Practical Notes on Free Travels in Bulgaria.

Responding "HU, I!" On the question "Was anyone with a backpack in Bulgaria?" (in Relcom.Rec.tourism) and promising help people with advice, I got a few letters whose authors set me questions like me "And how there with.. ?"

Therefore, let me share some of your observations – without the slightest complaints about objectivity. Through Bulgaria (in Greece), I ride annually: my Athenian co-author (I mymmed) once a year knocks me at my university $ 200 + accommodation + food, and for this amount I need to buy a Greek visa ($ 45) and go back and back. Moreover, the costs of funds are completely unacceptable – the family is big and in general.. So I do not fly by the plane, and all the time I went there on the crosses through Romania. So:

1. Entrance to Bulgaria

1-1. Formal aspects. If you ride a transit through Bulgaria, then nothing, as a rule (see. 1-2) not needed – just to show that you have a $ 80 with you. Shubles on the border just say: "Going to Turkey!", And they pass them. The main thing is to meet in the time of stay, which are produced as a result of a discussion with a border guard at the entrance. If you are stuck in Bulgaria, then contact any "Apartment Bureau", And you for $ 1 / (face * day) will extend stay. But if you take – on the road can be fined (the size of the fine is also produced as a result of a discussion with the border guard, but I did not experiment).

If you are going to just enter, it is better to buy a voucher. In St. Petersburg they cost $ 20, I saw the cheapest on the bus station in Odessa – $ 10. The Bulgarian border guards themselves told me that they would be empty and without a voucher, but you need to show $ 80 / (face * day).

However, there are rumors that Bulgaria is going to cancel invitations in general for entering our and Ukraine citizens.

In Romania, you can freely enter without a voucher from Chernivtsi.

1-2. Border crossings. Take a card.

The most popular entry into Bulgaria is "Dunked Most" Giurgiu (Giurgiu) – Ruse. On foot it is impossible to move. You can take on the train: from Bucharest to Ruse it costs about $ 10. I myself went to H6e, because for the same $ 10 you can cross all Romania by train. According to the stories, the train ride fun: smugglers jump on the go before the customs, the conductor for another $ 5 "For international international" Collects. Generally, Romania is a liking country, an amateur, but this is a separate topic.

If you drive up to the bridge itself, you can asked to be transported: there is a round-the-clock stream of shuttles in both sides. Bulgarians shake renovok on $ 5 "For non-support". With me that year also took. And another time – it cost. From the Bulgarian side from the bridge to the railway station there is a bus (

0.$ 06), from the Romanian side to the bridge about 1.5 km from the center of Giurgiu.

You can enter Bulgaria on the ferry Calafat (Calafat) – Vidin (

$ 3). There is much calmer, but longer. It is even calmer to get to Kalarash (Calaras), there on a free intraruman ferry to twist through the Danube, and walk through the transition Ostrov – Silistra (there is a zhd station).

Who wants to go along the sea, can reach the train to Mangalia (Mangalia), and then by bus – to Vama Vama Veche: there is already the border. From the Bulgarian side from there you can also go by bus.

About the transitions between Bulgaria and Macedonia and Yugoslavia I do not know – I was not and did not hear.

With Turkey, Bulgaria has two transitions. The first is standard, and the most popular Svilengrad – Kapikule. (there you can also drive in Greece). I was not there, but there everything goes to the ground in Turkey. Train also goes. The other transition: Malko Tarnovo – Derek (Derek"oy), of course, on an amateur. It is located on the pass. From the Bulgarian side, 12 km, and Sturaishka – 8 km there is no public transport: only a taxi. But such beauty, silence, peace.

And finally, there is another transition to Greece: Kulata – Prosakhonas. From the Bulgarian side 1.5 km to the railway station Kulata, and from Greek – already 12 km to Steon Petrésion station, where the train stops upon request.

1-3. Retreat of borders (could not stand and added).

You can divide the boundaries into two types: Soviet (sacred frontiers) and non-monetary (respectively, unlightened, but born all the same). The main feature of the first is a fundamental ban on their transition on foot (as their sacredity suffers from this). All the external borders known to me – Soviet, and everyone else is no. True, I do not know what the Lithuanian-Polish border looks like.

2-1. JD. Good, cheap, and convenient. Here, everything is in normal countries, with the exception of prices (see. below): the usual ticketing system 1 and 2 classes, pay how much you want. Hiking the familiar residents of SHG dickers, like: fees for information on trains, rye conductors in every car, lack of tickets, passport requirements – no and in risen. Drive all Bulgaria by train 2 grades last summer cost about $ 5-6. Have any station you can ask the cashier to calculate you any route on the schedule book (Patevoditel – it has all trains to the last train).

The Bansko area leads a pretty narrow-chain of Septevri – Dobrunishche. 5 times a day, ride 5 hours, the very first train is about 4 in the morning. Septemurry is an hour’s drive from Sofia. From Sofia to Burgas / Varna to go for 7 hours, there are day and night trains.

2-2. Autotransport. Previously there was a wonderful bus service, and now – mass cancellations. For $ 1 in the summer it was possible to drive more than 50 km. In tourist sites (the same bansko, let’s say, or along the sea) with buses well, and in deaf places – and not every day go.

The coast message is more or less normal. In addition to buses, minibuses walk (about $ 1 for 25 km).

2-3. Stop people go. Nothing Special. I am in style "Wolly Cossack" Overall sometimes "In a pure field under the bush". For lovers of such a holiday, I will say that you should still be more careful, in particular, due to the higher density of the Gypsy population.

3-1. Food. Cheap, if there is something: like us in 1991. What is there now – unknown. Lion fell from June’96 to April’97 10 times (it was 150 lv / $, it became 1500).

3-2. Sea. In Burgas / Varna, I neither feet: it is for a massive rest, and for me expensive. In order of the experiment, removed the room in Tsarevo (b. Michurin). Prices were a little less than $ 2 / (Koyomesto * day) with a shower (the truth was not hot water) and a toilet urban type in the house, in 20 min. calm stroke from the sea. However, Tsarevo is one of the cheapest places.

With a tent near the sea, it is possible to settle in principle and free. There are also campgrounds, but I did not investigate. However, this is not Gelendzhik coast: the sea is easily accessible from the coast and can disturb (see. 3-3).

3-3. People. Three clearly defined categories of people live there: Bulgarians, Turks and Gypsies. The latter is quite a lot (but, of course, smaller than in Romania), and segregation of even a settled Gypsy is quite noticeable: for example, in Tsarevo, everything was not recommended to take a room in the Gypsy area, even though it was cheaper. Turks also live separately, in the cities there are mosques, their language to the literary Turkish is pretty close, but more archaic – missing the French borrowing characteristic of the modern Turkish language.

And so – people like people. Personally, I was most convenient to communicate with the Turks. First, I express in Turkish better than in Bulgarian (and in our did not allow principles). Secondly, it was annoyed every time hearing "AA, RUSNAK!" — Start after this treat as the so-called "our people" to your own: how would the money be and t. NS. I remember once again that all this applies to small towns. However, it is unlikely that these recommendations are appropriate here..

3-4. Mafia services. If you need something from them (let’s say, change $ to Leva in aptory time), then in small towns, representatives of this community will usually graze in the center near the photographers. And in big cities it is better to do everything officially. In general, to scare the Mafia traveler – one of the favorite topics for conversations from the local population.

3-4. Cards. Has every corner is not sold. European like Michelin or Marco Polo is completely unfusive: no large-scale, and they lie strongly. With great difficulty and accidentally I managed to buy 2-kilometers of Stara Planina (from the sea to Macedonia, 3 cards) and the Black Sea coast. Avtokarta still bought 2 pieces: they differ slightly, so you can withdraw a certain averaged picture. Eh, maybe someday make a longtime project: buy Mountain Bike in Turkey (they are sold there on $ 120 there) and pass partially on it with their own pass, partly on trains through Bulgaria, and at least to his St. Petersburg.