Author: Tatiana
Bulgaria is a good country! .. Every year more and more of our fellow tourists go there. If you decide to join them and spend your 2021 vacation on a different coast of the Black Sea, then for you - all these tips and a small rating of the best hotels for sweets 🙂
Vacation season in Bulgaria - when to go?
The most popular "type" of recreation in Bulgaria is with children. Therefore, our recommendations on when is the best time to go to Bulgaria are focused on kids and their comfort:
- Beach season starts in May. This is the best time for a vacation with young children. The climate is mild and gentle. Even if the baby is just 1 year old, acclimatization is not scary. But few will dare to swim at the end of spring - the sea is still cool (+ 21 ° C), and the weather can "diversify" the vacation with a little rain.
- Bathing season comes from June. The average air temperature reaches + 26 ° C, and the water warms up to + 23 ° C. At this time, an ideal holiday in Bulgaria with children from 3 years old.
- July and August are high season: on the street in summer it is already up to + 35 ° C, in the sea + 25 ° C, and on the beaches there are more and more tourists, both families and without children. One big BUT: since the end of July, outbreaks of rotavirus infection are not rare in the resorts of Bulgaria.
- Well, finally, September - the Velvet season: low prices, comfortable weather and a slowly cooling sea.
To save money, focus on the end of May-beginning of June or September: the cost of rest falls by ≈15%. And make an early booking of tours or apartments, around March, it will be even cheaper.
By the way, there is a ski season in this country (December-March). So, Bulgaria with children is good all year round 🙂
Why Bulgaria? Features of rest
In Bulgaria, a beach vacation with a child is chosen for several reasons:
- a region with a Mediterranean climate eliminates the habituation period
- gentle entry into the sea and soft sand
- calm and safe
- comfortable and inexpensive vacation: according to tourists, in many 3 * hotels the level of service and quality of food are comparable to 5 stars all inclusive. And the budget for one person for 7 days can be as little as € 135 (including restaurants, excursions and souvenirs)
- Bulgaria is also suitable for a trip with children thanks to the healing coniferous-sea air
- Bulgaria or Turkey? The first is supported by the kinship of cultures, language and culinary preferences.
- hotels are designed for family vacations: they will offer an additional baby cot, high chair, bottle warmer, menu
The most important thing is not to forget that Bulgaria is not a visa-free country. In 2021, the consular fee for a tourist visa is 35 euros (and 70 euros for an urgent one) + about € 19 for a service fee if applied through an intermediary. For children up to 6 years visa is free.
Prices for tours to Bulgaria
Have you heard about online tour aggregators? These are services that monitor the bases of all the leading tour operators at once, compare prices and provide a summary of profitable vouchers. It is one thing to study offers from 1-2 tour operators, and another to choose the best among all, especially when it is conveniently presented. So, we advise:
- Travelata
- Level.Travel
- Onlinetours
Prices for tours to Bulgaria in 2021 are some of the most reasonable (if you do not take into account the visa. What if you have a valid Schengen in place?). With a flight from Moscow, for two + a child for 7 nights - from 55,000 rubles (breakfast). Of course, such a cost for 2 *, maximum 3 * hotels. Similar vouchers to Bulgaria with 4 stars and higher - from 63,000 rubles.
The cheapest resorts are Golden Sands and the neighboring Chaika, St. Constantine and Helena. Of the "biting", but level, with excellent hotels on all inclusive - Sunny Beach, Elenite, Nessebar.
By the way, how much does all-inclusive cost in Bulgaria? 10 days of serene rest will cost from 75,000 rubles for three. And in other countries?
The best resorts in Bulgaria for families
In order to figure out where it is better to relax in Bulgaria with children, we visited more than one forum for travelers, read reviews and tips from tourists.
- Golden Sands and St. Constantine and Helena are the northern coast of the country, both resorts are located near Varna, which implies a convenient airport transfer
- Albena is also a popular northern destination, it is considered one of the main children's resorts in Bulgaria.
- Sunny Beach and Nessebar are located to the south and are suitable for those who like to see the sights between sailing sessions
- Elenite is a young resort near Sunny Beach, at the very foot of the Balkan Mountains
- Burgas and Pomorie - places for a therapeutic holiday: natural beaches and balneological resorts
Where is the best place to go with your child?
If you are planning a vacation in Bulgaria with children, when choosing where to go, take into account such factors as: the child's age, travel budget, preferences (relax on a sun lounger VS go on an excursion). Of course, you will solve all these questions yourself, and we will show you where it is best to implement your plans.
Sunny Beach and Elenite
Where to go to Bulgaria with a child? To Sunny Beach. Even though this is the most expensive among all Bulgarian resorts: a tour for “mom, dad, me” for 7 days will cost from 60,000 rubles. Nevertheless, holidays in Bulgaria with children, especially all-inclusive, in Sunny Beach are especially good, because high prices are due to the same high quality beaches and clean water (confirmed by the Blue Flag).
Because the resort is a family and youth resort, there is an unspoken resettlement procedure: backpackers and students live in the center, buzzing at night; they go north for classy (and expensive) hotels; well, and the "kids" gather in the southern part.
The Elenite resort deserves special attention: in this place, the mountains rise right up to the sea, which allows you to enjoy the natural beauty, which many resorts are deprived of. Elenite is not such a party place as Sunny Beach, but nevertheless it will be comfortable here with preschoolers (entry into the water is not suitable for kids, pebble in places, and teenagers will be frankly bored).
Burgas
While exploring the resorts of Bulgaria for families with children, take a closer look at Burgas. This is an old port city, one of the largest in the country, which means that it lives a real life that does not depend on the tourist season. By the way, in Burgas people often rest on their own.
- • Prices for hotels, even of high class, are two times lower than
- • Lots of local grocery stores
- • You can immerse yourself in architecture and parks without leaving the city
What gets in the way of swimming is the port. But the problem can be solved: settle near Burgas, in Pomorie or Sozopol. In the first, for example, all the conditions for a family vacation have been created - a gentle beach with a long entry into the water, where even the youngest bathers are not afraid, surrounded by apart-hotels and houses with apartments for rent. The second is a very nice town with old streets and nice beaches.
Golden Sands
Golden Sands is some kind of no, but still north. Therefore, a significant drawback is the cool sea already in mid-September. But if you are with a very small child who needs more fresh air and sunbathing, this is the place for you. Another disadvantage is noise: there are a lot of young people, which means clubs and night discos. However, here you can also find quiet, family hotels (more details below).
Otherwise, everything is tailored specifically for children: in the cafe - children's menus (even if they are not there, you will be offered porridge for the baby), on the streets - a sea of entertainment, attractions and all kinds of trampolines, hotels and other establishments are equipped with ramps for strollers.
They also choose Golden Sands for low prices (almost half as much as in Sunny Beach) and good sandy beaches.
Albena
The best resorts in Bulgaria, alas, are short in season. This also applies to the famous children's health resort - Albena resort.It is located even north of Golden Sands, and September can pass without swimming at all. Which, of course, is a shame, tk. local beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag.
Albena is such a semi-closed city-hotel for families, surrounded by a nature reserve. Oxygen does not spoil the cars here, the passage on them through the territory of the resort is simply prohibited! Everyone walks on foot or ride bicycles. And they do not make noise at night
Children have something to do: attractions, equipped playgrounds, bike trolleys for rent, a water park. Most Albena hotels (3 * and higher) offer an all-inclusive system. But Albena foodstuffs are so praised for their good cuisine and colorful interiors that it is imperative to visit them.
What can you do? Entertainment
Are you planning a Bulgaria with children, but you don’t know which resort to choose so that it’s not boring? Entertainment can be found anywhere, there would be a desire. But to save your time, we will write in which direction you should look.
Let's start with the hotels themselves. Large complexes have animation, children's rooms, and playgrounds. In simpler places of residence, all this is no longer found in full force and not always. And if there is, it can only be suitable for three-year-olds.
All the fun in Bulgaria begins outside the hotel territory. There are fairground rides, horseback riding, and other joys of childhood. And, of course, water parks:
- "Aquamania" in Albena (for adults all day - € 18, children - € 8, those below a meter - free)
- Aqua Paradise in Nessebar (for an adult - € 21.5, for a child - € 10 or free,
if height <90 cm) - Action Aquapark in Sunny Beach (for a parent - € 19.5, for children - € 9.5 or free of charge under the above conditions)
- Aquapolis in Golden Sands (adults € 18, children € 9 or free)
- Aquapark "Atlantida" in Elenite (free for guests of the Royal Park Hotel or € 15 per person over 90 cm).
P.S. It is not we who are clumsily writing about the categories of tickets by height, but the rules of water parks 🙂
With older children (who have outgrown diapers and already require bread and circuses), you can go on an excursion. But on the one that will be interesting to him, so now we are not talking about old churches and architectural monuments.
1️⃣ A trip to the Varna Dolphinarium is exciting for children (adult ticket to the show - € 12.5, children from 2 to 12 years old - € 10; swimming with a dolphin - € 102).
2️⃣ On the way to Varna, you can also enter the Happy Land amusement park (entrance for adults or children - € 12, up to 3 years old - free).
3️⃣ In Burgas, it is worth visiting the park along the sea - Seaside Park.
4️⃣ Someone will probably like the complex - the Palace and the Botanical Garden in Balchik - near Albena (for adults the ticket will cost € 5, children - € 1, up to 7 years old free; entrance to the garden - € 2.5 and € 0, 5 respectively).
Top 10 hotels in Bulgaria for families with children
Well, here we come to the most interesting thing: we choose the best hotels in Bulgaria for families with children.
Golden Sands
- 5 * Melia Grand Hermitage is the first line, all inclusive and a large territory (a kind of Turkish hotel). Parents with small children will like it here - the animation and the playroom are designed for kids up to 4-5 years old
- 5 * Marina Grand Beach - suitable even for families with babies. The animation is level, as is the food
- 3 * Gradina is the most peaceful hotel in the hyper-noisy Golden Sands. Quite budget, with good food - you can take breakfast and full board. About 10 minutes to the sea, but you have to walk along the beach, not everywhere the entrance is convenient
- 4 * Luna is a quiet hotel located on the first line, a special children's area in the pool. The main advantage of the hotel is the variety of food in the restaurant
- 4 * Astera Hotel & Spa - located in the epicenter of the resort's nightlife, but the big pluses are high-quality all-inclusive and an excellent beach
Sunny Beach
- 4 * Longosa - a decent hotel, of the shortcomings - the distance to the beach, 200 meters. Clean, with active animation and food oriented to children (a lot of stew and boiled)
- 4 * Kotva - a hotel with a water park, breakfast or all. Reviews about nutrition are mixed, there is not enough variety. But the affordable cost and the beautiful beach outweigh
- 4 * Melia Sunny Beach - an all-inclusive hotel, an indoor pool, a club for children 4-12 years old, delicious and high-quality food
Albena
- 5 * Flamingo Grand Hotel - located on the 2nd line, which does not interfere with quickly getting to the sea, and brings animation. But the rooms, food and service are at the level
- 4 * Flamingo - a budget option for the above, there is a great pool and water slides
Beaches in Bulgaria for families with children
Absolutely all beaches in Bulgaria are subject to the municipality, which, along with hotels, monitors their cleanliness. Umbrellas, sun loungers and use of the toilet on the beach paid... But no one will prohibit sunbathing on your own towel or rug (albeit in a certain area). What, in fact, many vacationers do.
Sunny Beach is a solid sandy beach stretching for 8 km along the coast. The local beach Irakli, located on the territory of the reserve, is considered the best in Bulgaria. Deck chair and umbrella: for € 9.
Sozopol boasts several beaches at once. Deck chair and umbrella: for € 6.
- Central - with a gentle entry into the water, but narrow
- Harmani - wide beach for families
- Kavatsite (suburb of Sozopol) - one of the most beautiful beaches in Bulgaria
- Smokine - no less picturesque, but without any civilization
Not far from Nessebar there is the "Olympic Hopes" beach with various attractions and catamarans for hire. Deck chair and umbrella: for € 6.
Golden Sands is a deeper sea for older people. It is worth resting with the little ones near the Riviera complex. Deck chair and umbrella: for € 10.
Albena is good in all respects! Cleanliness, civility, a lot of entertainment - all together this makes up an ideal children's beach. Deck chair and umbrellaif not included in the hotel price: € 5 and € 7, respectively.
Tips and reviews of tourists with children
And finally, dear parents, a few tips.
Choosing hotels in Bulgaria for holidays, study the reviews. It will help to avoid the disappointment of the Soviet hotel heritage, which, unfortunately, is still found in Bulgaria.
Start your search with budget options - budget hotels in Bulgaria, especially those listed in our selection, may not be inferior to five-star ones.
Consider all the features of rest with children:
- if the baby is traveling with his grandparents (that is, without both parents), make sure you agree to leave in advance
- think over the menu (all or cafes in the neighborhood)
- ask in advance if the store with children's goods is located nearby
- be prepared that the baby will not be interested in animation, will give up the nanny and will be with you 24 hours a day
If you are traveling with a very small child, it is better to plan your trip in June or September, when it is not hot.
If possible, try to find hotels by the sea - long hikes to the beach can be exhausting for children.
