Useful Information
Time Difference:
Winter time: GMT +2 hours (October - March).
Summer time: GMT +3 hours (April - September)
Electricity: 220 V
Weights Measures System: Metric
Working Hours:
Offices - 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (Monday - Friday)
Banks - 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. (Monday - Friday)
Shops - 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m. (Monday - Sunday)
Some stores are open 24 hours.
Currency:
The local currency is the Lev (plural – Leva), comprised of 100 stotinki. Banknote denominations include 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 leva, as well as coins of 1 lev and smaller denominations.
The Lev is a stabile currency. The exchange rate is around 1 EURO = 1,96 BGN (Lev).
For major purchases such as organized tours, air fares and car rental prices are almost always quoted by staff in EUR, although payment in leva is possible too.
Banks and money exchange:
Banks are open Monday to Friday (09.00 – 04.00). You can exchange money in banks and exchange offices. The exchange rate is announced every day.
Credit Cards:
Visa, MasterCard, Maestro and American Express are most popular in Bulgaria.
Kindly note, that the credit cards are still not very popular in Bulgaria.They can be used for the payment of all standard services in hotels, restaurants, shops, car rentals and plane tickets, but only in the big cities. Some places, for example the more expensive hotels, will add a surcharge to your bill if using a credit card. Our advice – be ready to pay in cash anywhere you go.
ATMs:
ATMs that accept all major credit cards can be easy found in all Bulgarian towns. Before your travel abroad, check with your bank about exchange rates and commissions. The total amount you can withdraw depends on how much your bank will allow and on how much is in your account; the maximum allowed per day by most Bulgarian banks is usually 400 leva.
Public Transport:
• In the large cities: buses, trams (Sofia), trolley-buses, subway (Sofia), taxis
• Elsewhere: buses
• Inter-city transport: plane, train, coach
In the towns bus tickets are sold in kiosks at the bus stations or directly in the buses. The tickets are regularly checked by conductors. Don’t forget to buy an extra ticket for each piece of large luggage.
Within the country buses link all cities and connect villages with the nearest transport hub. There are also numerous companies running services across the country. The most popular are Etap-Grup Plus (www.etapgroup.com), Biomet (www.biomet-bg.com).
For more information about international and domestic buses, please check the time schedule at (www.centralnaavtogara.bg)
Bulgaria has a good railway network connecting even very small villages with big cities. Trains are classified as ekspres (express), barz (fast) and patnicheski (passenger train). For further information you can visit the website of the Bulgarian State Railways (www.bdz.bg)
Bulgaria is reasonable compact and bus and train services are reliable and cheap, but if you don’t like the 7 hour lasting journey from Sofia to the Black sea coast, flying may be the answer. There are 3 international airports in Bulgaria: Sofia, Varna and Burgas. The national carrier Bulgaria Air (FB) operates the two domestic routes Sofia-Varna and Sofia-Burgas. Plovdiv airport is only used by occasional charter flights mainly in winter.
Rent a car is the other possibility for travelling in the country. To hire a car you must have a valid driving license. Rental outlets can be found in all big cities and in the resorts.
Taxi-cabs are yellow, signed with the identification. Taxis can be found at the taxi ranks in towns and resorts, or can be ordered by phone.
Public telephone:
Telephone calls can be made from all post offices or from public pay phones. They are either orange or blue, cards for these can be purchased from kiosks around. Country code is +359.
The mobile phone network in Bulgaria is extensive and almost the whole country has mobile phone reception. Places with poor or no reception are usually high in mountains or in remote areas.
There are three mobile service providers:
MTel (www.mtel.bg)
Globul (www.globul.bg/en)
Vivatel (www.vivatel.bg/en)
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. For local calls you can buy a SIM card, that will give you Bulgarian mobile number. The most popular SIM card is from MTel, which is easy to purchase in mobile shops.
Important Telephone Numbers
The national emergency telephone number in Bulgaria is 112.
Medical service:
Foreigners arriving to Bulgaria are not required to have any compulsory immunizations. Free first aid and consultation in emergencies.
Drinking water:
Tap water is generally considered safe to drink.Caution should be taken in smaller villages or if staying at more remote hotels, where the water pipes may be as old as the buildings themselves.
Easiest of all is to buy bottled water, which is cheap and sold everywhere.
Cuisine:
Bulgarian cuisine is typical southeast European and Balkan cuisine. Based on the Slavic cuisine, it has rich culinary traditions. Bulgarian cuisine is spicier comparing with the European, thanks to the large use of onion, garlic and many spices. The warm climate determinates the use of large variety of high quality vegetables, fruits, spices and herbs.
Famous for its rich salads required at every meal, the Bulgarian cuisine is also noted for diversity and quality of dairy products and the variety of wines and local alcoholic drinks such as rakia and mastika. The national cuisine also features variety of cold soups, for example – the tarator.
Don`t miss to taste the traditional shopska and ovcharska salad, stuffed peppers and cabbage leaves with meat and rice, wine kebab, shashlik, banitza, etc.
All over the country you will find catering establishments of different categories serving various type of food: renowned luxury restaurants, national cuisine taverns, foreign cuisine restaurants, fast food outlets, pizzerias, numerous cafes and pastry shops.
Tipping:
In the bars and restaurants it is accepted to leave a tip of 5-10%. In some restaurants, the service charge is specified in the menu and included in the bill.
Shopping:
Large supermarkets such as Billa and Metro offer a wide range of local and imported products – there you can buy everything under one roof.
Bulgarian products, clothes, shoes, handicrafts, wines, spirits and confectionery can be purchased all over the country. |
