How to behave as a Russian tourist in Bulgaria. What you need to know about Bulgaria before your trip. Traditional Bulgarian souvenirs

Much has already been written about this on the Internet, but some of the information is either not relevant or not entirely relevant.Therefore, I will try to write as much as possible important tips for those who are going on holiday to Bulgaria for the first time.

Where to start, you’ve probably already decided where you want to vacation, summer holiday at sea, or in the winter in the mountains (you can also have a good rest in the mountains in summer),pilgrimage tourism, balneotourism (SPA procedures), or just drive through picturesque places, villages and towns in Bulgaria.

Visa to Bulgaria. In any case, it is needed. Bulgaria is a country of the European Union, and you should get a visa (read the cost and terms of the visa).

Medical insurance for Bulgaria. For one month, the approximate cost of insurance will be about 2,500 rubles per person. It is best to get insurance from one of the large insurance companies with a good reputation.

Currency. The country is not part of the euro zone (yet), which means you need . It is better to immediately change rubles to levs. The exchange rate of the leva is tied to the euro and is always the same - 1 euro costs 1.95583 leva.

Advice: when changing money in Bulgaria, it is best to do it at exchange offices, and check whether they charge a commission. Banks exchange currency at a lower rate, and by converting a large amount you can significantly lose some of your money.

In addition, I do not recommend changing currency at the airport, because... The rate is always bad and there is a conversion fee. If you need to change, then change a small amount to get to the city, and then you can change it at the exchange offices.

It is best to withdraw money from terminals located inside bank branches!

Flight: It is better to buy air tickets in advance, so there is a chance to buy air tickets at more favorable price. As a rule, in summer there are many charter flights to Burgas and Varna. You can fly directly to Sofia only on regular flights with Bulgaria Air or Aeroflot.

Varna Airport: There is a stop for bus No. 409 next to Terminal 2; it travels through the center of Varna to the Golden Sands resort in 50 minutes. The bus ride to the city center takes 20 minutes (Varna Cathedral). The same bus can also take you to the resort of St. Constantine and Helena. Interval – every 15 minutes from and to terminal 2 of Varna Airport. Who needs comfort there is a taxi.

Burgas Airport: There is a stop at the entrance of the airport; bus No. 15 stops and runs every 25 minutes. You can get there faster by taking a taxi.

Sofia Airport : The most convenient way is to use the metro. Almost without leaving the airport, you find yourself in the Sofia metro.

Line 1 of the capital's metro connects Sofia Airport with the city center and provides direct transport links between the airport and large residential complexes.

From Sofia Airport you can reach the city center in 18 minutes. With one change at the Serdika metro station from line 1 to line 2, in less than half an hour you can reach Central bus station Sofia or to Central railway station(they are nearby).Also, at the airport exit, taxis wait for their clients in a “live queue”.

Please note that taxi prices can vary greatly, so look carefully at what is written on the price tag, usually a sticker on the glass.

Mobile connection: Also, upon arrival, do not forget to buy a Bulgarian SIM card (each telecom operator has its own offices) with a package for use mobile internet. The most favorable tariffs are offered by Vivacom, SIM cards with prepaid 10GB traffic for 15 leva, and there is no roaming in Europe, and if you need to go to another EU country, you definitely won’t have to overpay.

I think everyone has smartphones with installed programs for Internet calls and correspondence.

Accommodation prices in Bulgaria: prices for rooms in private houses and rooms in hotels are also very different. On average, a hotel room costs from 30 - 45 leva, and for 70 leva you can find very good room in hotels. Anything that costs more usually means better service and includes at least breakfast.

Also, the price can vary greatly depending on the season; in the so-called “high season”, high season, after mid-June, July and August, prices increase by an average of 20 - 30%.

Advice, the earlier you book a room, for example in spring for summer, the more favorable the price will be. In September, prices fall, there are many fewer tourists, the sea is warm, you can swim and sunbathe in silence.

Food prices in Bulgaria: Prices different, but in a regular restaurant, lunch for one person will cost on average about 20 - 30 leva, for this money you can order soup, main course, salad, bread, dessert, drink juice or take a glass of white (red) wine, or beer , a matter of taste. By the way, Bulgarian beer is very tasty, since the water in Bulgaria is suitable for brewing this drink.

The portions are an order of magnitude larger than in Russia. Therefore, if you order fried potatoes, one portion is enough for two. Salads and omelettes are also huge and they contain Bulgarian cheese. Remember that Bulgarians are very fond of feta cheese (sirene), they put it everywhere they can, so if you don’t really like the taste of feta cheese, it is better to check with the waiter in advance.

Transport in Bulgaria.

Taxi: the services are quite expensive, since the price of gasoline is much higher than in Russia (about 1 euro per liter (2 leva). The price for 1 km during the day is 1 leva, and at night it is more expensive than 1.18 leva. If you take from Varna airport to Zolotye Sands is about 25 km, the cost will be from 40 leva. Therefore, when you plan your budget, you must take into account the costs of transport.

City transport : the fare costs 1 lev, the price is the same in all big cities Bulgaria. In Sofia it costs 1.60 levs. Travel tickets can be purchased directly on the buses.

Car rental: If you are planning to travel around the whole country, or want to visit different places Bulgaria, or just take a ride along the Black Sea coast, swim and sunbathe on different beaches and resorts, it is best to rent a car.

It is better to order a car in advance from large companies. They have a large fleet of vehicles, so the choice of cars will be large. The paperwork takes minimal time, and you will receive your car immediately in the airport parking lot. You can return the car to another location; this will be discussed additionally.

Rental prices start from 50 levs per day, there is an initial payment of 200 Euros, the amount is blocked on the card, and when the car is returned, the money on the card will be available again. Some companies also take cash.

Choose a car with economical fuel consumption (an engine with an average fuel consumption of 4 liters per 100 km).

Bulgarian: The language barrier, you won’t feel it much, because... Many Bulgarians understand Russian, but not all speak Russian. Still, it would be a good idea for you to learn the most frequently used Bulgarian phrases and words in advance. This will help you more easily establish contact and get help from Bulgarians.

Good mood: take it with you. You’ve probably already heard that Bulgarians shake their heads the other way around when they say “yes” and “no” (not as is customary with other people in the world), but you definitely won’t be able to confuse the answer “yes” with “no”. But the phrase “to the right” in Bulgarian means “straight”, this is something you should definitely pay attention to, especially when they are explaining to you how to get somewhere.

the site wishes you have a great holiday in Bulgaria.

Our first trip was a fact-finding trip. I wanted to expand my travel list by adding a country to which it’s not far to fly and where there is a sea. Then we discovered many advantages for ourselves, without finding any significant disadvantages. After the birth of our child, Bulgaria became completely ideal for us:

A short distance. Flight from 2.5 to 3.5 hours;
Mild climate. There is no sweltering heat and excessively high humidity;
Food. Very tasty, inexpensive, and in any cafe you can find dishes that fit into the “children’s menu” category.
Language. Bulgarian, somewhat similar to Russian. The signs are written in Cyrillic, not Latin. At the same time, many, especially the older generation, know Russian. We never had any difficulties with communication.

Why do we organize the trip ourselves? Because it's interesting and not difficult. Moreover, every year more and more services appear on the Internet where you can book a hotel. All this does not take much time, and significant money is saved.

On holiday to Bulgaria. Where to look for cheap flights to Bulgaria?

You can get to Bulgaria in various ways:

By car, through the territory of Ukraine or Belarus;
By train. Until 2014, there was a railway connection between Moscow and Sofia; train number 59/60 ran between the cities. It has now been cancelled. So you can get to Bulgaria only with transfers.
By plane. This is the fastest and most common method.

We do not consider ourselves aerophobes. That’s why we always fly to Bulgaria. This is especially convenient with a child. We never had any problems: fast, comfortable, affordable. There are several ways to find inexpensive air tickets:

Search for air tickets on airline websites;
Search for air tickets for charter flights;
Search on metasearch engines for air tickets.

Airplanes from the Russian Aeroflot, its subsidiary Rossiya, S7, the Bulgarian Bulgarian Air and others depart to Sofia, and the resort towns of Burgas and Varna from Moscow and other cities. Most often we turn to the site AviaSales. To search for tickets you can either use the search form right here:

In the resort area of Bulgaria international airports is in and . The distance between cities is 150 km. Burgas Airport is slightly larger than Varna and in summer the passenger flow is higher here. From Burgas airport it is more convenient to get to, ,. From closer to Kranevo, Balchik.

Visa to Bulgaria

Bulgaria is an EU country, but is not officially part of the Schengen zone yet. Although you can enter here with a Schengen visa category C and D, if you have one. And so to travel to the country you need to register. We have never had any problems receiving it. We collect necessary documents, we refer to visa center and on average, after two weeks, we have the entry permit in our hands. If you don’t want to deal with applying for a visa yourself, you can contact.

You can enter Bulgaria with an open national visa from Cyprus, Croatia, Romania. And with a Bulgarian visa you can safely travel to these countries. There was also talk that Russian citizens would be able to obtain a Bulgarian visa upon arrival at the airport. But this is contrary to EU laws.

Travel insurance for people traveling abroad (TII)

Medical insurance with coverage of 30 thousand euros is required to obtain a visa to Bulgaria. It can be issued by any insurance company. We recommend comparing the cost of travel insurance (TI) on the website (an online service for comparing and selling travel insurance)and on the website - “with the best assistance in Russia - the Mondial company. This is the only assistance with an “AA” rating by Standard & Poor’s.” By the way, we have always dealt with this particular assistance, not knowing that it is “the best,” and we have only good impressions about it.

Resorts in Bulgaria

Without exaggeration, we traveled all over Black Sea coast. And among our favorite resorts are ,. When going to, you need to know exactly the main purpose of the visit. Will it be a family and leisurely vacation, noisy and youthful, exclusively beach or excursion. This is where we need to start.

The currency of Bulgaria is Leva (BGN)

The national currency of Bulgaria is the lev. Not the euro, although the country is part of the European Union. To avoid confusion, rubles at home must be exchanged for euros, and upon arrival the euros must be exchanged for levs. Rubles can be exchanged for leva in Bulgaria, but not everywhere and the exchange rate is not very favorable.

According to Bulgarian laws, you cannot pay euros, but some shops and shops violate these laws. And the main thing here is not to fall for the bait. All prices are in national currency. The tourist, not knowing this, pays in euros, actually overpaying twice. According to the official exchange rate, 1 euro is equal to approximately 2 leva. And for information, 1 lev is equal to 35-40 rubles. The international designation of Bulgarian money is BGN.

It is best to change money in banks and street exchange offices, rather than hotels and airports. Cards are accepted in large cities and shopping centers, but in remote areas populated areas There may be problems with the terminals. Don’t neglect local kopecks – stotinki. For 70 stotinki you can buy an ice cream cone, for 50 a bun, for 40 you can buy coffee from a machine.

Accommodation: private sector or hotels, which is better to choose for a holiday in Bulgaria

During our travels, we lived in various hotels and also rented accommodation. Each option has its advantages. A hotel holiday frees you from everyday worries, thoughts about an umbrella and a sunbed on the beach, about what to eat for breakfast. But a long stay in a hotel is still a costly affair even in budget Bulgaria.

If we go to the country for a long period, we rent housing. Apartments are often rented here in very modern residential complexes. Where there is a closed area, there are swimming pools and decent dining rooms; maids clean on request for a reasonable fee. Such housing in the summer will cost on average 50-70 thousand rubles per month, this is for three people. So the terrible picture of eternal cleaning, cooking, ironing on vacation is not so real.

When the child was very small, having a kitchen was a must for us. At any moment you could sterilize the bottles, cook something, or heat it up. In hotels, food options depend on the travel program. If it is full of excursions, breakfast is enough, if it involves lying by the pool - “ full board» as an option, but not required. There are so many restaurants, cafes with... reasonable prices that you definitely won’t go hungry.

Booking a hotel or renting an apartment is not difficult at all. For those looking for an apartment, the site is suitable Airbnb. Here you can compare prices, read reviews from other guests, see photos and geolocation. Many people praise this service on the Internet ( Airbnb) - we haven't used it yet. In our opinion, the housing rental service is more convenient, but each tourist chooses for himself what is convenient for him.

When looking for a hotel, we can recommend such booking systems as agoda.com and booking.com. Both of these hotel booking systems have their own separate contractual relationships with hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world, so you can use both of these systems to find a hotel and find the best prices. But for a global search for hotels, there are also search aggregators - metasearch engines that look for hotel deals among many booking systems. One of them is a Russian project Hotellook and an international project.

We compare prices, choose, book, pay with a card and prepare for the next trip.

Transfer, taxi and public transport in Bulgaria

And now you have booked a hotel room or apartment, bought air tickets - the question arises: how do you get from the airport to the holiday resort of your choice? For example, Burgas airport of arrival (for Varna airport the algorithm is approximately the same), you have several options:

Taxi. Taxis in Bulgaria are expensive, even compared to Moscow and Sochi, from 60 to 120 rubles/km (depending on the resort). At the same time, unscrupulous drivers can cheat and take an incredibly long route, and the meter can spin much faster than it should. Taxi drivers won’t bargain at the airport, not because they don’t want to do it, but because their colleagues won’t let them do it (by the way, this applies not only to airports, but also to large shopping centers like Burgas Plaza, we just moved away from shopping center on the road and caught a taxi there for one and a half times cheaper; at the airport such a reception is not very convenient - after a three-hour flight with suitcases you don’t want to go anywhere).
Public transport. About 300 meters from Burgas airport there is bus stop and if you are light and not so tired from the flight, and you want to wait for the bus, then you can save a lot, a trip to Sunny Beach will cost you 6 leva (3 euros), to Pomorie - 3 leva, Sozopol - 4.5 left
Car rental. If you plan to rent a car in Bulgaria, then online booking car, you can indicate that you will pick up the car at the airport, this way you also save and save well. You need to book a car in advance via the Internet; you can find favorable car rental offers on Myrentacar.
Transfer. “Transport transfer is the transportation of a passenger from an agreed place to another pre-agreed place” (Wikipedia). We recommend booking a taxi from the airport to your chosen resort in advance through the following online services: And intui.travel

Cost of holiday

When calculating future expenses, travelers should remember about the dependence of prices on a specific month. During the period of influx of tourists, the cost of both services and products increases noticeably. The only thing that remains unchanged is

Victor Pashinsky

Only one in four corresponds to reality in any way. Most are either very outdated or look more like handicrafts promoting the interests of travel agencies. At least this is the impression we got after our trip to Bulgaria.

A similar breakfast awaited us every day at the Vanini Hotel. In the reviews of other tourists it was said that it was not possible to have breakfast, and if you were a little late, there wouldn’t be any decent tea left. Maybe because we were never late, but we were always offered a choice of not only tea, but also coffee and hot chocolate.

The next false opinion: there is a lot of algae on the beaches of Bulgaria. Actually this is not true. Sometimes algae washes up on the shore, but on equipped beaches they are quickly removed, and on wild beaches you rarely see them at all.

Bulgaria is not the USSR - debunking a popular myth

Many do not want to go to Bulgaria, fearing to see a kind of relic of the past, almost the USSR.

In fact, the country has stepped forward very far in recent years. It is part of the European Union, decent roads have been built here, hotels have been completely modernized and new ones have been built.

The only thing left from the USSR is the quality of the products. Even cheap food in the supermarket is much more natural than what we have at home.

You can see this for yourself by looking.

Bulgaria is a country of contrasts

Behind the luxurious and expensive hotels of Sunny Beach, literally a few hundred meters from a huge water park, hides an abandoned wasteland.

Even in reality expensive resort There are many places in the outskirts of Bulgaria that, to put it mildly, don’t look very good. As, by the way, in any city in the world.

The level of service in Bulgaria is better than we expected

Reading on the Internet about the level of service in Bulgaria, one gets the impression that everything here is very, very bad.

In fact, even in the cheapest hotel the level of service was quite sufficient and exceeded that in Montenegro.

Of course, if you choose a cheap accommodation option, you should not count on the service of a 5-star hotel. But the necessary minimum (bed, shower, toilet, air conditioning, refrigerator) is present even in the simplest room.

There are no good 5* and All Inclusive hotels in Bulgaria - not true

This year many travel companies Instead of Turkey and Egypt, they plan to sell it to Bulgaria.

In terms of service level, the Golden Sands resorts are in no way inferior to the five-star hotels in Sharm El Sheikh and other cities beloved by Russian-speaking tourists.

At the same time, prices for holidays in Bulgaria are still lower, and the consumer attitude towards vacationers is not yet so felt.

Don't believe me? Compare and check for yourself (by default it searches for upcoming dates).

Cheapness in Bulgaria is no longer entirely true

On the Internet you can read about surprisingly low ones. Unfortunately, due to sharp jumps in the exchange rate of the ruble and hryvnia, these prices have almost nothing in common with reality.

You don’t have to wait for the group leader - just waste your time

What money should I take to Bulgaria?

This is the appearance of levs, the currency of Bulgaria.

In Bulgaria the leva is used (their exchange rate can be found out by clicking on the inscription anywhere on our website). But importing and exporting Bulgarian currency from the country is prohibited by law.

At exchange offices or banks, you can easily exchange dollars, euros, rubles, hryvnias and many other currencies into levs.

How much money should you take on holiday to Bulgaria?

By and large, it is impossible to name a fixed amount - it all depends on your appetites and habits.

For example, we once spent only $200 in 14 days. This is taking into account large quantity self-guided tours and tickets to museums.

If we were strictly saving, we could even fit in $100, but it would only be enough for food.

But we must understand that this is the very, very minimum. Suitable for poor students who at that time could not afford full-fledged travel. Now, in the same 14 days, I would spend at least $1000, and maybe more, taking into account and.

You can take an umbrella to Bulgaria, or you can buy it here

I want to walk along the ancient medieval streets - Nessebar

It is very interesting and romantic to walk along the streets of old Nessebar in the evening.

In Bulgaria we lived exactly in Nessebar. The city is very beautiful and romantic, albeit quite expensive. Old Nessebar is especially impressive with its stone-paved streets, dozens of small churches and ancient Bulgarian buildings.

There are the following articles about Nessebar on our website:

I want to relax cheaply, but with high quality - Pomorie

If we ever come to Bulgaria again, we will definitely live in Pomorie. We remember this city not only for its indescribable resort atmosphere, fantastic landscapes and interesting sights, but also for its low prices.

I want to live in a big city with cheap shopping and attractions - Varna or Burgas

It is to the central street of Burgas that tourists who want to buy inexpensively and thoroughly are brought.

In our opinion, in this case it is best to go to or Varna. Both of these cities are quite large and very interesting.

Varna has a little more attractions, there is a dolphinarium and a small zoo, a lot beautiful fountains. Nearby is the Golden Sands resort, Aladzha Monastery and.

I really love beautiful nature and parks - Balchik

We didn’t really like Balchik itself - it’s very shabby, especially closer to the bus station and further from the sea. There are no special attractions in the city; going there is a bit expensive.

Other cities and resorts in Bulgaria

In fact, there are a lot of them in Bulgaria. Of the places we were able to visit, I would like to recommend Obzor. Some may like Aheloy, where you can see a wooden house 20 meters from a five-star hotel.

We won’t talk about places we haven’t been, but we will be very grateful if you share your impressions with us.

Food and food in Bulgaria - how to save

A 1.5 liter bottle of water in Bulgaria will cost you on average 0.5 levs.

In Bulgaria you can eat both in restaurants and with food from supermarkets.

And if you also take into account that even inexpensive sausage in Bulgaria is made from meat, and the products we know (for example, the President brand) are many times better quality, then there’s no point in taking anything from home at all.

Be sure to try Bulgarian products - they are very tasty

Tarator- this is something like our okroshka, but without meat and potatoes. Oddly enough, the drink turned out very tasty. It is very refreshing in summer.
Kaymak- a Bulgarian fermented milk product, which in taste and consistency is very similar to something between sour cottage cheese and thick cream.
Ayran- Bulgarian milk drink.
Cheese— both hard and homemade cheeses are very tasty. We also liked the locally produced processed cheeses - they have a very unusual taste.
Fruits- Most are very tasty and not expensive.

Cheese in Bulgaria, to put it mildly, is not very cheap, but very tasty. Try it yourself and see for yourself easily.

Bulgarian figs are almost half the size of Montenegrin figs, but no less tasty and nutritious.

We tried kaymak for the first time in Bulgaria. Quite an unusual taste for a “dessert”.

When should you take groceries from home?

Ancient Nessebar will delight you with the beauty of the ancient city - come here in the evening

- one of the most beautiful corners in the coastal part of Bulgaria. It is better to come here in the evening - the city becomes surprisingly romantic and mysterious.

It’s worth visiting the Monastery of St. George - a very unusual and calm place

A visit to the Monastery of St. George in Pomorie was interesting and educational for us.

In is located, storing the icon of St. George the Victorious. A place known not only for its holiness and healing powers, but also for its beauty.

Entrance to the monastery and the monastery museum is free. This place is definitely worth a visit.

The Thracian tomb in Pomerania is not worth visiting

But you don’t have to spend either time or money on the Thracian tomb - there’s nothing special there, and the ticket price is high (4-5 levs). For this money you can easily visit several good museums.

On the way to the tomb you can find a field where kiwis grow. Despite the fact that it looks slightly abandoned, we do not recommend picking the fruits - guard dogs do not sleep.

In Burgas it is worth visiting the Seaside Park and the exhibition of sand figures

We especially remember the Seaside Park and the theme park - we recommend visiting it.

Also come to the main street, next to the monument to Alyosha. In the morning, a foggy curtain of small drops of water is created there.

Varna has a dolphinarium and a zoo

In Varna, you can take your children to the dolphinarium or visit the local small zoo. Of course, the city also has many churches and other interesting places.

Nuances

Bulgarian resorts today are among the most developing in all of Europe. Every year in the reconstruction of hotels, improvement of infrastructure, etc. millions of euros are invested. Therefore, when choosing hotels, ask the managers of “1001 Tour” for the latest information on them - it may well turn out that last year’s nondescript “three ruble” is now a quite decent four stars. At the same time, hotel prices often (especially in the first year after renovation) rise more slowly than their quality. So there is always the opportunity to get good service for less money.

All beaches at all resorts in the country are public. Therefore, you can use any, despite the proximity of a “foreign” hotel.

Another thing is that the sunbeds and awnings on them do not belong to hotels, but, frankly speaking, to someone unknown. And these “it’s unclear who” set their own arbitrary prices - from a dollar all the way up to ten for a package of a sun lounger and an awning. You don’t have to buy it, but just lie on the towel provided by the hotel. Or you can save money - then choose beaches or near three-star hotels, or near rental points for jet skis and other entertainment - prices are lower there.

True, when choosing beaches near inexpensive hotels, keep in mind that in these hotels there are a lot of “Germans” who came there to relax according to the German social program. It is not uncommon to meet on the way to the sea a 70-year-old woman weighing over a hundred kilograms and naked at the same time. The spectacle, frankly speaking, is for strong-willed people.

But on many beaches there is a system of discounts and reservations for umbrellas and sun loungers. If you reserve a sunbed for seven days, you get one day absolutely free; for 14 days - two days, etc. After paying for the reservation, you will be given a receipt, which will indicate: the exact date of the reservation, which day is free; row number, umbrella number and number of sun loungers (mattresses), in conclusion the amount paid is indicated and a sign with the inscription “Reserve” is attached to your umbrella.

In principle, the working hours of the beaches are until the last client. But in life everything is a little different - after 18:00 the cashiers begin to slowly collect the free sun loungers.

But the good thing about Bulgarian beaches is that you don’t need to buy any special shoes. Firstly, there is fine sand almost everywhere here, and secondly, sea urchins and other prickly nasty things are not found.

In the evenings, if you decide to drink a couple of bottles of local wine on the shore, you will almost certainly be approached by security from one of the nearby hotels. Moreover, it is suitable not for the purpose of making a remark, but simply to communicate. If you treat them, you can get an additional guide to the resort. Or you don’t have to give them a treat - and they’ll calmly go home.

If you want to learn something from a Bulgarian, then first contact him in Russian (and not in English, German, etc.) - they treat us with warmth. Even if he doesn’t understand you, he will still try to help.

But if you go deep into Bulgaria, then in some towns there may be problems with understanding: not everyone there knows Russian. And especially the younger generation. Also, few people know English. For ease of communication, it is better to get a phrasebook.

When talking to a Bulgarian man or woman, remember that an affirmative shake of the head for us means “no”. And vice versa. It can be confusing at first.

Many Bulgarian beaches have a blue flag, which is a guarantee of environmental cleanliness. If this is important to you, then ask the managers of “1001 Tour” about such beaches.

When choosing a hotel (especially a three-star one), always look at the year of construction or reconstruction. If it is from 2000, buy it calmly. There will be quite decent rooms by European standards. The same applies to those hotels whose owners are, for example, Germans or well-known hotel chains.

But in relation to three-star hotels built in Soviet-Bulgarian times and reconstructed before 2000, one must be careful. The service there is often, frankly speaking, bad. True, the prices are low.

If you are traveling with children and decide to take a trip deep into Bulgaria, then keep in mind that in many hotels there porn channels work after 11 pm. And free of charge. This practically never happens at resorts. It is absolutely impossible to say whether this is good or bad.

If you are traveling deep into Bulgaria and away from popular resorts, you may have problems with your credit cards- finding an ATM is not always possible. It is also not always possible to change money there. So on such trips it is worth changing money in advance.

You can have a good rest in Bulgaria not only at sea, but also in the mountains. Reaching a height of almost 3000 meters, the Bulgarian mountains of Rila, Pirin, Stara Planina, Rhodopes and Vitosha offer good conditions for hiking, rock climbing and mountaineering, mountain orienteering, mountain biking, caving, hunting and fishing, rafting and photo tourism.

In Bulgaria there are three national and eight natural parks, 90 nature reserves and reserves that have preserved the beautiful Bulgarian nature. Near almost any resort there is either a park, or a nature reserve, etc. There is no need to skimp on excursions there - the places there are truly very beautiful. In addition, in some of these places, folklore villages have been preserved, where, in addition to contemplating patriarchal life, you can buy original souvenirs.

For wine lovers, let us inform you that, according to a long-standing tradition, varieties are grown in the south of Bulgaria for the production of red wine, and in the north - for white wine. Accordingly, depending on where you are, you need to buy this or that homemade wine.

What is curious is that it is customary to drink red wine in the months that have the letter “r” in their names, and white wine in the rest. Therefore, in hot weather in the summer, they drink cold white wine. Which is right.

But the drink, familiar to everyone since Soviet times, which the Bulgarians call cognac after the Slynchev Bryag resort, should be drunk only by those who are nostalgic for the time when it was considered the 16th Soviet republic. Because its taste is, let's say, strange.

Of the strong drinks, the main one in Bulgaria is rakia (Bulgarian vodka). Prices are low - from 2 to 7 levs, the choice is wide - from grape (which is not very good) to peach (which is better) and apricot (which is also not bad). How good is nutmeg. Although everything, of course, is not for everyone.

. Almost all bartenders, if you are a man, will recommend you try mastic. According to the firm Bulgarian belief, it increases male strength. We won't lie - we didn't check it. But the taste, thanks to a herb called alteyka, is original.

If you are satisfied with the services of the bartender or waiter, then it is customary to leave a tip in the amount of 10 percent of the order value.

To say that there is something to see in Bulgaria is to say nothing. There are more than 30 thousand here historical monuments different eras, 36 cultural and historical reserves, 160 monasteries, 330 museums and galleries. Therefore, when planning your trip budget, it’s worth bringing money for at least a couple of excursions. About them approximate cost check with your agent. By the way, out of three hundred world cultural monuments and natural phenomena included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, nine are located in Bulgaria.

But here’s some advice on which monasteries in Bulgaria you should definitely visit if you are near any of them. These are Rilsky, Bachkovo, Rozhensky, Troyansky, Zemensky, Preobrazhensky and Aladzha rock monasteries.

If you are going on excursions to monasteries, and especially caves in Bulgaria, then even in the heat you should take warm clothes with you: the caves are always cool and damp.

. If you want to feel the local flavor, then next to any more or less famous resort there are folk restaurants. They are typically located in the mountains and are shown on most resort maps. In addition to tasting local dishes They also entertain with local pastimes - like walking barefoot on coals.

If you come to a folklore restaurant even during the day, then keep in mind that many of them have a tradition of treating guests on an empty stomach with rakija at the entrance. In principle, it is not accepted to refuse.

Also in most of these establishments you can buy very good light homemade wine inexpensively. And inexpensive.

When choosing a resort, follow a simple rule. - the place is the most respectable, Albena is a little simpler, a little cheaper and ideal for family vacation. Sunny Beach is still the most cheap resort, even though they are actively building there good hotels. In addition, it has the most entertainment venues, discos and nightclubs.

In Albena, the main contingent of vacationers are Germans and French; on Golden Sands there are many Russians, and on Sunny Beach there is everything. However, when choosing a hotel there, ask your agent whether there is construction going on next door.

If you are vacationing in the Varna area (Albena, Golden Sands), then do not be lazy and visit the ancient capital of Bulgaria, Veliko Tarnovo, located nearby in the mountains (just over an hour by car or bus). This town is one of the most beautiful places in the world. In addition, it has the largest number of beautiful girls.

If you find yourself in Tarnovo, then in the evenings several days a week there is a light show near the old fortress. The spectacle is impressive - but you should book tickets for it in advance.

On some Varna beaches you can take a hydrogen sulfide shower. There are many sources. The skin becomes soft and silky. The only problem: the smell, which not everyone likes. And some people can’t stand it at all.

Tap water in Bulgaria is safe to drink. Also drinking water can be found on many beaches - it flows from small marble fountains.

Please note that in Bulgaria you do not have to buy a hotel. In small towns like Nessebar there is an active private sector, where for a reasonable fee you can rent part of a house, or the whole house. Ask the managers of "1001 Tour" about this.

By the way, Nessebar perfect place for budget shopping. For many things here are the most low prices all along the coast.

In general, you can buy leather goods, handicrafts, handmade silver, the famous rose oil, wines, and honey in Bulgaria.

Shops are usually open from Monday to Saturday, and on Sunday only in the morning. Lunch break from 13 (14) to 16 (17) hours. Small shops in resort areas often work without lunch and until 22 hours.

In Sofia, the best shops are located along Vitosha Boulevard and in front of the NDK Palace of Culture. In Varna, all the shops are located along the pedestrian zone, which starts from the intersection between the Black Sea Hotel and McDonald's. There are a lot of new and modern shops along the street from Cathedral.

But when shopping, keep in mind that bargaining in Bulgaria is accepted only at the clothing market.

But it’s worth knowing that in many stores, when you make a repeat purchase, you get discounts ranging from 5 to 20%.

To raise the imperial spirit and simply because it is beautiful, it is worth going on an excursion to Shipka. Just keep in mind that you can only climb to the very top of the mountain on foot. True, the view is worth it.

In general, I would like to note that the rather vulgar saying is “a chicken is not a bird, etc.” has long been morally obsolete. Bulgarian resorts have been quite modern resorts for several years now. Hurry up before they become European-style expensive. Moreover, the service there is already European.

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