How to relax in Bulgaria on your own? We will tell you about obtaining a visa, ticket prices and accommodation. What resorts to spend time in? What to see on your own and with a guided tour? Travel advice and travel review.
The trips that we completely organize ourselves leave strong impressions and change our lives. Bulgaria has been and remains one of the most popular destinations for independent travelers. Today we will talk about how to independently get ready for a vacation in Bulgaria and not forget anything, what to see and when is the best time to go.
You can also go to Bulgaria on a package tour - often a vacation on a tour is cheaper than an independent trip. Look at the prices and decide what is more profitable and more convenient for you. Last Minute Tours search on the services Level.Travel and Travelata - they will find the best deals among different tour operators. Want to save money? Check out our 7 rules for buying tours online.
Visa to Bulgaria on your own
Contrary to popular belief, Bulgaria is not a visa-free country for Russians. There are several ways to enter the territory.
- Since 2007, the Schengen agreement has been partially valid on the territory of Bulgaria. This means that with a multiple-entry Schengen visa (aka the so-called multishengen visa), you can enter the country for up to 90 days within six months.
- You can enter Bulgaria with a visa from Cyprus, Croatia and Romania.
- The third option is a national visa.
Documents for a Schengen or national visa to Bulgaria:
- Passport valid for at least 3 months after the end of the trip.
- A copy of the first page of the passport (page with your personal data).
- One color photograph measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm - to the size of the face, the background of the photo also has certain requirements.
- A questionnaire completed by you personally. It is issued at the consulate or visa center. You can also download the application form for obtaining a visa to Bulgaria on your own, fill out and print on A4 sheets.
- Certificate from work on letterhead indicating the position, length of service and your salary - it is certified by the seal and signature of the manager.
- Insurance. Travel insurance →
When to go?
The swimming season in Bulgaria is from May to September, however, it is not too hot either in May or September. Our independent trip to Bulgaria fell at the end of August, we visited several cities - we found rain, wind, and cool nights. From December to March is the ski season.
Flights
You can fly to the resorts of Bulgaria from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and several other large cities.
On average, the price of round-trip air tickets in summer starts from 7,000 rubles. But this cost item can be quite small. One-way ticket prices from Moscow start at 1,500 rubles. And sometimes one-way tickets to the resorts of Bulgaria can be bought - attention - cheaper than 2000 rubles! These are usually charter flights, more often from Moscow and St. Petersburg, for which you can catch a ticket even at the height of the season. Also, such prices are found at "Pobeda", airline "Russia" and some others.
Where to book a hotel in Bulgaria on your own
Housing prices in Bulgaria will delight you. In large popular resorts (Sunny Beach and Golden Sands), the price of apartments and small hotels starts from 13 euros per day per room. In other cities (Varna, Burgas, Sofia) you can find accommodation even for 10 euros per day, especially if you settle further from the sea. As a rule, these are hostels, apartments or mini-hotels. Hotels on the first line even here offer rooms from 20 euros per night.
There are also many interesting accommodation options on Airbnb. In addition to standard apartments, rooms and hotels, you will find private villas surrounded by greenery, authentic accommodation and modern equipped campgrounds. Prices - from 10 euros per night. Of course, tourists visiting Bulgaria on their own will like it more.
During our trip to Bulgaria, we independently booked a studio apartment in an unremarkable high-rise building, a tent on a wild beach, a room in a small hostel and a room in a small hotel in a mountain village.
Where to relax on your own in Bulgaria
The most important thing in Bulgaria is the sea and golden sand, stretching for many kilometers. Resort villages, port cities, popular and secluded beaches are located along the Black Sea. People come here for health: sanatoriums, mud clinics and boarding houses are in abundance here.
Most famous resorts Bulgaria:
- Pomorie;
- Sunny Beach;
- Golden Sands;
- Nessebar;
- Balchik.
In addition, there are big cities, for example, Varna and Burgas. Here you can relax and swim (and save on housing).
Beach rental:
- sunbed - 6-8 leva;
- umbrella - 6-8 levs;
- bedspread - BGN 3.
Each resort is a place with varied infrastructure and many attractions for vacationers of all ages. Depending on the location of the beach, you can find a suitable type of active recreation: surfing on the beaches of "Golden Fish" and "Dunes", fishing and sailing on a yacht on the beaches of the Primorsko resort, paragliding on Albena beach.
You can just sunbathe on the sand - Golden Sands and Sunny Beach are perfect for this. And if you get bored, outside the beach area there are amusement parks, shops, cathedrals and museums. In the evening, you can go to a club or restaurant - there are a huge number of them in each resort.
Food prices in Bulgaria
Compared to other resort countries, food in Bulgaria can be quite budgetary.
Approximate prices in BGN:
- simple budget breakfast in a cafe - 6 leva;
- lunch - 10 leva;
- lunch in an inexpensive cafe - 15 leva;
- lunch in a good restaurant - 40 leva;
- have lunch at McDonald's - 8 leva;
- 0.5 liters of homemade beer - 2 leva;
- a cup of cappuccino in a standard size 2-2.5 levs;
- bottle of water 0.33 l - 1 lev.
Transport and car rental
In the cities and towns of Bulgaria, you can use regular buses. They are quite inexpensive - about 1.5 leva. The tangible advantage of local buses is that almost all of them have open Wi-Fi.
Renting a car is another good option if you don't want to spend your entire vacation in one place. We rented a car in Varna for two days. We looked for a company via the Internet, and the best price was 26 euros per day. Usually cars cost 40 euros per day or more.
Our review and advice for car rentals:
- habitual right-hand traffic;
- very good roads;
- severe speed limit: on the highway - up to 60 km / h, very rarely - up to 90;
- there are enough cameras on the roads;
- have never seen a police officer;
- for renting a car, a Russian license is enough.
Rent a car Is the best way to travel! Myrentacar.com is a reliable and convenient car rental service in Bulgaria. Choose a car according to your taste and budget - there is a wide choice. The cost of car rental is from 8 euros per day. Do you have any questions? The Russian-speaking support service will help you with everything.
Excursions in Bulgaria
Look for excursions on the Sputnik and Tripster websites. Individual and group, no crowds of tourists and in Russian.
Since Bulgaria is a country with a rich culture and history, excursions that are popular here are walks through the old quarters, visits to museums and Orthodox shrines. There are such excursions in Varna, Nessebar, Sofia and other cities. But going to Sofia is almost 400 km from the sea, so tourists often do not have time to visit here.
There is a large selection of sea excursions and cruises - for one evening or several days. For lovers of an unusual program, there is jeeping, a safari park, diving and visits to Bulgarian villages and villages with national music and dinners.
In summer, the Balkan National Park is attractive in Bulgaria.If you want to see Bulgaria from different angles on your own, be sure to visit the ecological paths, take a walk in the mountains. Living in small cozy villages, trying real national food, practically not hearing Russian speech - we rested just like that and were delighted!
Tips for independent holidays in Bulgaria
Bulgarian the language is not so simple, as it seems. Even if they use the Cyrillic alphabet, many words are incomprehensible by spelling and even more so by ear.
Here practically do not drink tea and coffee... From coffee Bulgarians recognize only espresso (cappuccino also comes across, but much less often, the words "mocha" and "glace" can be forgotten altogether). Tea is drunk only in winter, and teapots in homes and hotels are rare.
Don't be surprised at nudistsif you see them on the beach. This is a habitual phenomenon for Bulgaria, and there are many nudist beaches here!
Bulgaria is an uncomplicated and welcoming country. Holidays in Bulgaria, organized independently or packaged by a travel agency, will surely be remembered by you for its warmth, simplicity and affordable prices. Have a nice trip!
