tcreath

DH and I are in the midst of planning next year's vacation and part of that vacation will more than likely include Romania (the other half would be spent in Istanbul and we would be flying between the two). Since we would be flying into and out of Bucharest, I must admit that its tempting to cross the border into Bulgaria since its fairly close and a new passport stamp is always fun.

Anyways, I don't see much about Bulgaria on these boards and I'm wondering if its just not a great place to visit or if its just that not many people visit because its too far off the tourist radar. We are thinking of maybe one night somewhere not too far (within 3 hours of so) from Bucharest. I'm hoping that somebody has done a similar trip or has been to this area and can give me some insight.

Thanks!
Tracy

julia_t

I've only been skiing in Bulgaria, (last New Year, loved it so much we are going back next New Year!) so I don't know how much help I can be, but I can tell you that the scenery in the mountains is stunning. But that may be too far south for you. Along the Black Sea coast are many many beach tourist resorts, where I have no wish whatsoever to go. However a friend of mine is going to Sunny Beach in September so I can report back after.

We found Bulgaria to be very cheap, although everyone suspects that when the Euro comes in in 2010 prices will shoot up. Beer and wine are good, food is a little strange - and always served tepid (apparently hot food is not considered good for the digestion!).

A couple of websites which may offer more info are...

http://www.bulgariatravel.org/eng/index.php

http://www.travel-bulgaria.com/index_.shtml

Tripadvisor has a Bulgaria forum which may have some information for you.

And may I just say a quick thank you very much for all your helpful posts and trip report on Croatia. I'm going in October and have found what you have written most helpful.

USNR

Last year we spent a little time in Bulgaria. A poverty-stricken country, just coming out from under the heel of Communism. Costs seemed low. Not much in the way of tourist infrastructure. Compared with Romania, it seemd 20 years behind. Poor roads. Lots of idle people in towns. Pretty countryside. If it were mine to do, I would spend my time in Istanbul, a place we have been back to again and again.

aeiger

Hi
Thanks to USNR for his response and tcreath for the question. I have been thinking of traveling to Bulgaria, [not the beaches or the mountains to ski] and have had some concern about the tourist infrastructure. We were in Romania several yrs. ago, coming in from Hungary and were very disappointed and left. The experiences we had were being followed by gypsie children for money, very few street lights and dogs barking a following us. The hotel had no hot water in the morning. I suspect this may be similar in Bulgaria. My wife is very reluctant to go to Bulgaria after the experience in Romania.

hopscotch

I plan on returning to Bulgaria and Romania next spring. It has been 15 years since I was there. The tourist infrastructure on the Black Sea was amazingly good because that is where the old commie bosses went on holiday before the Wall came down in November 1989. Sure, it's not the Cote d'Azur but it was comfortable.

We were in Varna, Burgas, Dousba, and Albena in Bulgaria. Then we went to Constanta/Mamaia and drove across Romania to Hungary. A very intersteing experience. Roads were OK and we never saw the potholes that were written about in every magazine. No big deal, even then. I would assume that it is more pleasant now, and more expensive.

<i>I don't see much about Bulgaria on these boards.</i> This Fodor's board is more about &quot;What is the best hotel and restaurant in Paris?&quot; and &quot;I'm going to Rome for a month and I want to know what to do there.&quot; I think that Virtual Tourist members would have more to say about the eastern countries. Many of them live over there and are very helpful.

Skip the plane and drive from Istanbul to Constanta. Also, there is ferry service in the Black Sea. You only live once.

Katiemay

We were in Romania and Bulgaria in
2004. It is interesting how people
see the countries in such a different
light. We thought Romania was far be-
hind Bulgaria. The roads were full of
potholes and that Bulgaria had good
roads.
I will say that the drivers in Bulgaria
are the worst we have ever encountered.
We had a wonderful time in both countries. We took an overnight train
from Buchurest to Sophia and we had a
good time. We met several couples from
other countries and the conductor had
a good sense of humor.
The Romanians were very appreciative that
we had come to visit their country and
asked us to please come again. We met
some people there that we still keep
in touch with and if they ever get to
the U.S. they will be welcome in our
home.

elina

Bulgaria is not off the tourist radar, far from it. It has been a major family destination for German/Scandinavian/Dutch/etc. for ten+ years already. Romania is just starting. For example Nessebar is a charming old town that is on UNESCO´s World Heritage list.

Bulgaria is in the catalogues of just about every major European charter company: beach holidays, skiing holidays and trekking in the mountains.

ekscrunchy

As far as second home sales go, Bulgaria has been a hot spot for a number of years.

Here is my own brief Bulgaria story, regarding food. I took the old Orient Express train from Belgrade to Istanbul years ago..not the new fancy train, the old one-- in second class. We stopped in Sofia and it was there that I had a food dish that remains embedded in my memory as the best example of its kind I have ever eaten, to this day. So if you find yourself in the Sofia station, see if there are any little old head-scarf swathed women hawking cheese boreks. And take care not to miss your onbound train, as we very nearly did.

doonhamer

Certainly from a UK standpoint, Bulgaria is seen mainly as either a ski destination or a sun, sea 'n'sand kinda place. On that basis my family &amp; I have been 4 times, with a 5th visit planned. Away from the main tourist spots are some really charming places like Nessebar, Stara Zagora, Balchik, Sozopol &amp; Veliko Turnovo. The scenery is often stunning, and the history of the place is all around.
The infrastructure has improved, and continue to do so, although some elements still have a long way to go.
That said, this is NOT France or Italy. The people are poor, and the place refelcts this; visitors from the more affluent countries often experience a kind of culture shock if they venture away from the main (westernised)resorts. The people are, however, extremely friendly and welcoming to strangers, more so than a lot of other places I have been.

tcreath

Thank you all so much for your replies. They have been very helpful.

We have traveled quite extensively around Europe and are looking for something different for this trip. I think we would definitely get it with Romania and Bulgaria! I find traveling to be a fascinating experience, and culture shock is something I am seeking out because its been awhile since I've been outside my comfort zone and am looking forward to the challenge.

I think that at this point we will plan on visiting Bulgaria. I just need to do some more research to find a good place to base ourselves that isn't too far from Bucharest, which is where will fly back to the US from. To be honest I'm not much of a beach person so I don't know if the resorts would be exactly what we are looking for, although its certainl worth considering. I am hoping to find maybe a historic town or village with an interesting church, monestary or something like that, although my main goal would be to experience a little bit of the culture.

We did consider driving from Istanbul through Bulgaria and up to Romania but I can only imagine how much the rental car drop-off fees would be! We found a flight from Istanbul to Bucharest for about $130 per person, which I believe is a pretty good rate.

Thanks again!
Tracy