are sometimes nearer 50%. The other drink for which Bulgaria is famous, of course, is its wine. Some archaeologists believe that the territory of present day Bulgaria was the first place where vines were cultivated and wine produced. Today, one can still enjoy some traditional indigenous Bulgarian wines, such as mavrud, pamid, shevka and broad melnik, the latter reputed to have been a great favourite of Winston Churchill.
Language
Bulgarian is a South Slavonic language written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Although more and more young people are learning and speaking English, and many signs are starting to appear in Latin letters, you will certainly find it helpful if you familiarise yourself with the Cyrillic alphabet and carry with you a small phrasebook or dictionary such as the Chambers Bulgarian Phrasebook (Chambers Harrap, 2007) or Bulgarian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook by Ronelle Alexander (Lonely Planet, 2008).
The Ministry of State Administration and Reform has recently implemented an initiative entitled ‘Comprehensible Bulgarian’, along with a new law on the official standardised transliteration of Bulgarian into Latin letters (http://transliteration.mdaar.government.bg/alphabet.php). This is summarised in Appendix 2, which also includes a short Bulgarian–English glossary.
Money
The local currency used in Bulgaria is the lev (plural leva). At the time of writing this is fixed to the euro at a rate of 1 euro to 1.95583 leva. All major currencies can be exchanged in Bulgaria, but Euros are easiest. Be aware that travellers’ cheques are of little use, since they can only be exchanged in Sofia.
Most banks now have ATM machines, and these are also found at Sofia Airport. However, if you are arriving at Sofia Airport and plan on changing cash, then you should be aware that the banks located within the airport arrivals hall are usually closed at weekends, so make sure you obtain Bulgarian currency either in your home country or before going through customs into the arrivals hall.
When you are travelling around Bulgaria itself, you will find banks and ATM machines in most major towns. The latter are usually more convenient, as bank opening hours tend to be fairly restricted, normally Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Bulgaria is still a very good-value destination, although accession to the European Union and fairly highly inflation means it is no longer as cheap as it was. To aid you with budgeting, here are some current (2009) average prices:
bus from Sofia to the mountains (€7–10)
dormitory bed in mountain hut (€5–10)
room in family hotel or guesthouse (€15)
loaf of bread (€0.5)
salad (€2)
evening meal (€10)
bottle of wine (€7.5)
bottle of beer (€1).
Communications
Mobile phone coverage is surprisingly good over much of Bulgaria, although – not surprisingly – connections are more difficult in the heart of the mountains. Roaming is available for most international mobile phones in Bulgaria, but the cost of calls can be very high.
If you are likely to want to use your phone a lot, it is possible to buy yourself a Bulgarian SIM card (Mtel and Globul are the most popular providers) from newsagents, bookshops and mobile phone outlets. However, you may need your phone to be unlocked to operate with a Bulgarian SIM.
Public card-operated telephones can be found in towns throughout Bulgaria and these can be used for both domestic and international calls – the latter are made by first dialling 00, then the country code. Cards for these can be purchased from street kiosks and bookshops, but bear in mind the orange Bulfon phones and blue Mobika phones each require their special cards. Telephone calls can also be made from special phone cabins in almost all post offices. Having asked for and been assigned your cabin, you make your call in the normal way, then when you have finished go and pay in cash at the counter. Although post office counter services have restricted opening hours, normally 8.30am to 5.30pm, the telephone section is usually open every day and has longer hours.
Most Bulgarian towns, and even many villages, now have internet clubs. These are mainly frequented by children playing computer games, but they do offer an opportunity to check and send e-mails, as well as communicate via Skype.
Travelling to Bulgaria
With the country’s recent accession to the European Union, Bulgaria no longer seems such a remote and daunting destination. For independent travellers wishing to walk in the country, there are an ever-growing number of cheap flights available to Bulgaria. Most major European airlines now operate regular services, including British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and Bulgaria Air (www.air.bg/en), while several smaller ‘no-frills’ airlines such as Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) and Wizz Air (http://wizzair.com), are also steadily opening up new routes to the country.
Although there are some flights to Varna and Burgas on the Bulgarian coast, Sofia Airport (www.sofia-airport.bg) is the most convenient point of arrival for those planning on walking in the Bulgarian mountains, as all three national parks can be easily reached by public transport from the Bulgarian capital.
Entrance Formalities
To enter Bulgaria you require a full passport that must be valid for three months beyond the intended length of stay. Visas are not necessary for British or other EU citizens. Other nationalities should check current requirements. There are no statutory vaccinations needed for Bulgaria when travelling from the UK, but up-to-date tetanus and polio immunisations are recommended. Useful sources of information are:
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in London (0207 5849400) www.bulgarianembassy-london.org
The British Embassy in Sofia (02-9339222) http://ukinbulgaria.fco.gov.uk/en
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice for Bulgaria http://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bulgaria
Travelling to the Mountains
Useful up-to-date information about buses and trains can be obtained from the following sources: Sofia Central Bus Station (www.centralnaavtogara.bg) and Bulgarian State Railways (http://razpisanie.bdz.bg/site/search.jsp). The simplest way to reach the central bus station (tsentralna avtogara) or central station (tsentralna gara) from Sofia Airiport is to take a taxi.
Crossing the River Marinkovitsa (Walk 7, Day 4)
Be warned there are very many unscrupulous taxi operators hanging around the airport terminals ready to whisk you off at an extortionate price! You can quite simply avoid any problems by making certain that you order a taxi from the OK Supertrans (www.oktaxi.net)
