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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Bulgaria

International Airports Sofia (SOF) (website: www.sofia-airport.bg) is 10km (6 miles) east of the city (travel time – 20 minutes). Buses run approximately every 10 minutes to the city centre during the day and every 20 minutes between 2100-0030. Coaches are available by arrangement through tour operators. Taxis are also available, although taxi drivers may not use their meters and travellers are advised to agree on the fare beforehand. The airport itself only advises its passengers to use the taxi company OK Supertrains. Airport facilities include banks and currency exchange (24 hours), post office, duty-free shop, nursery, restaurant, bar and car hire is located in the public area of the Arrivals Hall (Avis, Hertz, Sixt and Tany Rent). Varna (VAR) is 9km (5.5 miles) from the city. A bus service to Varna city centre departs every 20 minutes. A coach service is available by arrangement with various tour operators. A taxi service is also available. Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shop, banking and currency exchange (24 hours), a restaurant, bar and car hire by prior arrangement with travel agents. Bourgas (BOJ) is 13km (8 miles) from the city. A bus service departs every 20 minutes to the city centre. A coach service is available by prior arrangement with tour operators. A taxi service is also available. Airport facilities include outgoing duty-free shop, banking and currency exchange (24 hours), a restaurant, bar and car hire (by prior arrangement). Departure tax: None except for US nationals who will be charged US$20. Back to Top Air Travel Bulgaria’s national airline is Bulgaria Air. Other airlines serving Bulgaria include Aeroflot, Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, El Al Israel Airlines, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, MALEV Hungarian Airlines, Olympic Airlines and Swiss. Approximate flight times: From Sofia to London is 3 hours and to New York is 14 hours.Bulgaria Air operates domestic services connecting Sofia with the coast and main towns. The journeys from Sofia to Bourgas and Varna can be made in about 1 hour. Air travel is comparatively cheap, and is only slightly more expensive than rail travel. Back to Top Travel By Water The main international ports are Bourgas and Varna on the Black Sea. The official crossing points into Romania are by ferry from Vidin to Calafat and by road bridge from Ruse to Giurgiu. Regular boat and hydrofoil services along the Bulgarian bank of the Danube link many centres, including Vidin, Lom, Kozloduj, Orjahovo, Nikopol, Svishtov, Tutrakan and Silistra. Back to Top Rail There are frequent services between Sofia and Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Thessaloniki and Istanbul. Sofia is also directly connected with Paris, Vienna, Munich and Berlin. Dining car facilities are available on all routes. For details contact RILA (website: www.bdz-rila.com). There are over 4200km (2625 miles) of railways in the country. Bulgarian State Railways connects Sofia with main towns. Reservations are essential and first-class travel is advised. For details, contact the State Railway Office (website: www.bdz.bg). Back to Top Travel By Road Main entry points include Koulata and Novo Selo (from Greece); Ruse, Kardom, Durankulak and Silistra (from Romania); Svilengrad and Kapitan Andrikeevo (from Turkey); Kalotina, Zlatarevo and Vrashkachuka (from Serbia and Montenegro) and Guyeshevo (from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). Foreign citizens entering Bulgaria in a motor vehicle must have documentation to prove their ownership of the vehicle. They must also state their proposed border crossing and pay suitable road tax. Bus: There are daily bus connections from other cities including Istanbul, Athens and Thessaloniki to Sofia. Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves destinations in Bulgaria. For further information, contact Eurolines (4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire L41 1PP; tel: (0990) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; e-mail: welcome@eurolinesuk.com; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com). There are over 13,000km (8000 miles) of roads linking the major centres; their quality is variable and some main roads have major potholes, plus driving standards are generally poor. Traffic drives on the right. International road signs are used, although roadworks are often not signposted. Night driving can be dangerous owing to poor lighting. Foreign drivers are sometimes liable to extra road tolls. Additionally, if the vehicle is stolen in Bulgaria, import duty and related taxes must be paid: insurance may be taken to cover this. Speed limits are strictly adhered to: 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas, 90kph (55mph) outside built-up areas and 120kph (75mph) on motorways. In addition, the driver may be banned from driving in Bulgaria for up to 3 years. The nationwide alcohol limit is 0.05 per cent; on-the-spot fines of between Lv50-150 are imposed for offences. Spare parts are easily available. There are large numerous petrol stations. It should also be observed that car-theft is on the increase in Bulgaria, and all cars should ideally be fitted with alarms and other visible security measures. Car-jacking is also becoming more frequent, usually occurring at night, and with some criminals even impersonating traffic policeman in the process. It is best to drive in daylight. Bus: There is a good network of buses that are cheap and convenient but with erratic timetabling. Taxi: Available in all towns and also for intercity journeys. Vehicles may not be in top condition. Vehicles are metered, unless they are privately owned. Taxi meters may be rigged so that foreign passengers can be overcharged; foreign visitors should therefore take great caution in determining the correct fare before travel. A 5 to 10 per cent tip is appreciated. Car hire: Available through hotel reception desks. Available car hire companies include Avis and Hertz. There are no fly-drive arrangements through the airlines. Payment is usually in hard currency. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. A Green Card is compulsory. URBAN: Bus, tramway and trolleybus services operate in Sofia; in addition, a metro is under construction. Flat fares are charged and tickets must be pre-purchased. Buses and taxis operate in all the main towns. There are also trolleybuses in Plovdiv and Varna. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times from Sofia (in hours and minutes) to other major cities/towns in Bulgaria. Air Road Rail Varna 1.00 8.00 7.00 Bourgas 1.00 7.00 6.00 Plovdiv 0.40 2.00 2.00 Ruse - 9.00 8.00 Turnovo - 3.30 - Vitosha - 0.30 - Borovets - 1.30 - Pamporovo - 3.30 - Golden Sands *0.45 *7.00 - Albena *0.45 *7.00 - Sunny Beach **0.35 **6.30 - Note: *From Varna Airport. **From Bourgas Airport. Back to Top

Car Hire Bulgaria

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout Bulgaria.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Bulgaria