| With Bulgaria now an EU member, more tourists | | | | the sticker they give you before you leave |
| feel confident straying off the beaten track in this | | | | because if they are incorrect you could be fined. |
| diverse country. A popular option is renting an | | | | There are potholes aplenty on Bulgarian roads, |
| apartment or villa some distance away from the | | | | and the further inland you get, the rougher |
| bustling resort cities. Well inland, south of Sofia, | | | | conditions become. Near the mountainous areas, |
| are some of the finest ski slopes in Eastern | | | | mudslides are not uncommon. In rural villages, you |
| Europe. And the East has pockets of vineyard | | | | might even encounter the occasional four-legged |
| growth and orchards that for some are more | | | | vehicle... A car might be the only option if you |
| enchanting than the Black Sea sun, sea and sand | | | | intend to rent an apartment in Bulgaria outside of |
| combination. It's all there, waiting for the intrepid | | | | a major tourist destination. Luckily all new road |
| traveller to take the road less travelled - and half | | | | signs now have English lettering as well as |
| the fun is getting there! | | | | Bulgarian, but some of the old ones are still in |
| Like most of Eastern Europe, Bulgaria has a well | | | | Cyrillic. If that doesn't deter you, carry an |
| developed rail network. But well developed means | | | | international licence and drive on the |
| it runs on time and covers many areas - but do | | | | right-hand-side of the road - and don't forget that |
| not expect the luxury or comfort of the | | | | seat belts are mandatory for a good reason! |
| EuroStar! The national rail company is | | | | Buses are great value in Bulgaria. You can |
| Bâlgarski Dârzhavni Zheleznitsi - or BDZ | | | | practically cross the country, travelling from Sofia |
| for short. They have a website with timetables, | | | | to the Black Sea Coast, for under twenty euro. |
| but you must book tickets at the train station in | | | | But they take some preparation. Most drivers will |
| person. During the holiday season tickets may be | | | | speak only Bulgarian and possibly Russian, and the |
| booked 20 days in advance, but in the winter this | | | | destinations will be written in the Bulgarian Cyrillic |
| shortens to five days. It is actually possible to | | | | alphabet. Bring a phonetic alphabet table with you |
| travel from London to Sofia by train. It is a two | | | | (you can print these off many websites for free). |
| to three day journey if you take the EuroStar to | | | | The New Central Bus station in Sofia serves most |
| Paris, then on to Munich, and take a train from | | | | major destinations. On the coastline, private bus |
| Vienna to Sofia, passing through Belgrade - three | | | | operators constantly run up and down the coast, |
| trains in all. The Vienna to Sofia leg of the journey | | | | winding through the major resort towns, and |
| is the most likely the cheapest - about | | | | circling back again. |
| £140 STG for a bed in a three-person | | | | There are four international airports operating in |
| sleeper - but also the least comfortable. But the | | | | Bulgaria: Sofia, Varna, Bourgas and Plovdiv. |
| scenery, as the train rushes through the rocky | | | | EasyJet connects Sofia with London, Manchester, |
| Balkan heights, is a sight to behold, and the | | | | Madrid and Milan. The best value can often be |
| hardness of your bunk bed will be the last thing | | | | found by flying to Germany and connecting there |
| on your mind! Bring a bottle of wine or two, some | | | | with a German airline. Internal air travel has not |
| snacks and settle in for a memorable 24-hour | | | | reached economy levels yet in Bulgaria - try Wizz |
| journey. | | | | Air and Bulgaria Air for some city links. |
| If you want to rent a car for your holiday, you | | | | Bulgaria is a lot more diverse than some other |
| might have an adventure ahead if you are | | | | holiday destinations when it comes to regional |
| accustomed to the smooth highways of Western | | | | activities - not many countries of its size can |
| Europe. If you choose to take your own car | | | | offer skiing and adventure holidays as well as |
| rather than a rental, you might find it quicker to | | | | white salty beaches. Fortunately if you are willing |
| take the ferry from Italy to Greece. At the | | | | and able to do a bit of independent travelling, you |
| border you will be asked to pay a small road tax | | | | have all these options open to you! |
| - about five euro for a week. Check the dates on | | | | |