Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

632 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE

Practical & Travel Information

With fine cities, beautiful beaches and ski resorts,

Bulgaria is a mecca for sun-seekers and winter sports
enthusiasts alike. Travelling to the country is relatively
easy, with frequent flights and trains from most European
countries. Although domestic travel may not be as quick
and easy as in other European destinations, there are no
serious obstacles, and Bulgarians are helpful and
courteous towards foreign visitors.

THE CLIMATE OF

BULGARIA

Bulgaria lies in two

overlapping cli mate zones –

Continental and Mediterranean

• characterized by warm, dry
  summers and cold winters.
  Temperatures in summer,
  between June and September,
  average between 17° C
  (63° F) and 24° C (75° F).
  In winter, between December
  and February, they rarely rise
  above 6° C (43° F) but may
  drop to -1° C (30° F).

WHEN TO VISIT

Bulgaria is an attractive
destination all year round.
On the Black Sea coast, the
main holiday season runs
from May to September, peak-
ing in July and August when
tempera tures are at their high-
est and the beaches fill with
holidaymak ers. Bulgaria’s hist-
oric cities, with their churches,
museums and art galleries,
are reward ing places to visit
at any time of the year.

FACILITIES FOR

THE DISABLED

Few public buildings, shops

and visitor attractions in

Bulgaria are adapted for

wheel chair users. Pavements

everywhere are uneven

and unramped, many muse-

ums are in older buildings

without lifts, and access to

archaeological sites is also

very difficult.

Although most of Sofia’s

five-star hotels are wheel

chair-accessible, there is no

guaran tee that the rooms

will have been adapted for

disabled guests.

DOCUMENTATION

To enter Bulgaria, citizens of
European Union (EU) coun-
tries do not need a visa but
must show a valid passport.
Citizens of Australia, Canada,
New Zealand and the US do
not need a visa for a stay of
less than 90 days. Nationals
of other countries should
check current regula tions
with the Bulgarian Embassy
or consulate in their country.

BANKING AND CURRENCY

Bulgarian towns and cities

are well serviced by banks,

and automatic cash machines

can be found outside most

major high-street branches.

Credit cards are increasingly

accepted in high-end hotels,

restaurants and luxury shops,

but are not widely used

else where. Most transactions,

from paying for a stay in a

hostel to buying souvenirs,

are usually made in cash.

The currency of Bulgaria

is the lev, which is divided

into 100 stotinki. As leva are

not widely available outside

Bulgaria, visitors will need

to withdraw currency on

their arrival to the country.

VISITOR INFORMATION

The availability of visitor
information in Bulgaria differs
greatly from one region to
another. A useful resource is
the National Information and

HEALTH AND SECURITY

Basic medical advice is

available at pharmacies but,

as hospitals are under funded,

68

mm

10

hrs

61

mm

6

hrs

65

mm

5

hrs

36

mm

2

hrs

monthApr Jul Oct Jan

SOFIA

8 /46

16 /61 16 /61^17 /63

25 /77

5 /41

-4/25

2 /36

Publicity Centre in Sofia,

which is run by the Bulgarian

Tourism Authority and pro-

vides infor mation on the

whole country. There are

also some privately run

regional information centres,

mostly in those areas popular

with hikers and skiers, and in

towns such as Bansko (see

p617) and Koprivshtitsa

(see pp622–3), which attract

visitors on account of their

historic and cultural interest.

Visitor information centres

in such places sell maps of

the local area and can offer

advice on accom modation

in the vicinity.

Surprisingly, given its

popularity with holiday-

makers, there are very few

tourist information centres

on the Black Sea coast.

For details of local attractions

and tourist excur sions, and

advice on local res taurants,

visitors should enquire at

the reception desks of their

hotels, or go to a privately

run travel agency in the

nearest town or city.

visitors should make sure

that they have adequate

medi cal insurance for private

care in case of more serious

problems. Every major town

has a duty pharmacy with

an emer gency counter that

is open 24 hours a day.

How ever, it may be difficult

to find one with English-

speaking staff.

Although Bulgaria has a

low crime rate, petty theft

can be a problem in major

towns and cities and in tourist

spots. To minimise the risk

of being targeted, take basic

pre cautions and keep docu-

ments, money and credit

cards hidden from view at

all times; keep valua bles in

the safe in the hotel room

and beware of pick pockets

in crowded areas.

° C/F

0°C

32°F