro. It is not customary to stop taxis on the roads; they get into them at parking lots or call them by phone. The fare is paid according to the meter, but the price seems quite low to us. Buses and minibuses run between the resort towns of the coast, which are cheaper.
Bulgaria has many natural and historical monuments. You can visit them either with excursions or on your own, which will cost less.
The cost of living in Bulgarian hotels is low, but sometimes foreigners can be charged more than local residents.
As for souvenirs in Bulgaria, you can buy clothes and home textiles with embroidery, leather goods, silver, copper and handmade wooden products. Prices for souvenirs are quite reasonable. Cosmetics based on rose oil are popular among tourists.
Food |
Food in restaurants and cafes is quite cheap for us. In mid-level restaurants you can have lunch for 5-10 dollars. In some street cafes it is even cheaper. In general, prices in the most luxurious and simplest establishments do not differ very much. At the same time, in many unpresentable-looking establishments the food is very good. In general, food in Bulgaria is very tasty because it is prepared from local, natural products. Some dishes are spicy. Among the traditional Bulgarian dishes you should try: tarator - cold yogurt soup with fresh cucumbers and garlic, grilled eggplants and sweet peppers, moussaka - casserole of minced meat with potatoes, meat cutlets - kofte or kebabche. Local or Greek fruits and berries are inexpensive all year round. And for dessert you can choose banitsa - puff pastries with different fillings, most often with cheese.
The most common drink here is coffee. And even in street coffee machines it is very tasty. Tea is not widespread. Among alcoholic drinks, rakia is popular in Bulgaria - a strong drink that tastes like brandy, Pliska cognac, and red and white local wines. Among the local beers, it is worth trying “Kamenitsa” and “Zagorka”.
National-style restaurants often host programs with folk dances and folk music in the evenings.
What to watch out for |
In many Bulgarian resorts, many petty street crimes are committed, mainly thefts, in which foreigners are often victims. You should be careful on shopping streets and other crowded places. At train stations and airports you can come across scammers selling various services. In large cities and airports, taxi drivers may be deceived, so it is better to negotiate the price of the trip in advance.
It has long been one of the favorite, top destinations for summer holidays among Belarusians. Tours to the country are traditionally in demand among young people, families with children and older people.
The popularity of Bulgaria among our tourists is due to a number of reasons: reasons– good beaches, warm sea, mild climate. But if all this can be found in Montenegro, Spain, Turkey and other places, then it is certainly unlikely that any of these countries can compete with Bulgaria in terms of price. Tours to Bulgaria are some of the most affordable on the market. And today, in conditions of economic instability, a pleasant vacation price x is a significant argument for a tourist.
It is important to say a few words about service. Many people remember that just a few years ago the country was criticized for being soviet. We believe that today Bulgaria can offer a very high-quality service. Many high-class hotels appear in the country every year, and the infrastructure at resorts is rapidly developing. As a result, Bulgaria becomes more attractive for tourists.
Interestingly, this year Bulgaria not only does not lose its popularity, but on the contrary, it is in unprecedented demand, for example, among tourists from Europe. Russian and Belarusian travel portals report this. According to tourism industry experts, Europeans are actively booking tours to Bulgarian resorts due to the unstable situation in Turkey and Egypt, and by now most popular hotels are already closed.
Choosing a resort
There are several dozen resorts in total in Bulgaria. Therefore, it is not surprising that before the trip, tourists wonder which one to choose for their vacation. Usually, when choosing, we are guided by our interests and preferences. Young people give preference to large and noisy resorts. Families with children, as well as older people, like calm and quiet places with good infrastructure.
The most popular resorts are, of course, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach and Albena. The first two are very similar. There are many hotels, many restaurants, cafes, all kinds of entertainment, and therefore many tourists. Tourists love Albena for its hotels surrounded by greenery and beautiful nature. It has a unique microclimate and shallow sea. Therefore, the resort is a favorite among families with children. If you need a more budget holiday, you can go on holiday with children to St. Vlas, Elenite, Kranevo, Sozopol.
Those who like a quiet, relaxing holiday should choose the Riviera, Dunes, Sunny Day, St. Constantine and Helena. For improving health, Balchik, Pomorie and St. Constantine and Helena are preferable.
Read more about choosing a resort and hotel.
All inclusive in Bulgaria: yes or no
Anyone who has vacationed in Turkey and Egypt is familiar with holidays on the popular all-inclusive system. Türkiye is predominantly associated with such holidays. Almost every tourist knows that Turkish all inclusive means not only food and drinks, including alcoholic ones, but also animators and an entertainment program, sports, gym, swimming pool, sauna or Turkish bath (of course, the exact range of services depends on the hotel ).
Bulgaria also has all inclusive. Here, of course, not every hotel operates according to this system, but nevertheless there are enough such hotels. True, we would definitely not recommend taking an all-inclusive package in Bulgaria, except in those cases when you have a very small child with you on vacation. Firstly, if you go all-inclusive, you risk not getting the variety that is so characteristic of Turkey and may be slightly disappointed. Secondly, at the country's resorts there are no difficulties with eating outside the hotel: restaurants, snack bars, cafes - on every corner. The food is delicious and varied. The prices are reasonable.
Many tourists even prefer to book apart-hotels in Bulgaria, which usually do not include meals and usually have small kitchens. For example, if you are tired of going to taverns and cafes, you can have breakfast/dinner here by buying groceries at the nearest supermarket and preparing the food yourself. This accommodation option is also considered a budget option.
Summer is the long-awaited time for vacations. Some people dream of finishing the repairs, for others fate has prepared a place in the garden beds, but for the lucky ones there is a direct road to the sea.
In our unstable times, when in the resorts of Turkey and Tunisia the situation is not at all stable, and often revolutionary, you want peace and confidence that when you wake up in the morning, you will not become a hostage. Although such difficulties and dangers are just for the Russian person.
In a word, where to relax, everyone decides for himself, but our choice fell on Bulgaria. Why?
Firstly, it was the first time our whole family traveled abroad, and Bulgaria seemed to us a wonderful country from which to start traveling abroad.
Secondly, the climate of the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria is similar to the climate of the Russian coast, and we hoped that our little daughter would not have to experience acclimatization.
In favor of Bulgaria was the fact that the Bulgarians are the same Slavs as we are, and speech, similar to Russian, pushed the boundaries of communication.
The main contingent of vacationers in Bulgaria are: Romanians, Moldovans, Ukrainians, Germans and Russians. There are far fewer English-speaking tourists, Spaniards and Italians.
If you are going to Bulgaria for the first time, then this article is just for you. We will tell you what you must take and what you should not take under any circumstances. We are confident that our recommendations will help you pack the most necessary luggage and be prepared for any situation. Only useful first-hand information, since we only returned from a trip a week ago.
The Atlas Hotel, which will be the subject of a separate review article, was waiting for us on the second line of the Golden Sands, famous since the times of the USSR. But before we talk about the vacation itself, important information about what you need to take with you on the trip.
In addition to the tour itself, be sure to take out medical insurance! No matter how confident you are in your health and the health of your loved ones, insurance is a must, and we were convinced of this when our daughter got sick.
Choose your insurance company carefully; the difference between regular and cheap insurance from an unknown company is minimal! But you shouldn’t save money in this case. We have witnessed when a doctor refused to provide assistance due to the fact that their medical institution does not work with such an insurance company.
Full business class life insurance, which includes expenses of 30,000 euros, cost us only 10 euros. Agree, it’s not such a high price to pay for confidence.
An additional cost when traveling to Bulgaria will, of course, be a VISA. Its price is significantly higher than the Turkish one and is 65 euros per person. Children under 5 years old inclusive also apply for a visa, but it is free for them.
“What currency should I take with me to Bulgaria?” - this is one of the most asked questions. In Bulgaria, the national currency is the Lev. Its exchange rate is strictly tied to the euro exchange rate, and if you take euros on the road, you will not go wrong.
You can also exchange leva at home in Russia, but, as a rule, this currency is not available at exchange offices, and you need to order it. You will have to wait several days. So, if at the very last moment you are puzzled by the question of what currency to take with you to Bulgaria, then it is better to take the euro.
The best and safest option is to exchange currency with your guide. Yes, it is “a little illegal”, but you will 100% not be deceived. In addition, their rate is very, very favorable. It is advisable to change all your cash at once, so as not to run around to exchange offices later.
About exchangers, you will often hear stories from your guides about how often they cheat. They are also called “deceivers”. Yes, the signs of all exchangers display very favorable exchange rates, however, in reality you will receive less money than you expect. Or you may even receive banknotes that have long since gone out of circulation. All kinds of asterisks, small print and other tricks of currency swindlers will ruin your mood, so it’s better to change your currency with a guide or at the hotel.
If you have rubles with you, they can be easily changed at the hotel reception.
For clarity, we give an example of the currency exchange rate in Bulgaria, Varna, Golden Sands.
For VISA card holders, not everything is smooth either. We experienced this ourselves. Having taken part of the currency in euros and left part on the card, we planned to exchange money at the right time using a plastic card. Imagine our bewilderment when at our Atlas hotel our card was not read. It was also not possible to read the data from the card at the Admiral Hotel, where everyone is sent to exchange currency, even the guides.
You probably thought that our card simply did not work, but we easily made purchases with it. A call to Sberbank support shed light on what was happening. It turns out that the terminals that were in the hotels did not support the chip installed in the card.
I managed to withdraw it through an ATM. By the way, using the Google map, we were able to find only 2 (two) ATMs in Golden Sands! If you are planning a trip to Golden Sands, then you need to know that the best ATM is located on the back side of the Admiral Hotel building next to the Raiffeisen Bank office. Accident or not, the office itself is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time.
Hotel "Admiral".
By the way, about local time: it differs from Moscow by exactly one hour. And when in Moscow (Samara) it is 12 o’clock in the afternoon, then in Bulgaria it is 11 o’clock in the morning.
How much money should you take with you? This is at your discretion and wallet, but if you are planning shopping and going to cafes and restaurants, then you will be pleasantly surprised by the prices - they are the same, as in Russia, at least in Samara.
Out of ignorance, on the day of departure we rushed to buy “beach ensembles” for the sea at the Kirov market, imagine our surprise when, going for a walk along the shopping streets of Golden Sands, we saw better and more fashionable resort items for the same money.
So, if you are planning shopping before your trip, it is better to buy everything on the spot. You will have less luggage, and you will also get better quality items made in Turkey and Bulgaria.
Set aside money from your budget immediately for gifts and souvenirs. There are all kinds of magnets, plates and other souvenir paraphernalia in abundance. Their prices are as follows:
Small magnets from 1 leva.
Plates on a stand from 6 lev.
Large decorative plates from 18 levs.
When communicating with Bulgarians, you will be surprised how easily you will understand each other. The older generation speaks Russian very well and even without an accent, but the younger generation often inserts English into the conversation.
If your hotel only provides breakfast, then lunch and dinner can be spent in a cafe on the embankment. A wide variety of national cuisines will not leave gourmets indifferent. Here you can find Mexican, Italian, Georgian and Russian cuisine and, of course, Bulgarian national cuisine.
If you are an avid fan, then you will not miss a match of your favorite team. Matches of Russian teams are broadcast in cafes and on large monitors.
Prices in the cafe are very affordable, and all cafes have promotions like “buy 2 cocktails and 3 for free”, “buy 1 pizza and Coke for free”.
A clean embankment with good-natured sellers, departments with souvenirs, clothes and barkers in cafes, who are not as intrusive as in stories about Turkey, make a walk along it fascinating.
Eiffel Tower Cafe.
There are a lot of artists on the embankment who practice this style of drawing, such as realistic, which cannot be distinguished from photography.
You can leave your photo to the artist, and for 80 levs (about 1,700 rubles) he will amaze you with his skill. Several independent photographs of loved ones can be collected into one family portrait. The price we quoted is for one portrait drawn in pencil. If we are talking about a color drawing, then the price is correspondingly higher.
Gambling people will love the casino, the scale of which is amazing.
There are a lot of shops for adults, a lot of tattoo parlors where you can get both a real and temporary tattoo for yourself and your child.
A small “tattoo” costs from 6 levs (about 130 rubles).
In general, when converting prices to a rate that is understandable to us, Russians, simply multiply the price by 20. Well, for those who are strong in mental calculation, then by 22 rubles.
Fast food lovers will love the presence of McDonald's on the beach. Speaking about the beach, it is impossible not to mention that the beach in Golden Sands, as in all of Europe, is the property of the city, and there are no fenced hotel areas on it.
There is a rope stretched along the entire length of the beach; it separates the paid part of the beach from the free one. The distance of 3-5 meters from the sea to the rope is free, and it is always filled with vacationers. All other areas are paid. Payment is required for the sun lounger, mattress and umbrella. Daily rental of a complete set for one person will cost 19 levs. With our money, this is about 420 rubles for a comfortable time.
As a rule, the paid area is always empty; only a few afford such comfort.
An exception to the rules is the beach area, which belongs to the Astera Golden Sands hotel. Sun loungers and umbrellas are provided to vacationers at this hotel free of charge not only by the pool, but also on the seashore.
The beach is empty starting at six o'clock in the evening. Either all the vacationers, 99.9% of whom on the beach go to the hotel for dinner, or the setting sun and evening winds give vacationers goosebumps.
There are no annoying sellers of “churchkhela” and other food on the beach. During our seven days of rest, we only saw a souvenir seller and a photographer a couple of times, by the way, without a boa constrictor and a monkey!
The photo is taken right on the beach and the price for a 15x20 photo is 10 levs (220 rubles).
When going to Bulgaria, be sure to take warm clothes: a blouse, pants, etc. In the evenings, and especially at night, it is a little cold, and the sea winds subside only at 8-9 o’clock in the morning.
In order not to repeat our mistakes, we will list those things that we took with us, but never wore or used.
- Iron - although it was purchased specifically for the trip (a lightweight camping iron), we never had to use it. It is humid outside at night and hot during the day. Just leave things on the balcony overnight and hang them on hangers in the morning.
- Hairdryer The hotel had an excellent hairdryer with good power. But this is not in all hotels and not in all rooms, depending on your luck.
- Evening high heel shoes. The best shoes for relaxation are flip flops; you can grab ballet flats or moccasins for evening walks.
- Skirt, shorts, sundress and pareo for the beach - one pareo is enough, which will replace your skirt, shorts and even a sundress. Moreover, it does not wrinkle, is easy to wash and dry quickly, and it also takes up minimal space in your luggage!
Simplify your vacation, take everything to the minimum! Buy everything you need locally.
Perhaps the only thing we haven’t talked about yet is roaming in Bulgaria. Of course, we monitored which SIM card to go with and what the prices for calls and SMS were before the start of the trip.
If you do not activate special services and tariffs, then the price of a minute of conversation with Bulgaria will be around 69 rubles. You can find out more about the tariffs on the websites of mobile operators. Our choice was between the following tariffs:
Advantageous “Multipass” service for roaming in Bulgaria.
The choice was obvious - Beeline and its “Multipass” promotion with 5 rubles per minute of conversation. Most of the money spent in roaming was on calls to Sberbank support service. During our seven days of vacation, we spent about 600 rubles on cellular communications in roaming.
If you manage to find more favorable rates, then write to us, it will be useful for your next trip, and we definitely want to go to Bulgaria again!
We will tell you where to go and what to see in our subsequent articles, and if your
