How to reach Bulgaria
By plane
The national carrier Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, private Bulgarian airline
companies, as well as many foreign airlines link the country to Europe,
Africa, the Middle East and North America.
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By car
The country can be entered through any one of the many border checkpoints.
Foreign driving licenses are valid on Bulgarian territory. Insurance
is compulsory - it can either be taken out beforehand or on the Bulgarian
border. The speed limit in the country is as follows: 50 km/h in populated
areas, 90 km/h outside populated areas, 120 km/h on motorways. Petrol
stations are located at every 30 to 50 km.
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By train
The main European railway routes pass through Bulgaria. International
trains link Sofia with many European capital cities and the domestic
rail network ensures access to all large settlements.
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General information
Location
Bulgaria is situated in Southeast Europe and occupies the eastern part
of the Balkan Peninsula.
To the north it borders on Romania, to the west on the Republic of Macedonia
and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to the east on the Black Sea,
to the south on Greece and to the southeast on Turkey's European part.
Area: 111.000 sq km.
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Relief
Extremely varied: large plains and lowlands, low and high mountains,
valleys and lovely gorges.
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Climate
Temperate continental with clearly marked four seasons.
A Mediterranean influence is felt in the country's southern regions.
The average annual temperature is 10.5°C.
The average January temperature is around O°C.
Average summer temperatures rarely exceed 30°C.
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Population
8,428,006
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Language
Bulgarian.
English, German, French and Russian are spoken in the country's resorts,
hotels and restaurants.
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Alphabet
Cyrillic. Signs along international motorways, in airports and resorts
are also spelled in Latin letters.
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Religion
86.6% of the population is Eastern Orthodox, 13% are Muslims. The
Bulgarian Church is autonomous and headed by a Patriarch.
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State government
Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic.
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Official holidays
January 1 - New Year
March 3 - Bulgaria's Liberation from Ottoman rule - the National Day
Easter - one week after the Catholic Easter
May 1 - Labour Day
May 6 - Bulgarian Army Day
May 24 - Day of Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture and the Slav Script
September 6 - Bulgaria's Unification
September 22 - Independence Day
December 25-26 - Christmas
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Capital
Sofia (pop. 1,141,000)
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Large cities
Varna, Plovdiv, Bourgas, Veliko Turnovo
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Useful information
Time difference
Winter time: GMT +2 hours (October through March).
Summer time: GMT +3 hours (April through September)
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Voltage
220 V only
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Monetary units
lev. Banknote denominations include 1,00, 2,00, 5,00, 10,00, 20,00 and
50,00 leva, as well as coins of smaller denominations.
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Working hours
offices - 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
banks - 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
shops - 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 pm. (Monday to Friday, Saturday until noon)
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Important telephone numbers
Police - 166
Ambulance - 150
Road assistance - 146
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Transport
- public transport
- in big cities: trams, underground/tube, trolley-buses, buses
- elsewhere: buses
- inter-city transport: plane, train, coach
- taxi
- rent-a-car: AVIS, Hertz, Intertel, Europcar, Budget
and International Car Rental in Sofia, the country's big cities and
resorts
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Medical service
Free first aid and consultation in emergencies
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Currency exchange
In banks and 24-hour change bureaux. The exchange rate is announced
every day.
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Credit cards
Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, Access, Airplus.
They can be used for the payment of all standard services in hotels,
restaurants, night-clubs, shops, car rentals, plane tickets, etc.
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Passports and visas
You will need a valid passport with an entry or transit visa which is
issued by the embassies and consulates of the Republic of Bulgaria abroad.
No entry visas are required for citizens of the countries with which
Bulgaria has a visa-free regime, or of organized tourists who have bought
a package tour.
No entry visas are required for citizens of the EU and EFTA member states.
No visas are required for CIS citizens for a stay of one month, provided
they are in the possession of a valid passport, a voucher for pre-paid
tourist services or if they pay the sum of 40 USD for each day of their
stay in the country.
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Accommodation
Bulgaria boasts an extensive accommodation network ranging from luxury
five-star to unpretentious two-star hotels, small cosy hotels and private
rooms, meeting all modern requirements. Reservations through tourist
agencies or local accommodation offices.
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Meals
Throughout Bulgaria you will find catering establishments of different
categories serving different foods: renewed luxury restaurants, taverns
which serve national cuisine, restaurants serving foreign cuisine, fast
food outlets, pizzerias, numerous cafes and pastry shops, entertainment
spots, etc.
Menus are usually printed in both Bulgarian and English. Restaurants
stay open from 11a.m. to midnight, but may work round the clock.
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Services
Airlines
| 
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Bulgaria Air (FB)
1, Brussels Blvd., tel. 987 3169, fax 937 3254, , e-mail:office@bat.bg |
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Hemus Air (DU) Sofia Airport, tel. 702
076, 720 754, fax 796 380 |
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Aeroflot
(SU) 23, Oborishte St., tel. 943 4489, 946 4529, fax 946
1703; Airport office tel. 704 353 |
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Aero Svit 4, Trapezica St., tel.
987 3181, fax 980 8280; Airport office tel. 981 5937, Only
Mon and Wed |
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Air France
(AF) 2, Saborna St., tel. 980 6150, 981 7830, fax 981
9783; Airport office tel. 937 3207 |
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Air Malta
(KM) APG-Bulgaria 44, Vitosha Blvd., tel. 933 1033,
933 1044, fax 933 1030, e-mail:apgbg@hotmail.com |
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Air Moldova 38, Hristo Botev Blvd., tel.
980 6673, fax 980 6673 |
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Al Italia
(AZ) 40, Graf Ignatiev St., tel. 981 6702, fax 981 6704;
Airport office tel. 7932 2328 |
| 
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Austrian Airlines (OS) 41, Vitosha
Blvd., tel. 981 2424, 980 2323, fax 981 4434; Airport office
tel. 937 3131, 937 3132 |
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British Airways (BA) 56, Alabin
St., tel.981 7000, 981 6999, fax 981 1771; Airport office
tel. 937 3111 |
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Czech Airlines (OK) 9, Saborna St., tel.
981 5408, 988 5568, fax 981 1386; Airport office tel. 7932
2040 |
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Hungarian Airlines (MA)
19, Patriarh Evtimii Blvd., tel. 981 5091, fax 981 5096; Airport
office tel. 720 790 |
| 
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Israel Airlines (LY) 50, Stamboliiski
Blvd., tel. 986 5790, fax 980 8058 |
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KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL)
14, Uzundjovska St., tel. 981 9910, fax 981 9912 |
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Lauda Air
(NG) 6, Dostoevski St., tel. 876 647, fax 883 748; Airport
office tel. 7932 2109, 7932 2749 |
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LOT - Polish Airlines (LO) 27A, Stamboliiski
Blvd., tel. 987 4562, fax 980 3293; Airport office tel.
720 644 |
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Lufthansa (LH) 9A, Saborna St.,
tel. 980 4101, fax 981 2911; Airport office tel. 937 3142,
937 3143 |
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Romanian Air Transport (RO) 38, Hristo
Botev Blvd., tel. 980 2562, fax 980 6673 |
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Olympic Airways (OA) 46, Stamboliiski
Blvd., tel. 980 1040, 981 4545, fax 980 1050; Airport office
tel. 7932 3391 |
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Swiss International Air Lines (LX) 1,
Angel Kanchev St., tel. 980 4459, fax 981 7732; Airport office
tel. 988 2630, 7932 2749 |
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Syrian Airlines (RB) 36, Stamboliiski
Blvd., tel. 981 2499, fax 987 6657 |
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Turkish Airlines (TK
) 11A, Saborna St., tel. 980 3957, fax 980 4151 |
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Yugoslav Airlines (JU) 1, Vasil
Levski St., tel. 981 2167, fax 981 2167 |
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Banks
BULGARIAN NATIONAL BANK
1000 Sofia, 1 Knyaz Batenberg Sq
Tel.: (+359 2) 91 459
Fax: (+359 2) 980 24 25, 980 64 93
BNP-DRESDNERBANK - BULGARIA
1000 Sofia, 11 Narodno Sabranie Sq.
Tel.: (+359 2) 980 12 37
Fax: (+359 2) 981 69 91
REiFFEISENBANK-BULGARIA PLC
1504 Sofia, 18-20 Gogol St.
Tel.: (+359 2) 919 859
Fax: (+359 2) 943 45 28
ING BANK - SOFIA BRANCH
1000 Sofia, 7 Vassil Levski St.
Tel.: (+359 2) 980 93 01, 980 93 03
Fax: (+359 2) 981 41 11
HIPOVEREINSBANK - BULGARIA
1000 Sofia, 36 Alabin St.
Tel.: (+359 2) 981 05 00, 980 33 03
Fax: (+359 2) 980 53 13
SOCIETE GENERALE
9000 Varna, 92 Vladislav Varnenchik St.
(+359 52) 600 480
Fax (+359 52) 601 681
BULGARIAN-AMERICAN CREDIT BANK
1504 Sofia, 3 Shipka St.
Tel.: (+359 2) 943 30 77, 943 30 36
Fax: (+359 2) 946 01 18
XIOS BANK LTD. - SOFIA BRANCH
1000 Sofia, 3 Vitosha Bvld.
Tel.: (+359 2) 980 56 54
Fax: (+359 2) 981 85 79
BULGARIAN-RUSSIAN INVESTMENT BANK PLC
1000 Sofia, 11 A Saborna St.
Tel.: (+359 2) 981 37 77, 860 72 40
Fax: (+359 2) 981 25 26
FIRST INVESTMENT BANK PLC – VARNA BRANCH
9000 Varna, 47 Bratya Miladinovi St.
Tel.: (+359 52) 662 600
Fax: (+359 52) 662 626
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