Bulgaria Country Profile - Business & Tourist Travel Information Bulgaria population religion history economy road travel & other national information for Bulgarian news: the euromost.info news matrix
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Welcome to the euromost.info Bulgaria directory
The euromost.info's Bulgaria Travel Guide with general info on: the national tourist board & local city tourist boards, currency & weather, low cost airlines offering bargain or cheap flights and International Airlines flying to Sofia airport. Also details of the Bulgarian Rail Network and main coach services, sources of Consular advice and Travel Warnings where given. The Bulgarian Country Profile includes details of its economy, history, population & religion. The Sofia City Break Guide includes information on the main sightseeing attractions, accommodation and hotels. The City of Sofia is one of 28 Euromost cities. More
Travelling In Bulgaria
Public transport in Bulgarian cities is cheap and plentiful. Bus services link the major cities. Alternatively there are fairly good 'metered' taxis service which display the taxis tarriff on the window. Rates vary. Locals tend you to use the yellow taxis.
Rail Travel In Bulgaria
This can be a nightmare as journeys between major cities tend to take a scenic route which can be very very slow. Inter-city buses (see above) are often quicker and far more comfortable. Night trains have limited sleeping accommodation which in relative terms is expensive but very basic. Petty criminals operate on these trains - you should never leave your passport money and valuables unattended.
Rail Services Bulgaria + Coach Networks
Road Travel In Bulgaria
Bulgarian Customs and Border officials willl when you enter or leave Bulgaria want to see your driving licence and the original documentation including a logbook as evidence that you are legally the owner of of your vehicle. If the car is a hire vehicle you must have the original contract. You must also have similiar evidence of insurance that covers you in Bulgaria. If your documentation is not sufficient your car will be impounded.
To use a Bulgarian motorway you have to pay tolls of circa 5€ for one week or 12€ for a month. These tolls can be purchased at border posts - including ports, petrol stations and post offices. They are also available in the DZI bank. The Vignettes when purchased must be displated in the windscreen. On the spot fines are payable for failure to display a paid toll charge.
Since January 2005, tolls have been charged on motorways and main roads out of town. These are payable in Euros. The rate for cars is currently 5 Euros for a one week vignette and 12 Euros for one month. Rates are much higher for freight vehicles and coaches for eight or more passengers.
Vignettes can be purchased at ports and border points, and are also available from post offices, large petrol stations and DZI bank offices. You will be fined if you do not carry the appropriate vignette.Higher charges apply for larger vehicles.
Roads in Bulgaria are rarely lit at night or marked. Occasionally at night criminals will pose as police offcers near border posts and attempt to stop vehicles and demand money from the driver for a fictious traffic offence. Occasionally they will rob victims. If possible it is as advisable to cross the Bulgarian border at night. Driving standards are not endearing. Beware of violent drivers who carry guns/
Throughout Bulgfaria on the spot fines are made for traffic offences especially speeding.
Law And Order
The Bulgarian authorities treat all drug-related offences (including possession for personal use) and or sex offences very seriously. The age of consent is 16. Visitors to Bulgaria convicted of these offences can expect to be jailed. Gay sex is legal - Gay bars are discreetland confined to major cities.
Drunken and disordely behaviour is not tolerated and sentences can be unusally harsh when compared with the UK.
Bulgaria Tourism
Historically, Bulgaria has always been a magnet for tourists. The sightseeing attractions of Sofia as a city are obvious, as is its Black Sea coastline which for years was a popular holiday destination for holidaymakers from East Germany and Hungary.
This industry will is likely to benefit when Bulgaria joins the EU IN 2007 and when it will be much better served by the low cost airlines who currently have it on their shortlist.. As a consequence investment in propert and real estate has increased significantly in the last two years
Bulgaria Economy - Business
In the last fifteen years Bulgaria has had several governments, none of whom have been elected for a second term. The economy has grown around by about 5% annually - slighty above the annual rate of inflation. Its major industries are machine manufacture, steel, metals, construction products, food processing and power generation.
Two previously state owned banks have been privatised and there is a policy of actively seeking foreign investment into the country. At times this has been difficult to achieve because of some investors concerns about the failure of the various governments to deal with embedded corruption and public sector reform. These concerns have been ameriolated in the last two years and have not been regarded as serious enough to prevent Bulgaria from joining the European Union in 2007. Currently Bulgarias main trading partners are Russia, Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey and the United States. Unemployment is around 15%.
Currency Regulations
Visitors enteing or leaving Bulgaria with cash in any currency which exceeds 8,000 Bulgarian Leva (£3,000) must declare it to customs officials. If youwant to export cash of any currency which exceeds 25,000 Bulgarian Leva (£9,000) you are required to show documentation showing where the funds come from and evidence that noyou do not owe any money to the National Revenue Agency.
For Your Note Book!
Motoroads Adventure Tours & Motorcycle Rental In Bulgaria
This site is a good resource of general info about Bulgaria. It is actually tailored to self-guided adventure tours, motorcycle & car rental, active holidays in Bulgaria. It has information and travel stories ideas for vacations, and a useful photo gallery.
Earth Tremors
Earth remors are not uncommon in Bulgaria. Normally they are of minor strength and below 4.5 on the the Richter Scale and cause minimal damage
Bulgaria & Crime see Sofia info
Photographs
You should ask permission before taking photos in airports and other areas where security is important.
Population & Faiths
The population of Bulgaria is 8m and the Sofia is the capital. 84% of the people are Bulgarian, 9% are Turkish and 3% are Roma.
The Bulgarian Language
The official Bulgaria language is Bulgarian
Bulgaria Currency
The official currency is 'the lev'.
84% of Bulgarians are Bulgarian Orthodox, 13% are Muslims, with the remaining being Roman Catholic and Jewish.
Bulgaria - History
Most Bulgarians are descended from the Slavs and The Bulgars who travelled into the Balkan regions between the 5th and 7th centuries AD. In 681 the first Bulgarian State was established in the the northern section of the present country. Though the Bulgars became fully intergrated within the Slavic race their name as a national entity was to remain.
During the following six centuries Bulgaria into Albania and Macedonia before become part of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century until the end of the 19th century. In 1908 Bulgaria became an independent state again.
At the end of WW2 the Bulgarian Communist Party became the ruling party in Bulgarian and a close ally of Moscow. In the following two years the new government purged its opponents and introduced agricultural and state controlled nationalisation policies which were mirrors of the same in the Soviet Union. For the next three to four decades the Bulgaria economy performed well especially its farming, manufacturing and tourist industries. The honeymoon ended in the early 1980s when the Bulgaria economy like other Eastern European countries became overwhelmed by debt.
In 1989 the Bulgaran Communist Party, in line with other countries who were satellites of the Soviet Union, elected a new guard which declared democratic elections the following year.
For info on Sofia's History see Sofia Guide
Bulgaria National Tourist Board Office
Bulgarian Consulate Information (UK)
Real Estate Property Agents in Bulgaria
Skiing In Bulgaria & European Ski Resorts Guide
Sofia History Economy Language Religions
sightseeing, attractions, Sofia overview, .clubs and nightlife, restaurants, hotel & apartment accommodation, clubs and nightlife, public transport in Sofia weather forecast Sofia
listing of low cost airlines flying to and from Sofia and offering cheap flights to Sofia Bulgaria
where ever you are - wherever you are going - euromost.info will help
Cautionary Note:
EU citizens and companies have the rights to acquire land in Bulgaria Whilst most property brokers are above board some organised fraudsters do operate. You are advised to take advice from an established agency your home country and independent legal advice from a qualified, property lawyer, before making a deposit or purchase.
Travelling with children
Single parents or adults travelling alone with children should note that Bulgarian law requires documentary evidence of parental responsibility (e.g. a consent letter) before allowing lone parents or adults to enter or leave eave Austria with children.
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Weather Forecast For & Average Climate Conditions In Sofia Bulgaria |
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Central European Rail Services to and from Bulgaria Bulgaria rail tickets & international passes |
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National Coach Services In Central Europe to and from Bulgaria |
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