Things to know before visiting Bulgaria

While traveling around the world it takes me an insane amount of time to research what the currency is, should I carry cash, what language they speak, etc. That's why I decided to make it easier for anyone traveling to Bulgaria for the first time by gathering this information in one place.

Language:

The official language of Bulgaria is Bulgarian. Some people, especially young people, speak English and you could communicate with them.

Currency and cash:

In Bulgaria, we pay in Bulgarian levs (BGN). I would recommend you to have cash on you as there are no POS terminals everywhere.

Transportation:

1. Regarding public transport - everywhere you can pay in the vehicle with a card. If your card doesn't work, you can ask the bus driver to get a ticket from him.

2. If you travel to Bulgaria by car, keep in mind that the roads are terrible. This means that in places the highways are broken or have baboons, you will often drive on roads with potholes, and it is likely that some of the roads on Google exist, but in real life, they are black, without asphalt.

For intercity roads, you need a vignette, which you can buy online here: https://vinetki.bg/buyvignette

Tip:

In Bulgaria, it is customary to leave a 10% tip on top of the bill. In most places, it is not a practice to include it in the bill.

Water:

Locals drink water from the tap, but purified through a jug with a filter. In Bulgaria, we have many deposits of mineral water, but because of the old pipes, the water is polluted in some places.

Weather:

All 4 seasons are here. Temperatures in summer are around 26 degrees, and in winter around -5. If you follow the weather forecast, I recommend www.windy.com, as the most accurate.

Electricity:

Electricity in Bulgaria is 220 volts. If you're coming from countries like the US and Canada, be sure to pack a power adapter.

WiFi:

Bulgaria has 5G. In the mountains, the range is lacking, but in other places, you will have good internet. In the hotels and in various locations around the capital, there are publicly available Wi-Fi networks.

You can buy a prepaid data SIM card from a company like Yettel, A1, or Vivacom.

I wish you a wonderful stay in Bulgaria and I hope I have managed to facilitate your travel planning here!