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Travellers Essentials
Passport
A passport with at least 3 months validity after day of departure
is required by all.
Visa
Visa's is required by all except the following for a single
entry only and for stays of up to 30 days:
a)Nationals of Andorra, Estonia, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein,
Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Vatican City.
b)Nationals of Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Hungary, (Rep. of Korea),
Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak
Republic, Slovenia, Ukraine, Tunisia and Yugoslavia, Serbia
and Montenegro.
Getting There
By Air:
Bulgaria's national airline is Balkan-Bulgarian Airlines (LZ).
By Sea:
The main international ports are Varna and Bourgas.
By Rail:
There are no direct rail services between Bulgaria and Western
Europe although there are frequent services between Sofia
and Yugoslavia (Belgrade), Romania (Bucharest), Greece (Thessaloniki)
and Turkey (Istanbul).
Social Conventions
Normal courtesies should be observed and handshaking is the
normal form of greeting. Dress should be conservative but
casual. If invited to the home, a small souvenir from one's
homeland is an acceptable gift. Do not give money. Remember
that a nod of the head means 'No' and a shake means 'Yes'.
Tipping:
Until recently tipping was not applicable, but 10-12% is now
customary.
Getting Around
By Air:
Balkan-Bulgarian Airlines operates eight domestic services
connecting Sofia with the coast and main towns. Air travel
is comparatively cheap, and is only slightly more expensive
than rail travel.
By River:
Regular boat and hydrofoil have services along Bulgaria linking
many centers. The official crossing points into Romania are
by ferry from Vidin to Calafat and by road bridge from Ruse
to Giurgiu.
By Rail:
There are over 6500km of railways in the country. Bulgarian
State Railways connects Sofia with main towns
By Road:
There are over 13,000km of roads linking the major centers
and in general the quality is good. Traffic drives on the
right. Speed limits are strictly adhered to: 50kph (31mph)
in built-up areas, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and
120kph (75mph) on motorways.
a)Taxi: Available in all towns and also for intercity
journeys. Vehicles are metered, unless they are privately
owned.
b)Car hire: Self-drive cars can be hired through hotel
reception desks. There are no fly-drive arrangements through
the airlines. Most transactions are in hard currency. An international
driving permit is required.
Currency
Lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki. The plural of Lev is Leva. Notes
are in denominations of Lv20,000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500, 200
and 100. Coins are in denominations of Lv50, 20, 10 and 5.
Stotinki are not presently in circulation.
Currency exchange
A bordereaux receipt indicating the amount of currency exchanged
will be given and must be kept until departure. Visitors are
advised to exchange money at bureaux de change and not on
the black market.
Credit cards
Major international credit cards are accepted in larger hotels,
car hire offices, restaurants and shops.
Travelers cheques
Accepted in major hotels and restaurants. To avoid additional
exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers
cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.
Currency restrictions
The import and export of local currency is prohibited. There
are no restrictions on the import of foreign currency, though
amounts over US$1000 have to be declared. The export of foreign
currency is limited to the amount declared on import. Local
currency can be exchanged at the airport on production of
a bordereaux.
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