Driving in Bulgaria
Key
rules, regulations and things to know
Driving:
Drive
on the right and overtake on the left.
Speed limits:
130
km/h (80 mph) on motorways - 90 km/h (56 mph) on other roads outside
built-up areas - 50 km/h (31 mph) in built-up areas. The toll
roads in Bulgaria are well surfaced, other roads can be rough,
so it is advised that you drive slower on these to avoid an accident
or damage the vehicle that you are driving.
Driving
Age: The minimum driving age is 18yrs
Minimum
Driving Ages European Countries - Here Check with your
car rental company about the minimum and maximum age to hire a car
Driving licence:
Citizens of other EU countries and Switzerland are allowed to drive
with their valid national driving licences. Citizens of non-EU countries
may drive in Bulgaria with their valid national driving licences
for one year
Seat
Belts: It is the law to wear a seat
belt including in the back seats if belts are fitted Children under
the age of 12 and/or less than 150cm tall may not travel in the
front seat and must use appropriate restraints.
Driver of motorbikes must wear safety
helmets.
Mobile Phones: Mobile
phones may only be used with a hands free system. Don't
risk using one as you can receive a heavy fine in most countries
and more important cause a serious accident.
Road
Signs: Road signs are in the Latin as well as the
Cyrillic alphabet
Drink and Driving: The
blood/alcohol limit in Bulgaria is 0.05
alcohol per 100ml blood. More
information Here
Headlights: Dipped headlights are recommended to be used
during daylight hours all year round and they must be used in the
winter months - 1st November - 1st March.
Snowchains: Snow chains should be carried
in the car in the winter from 1st November to 31st March. The road
signs will indicate when snow chains are compulsory or not. The
use of snow tyres is not legally required.
Warning / Emergency Equipment:
All vehicles must carry
a warning triangle, reflective
vest, fire extinguisher
and a first aid kit.
Parking:
You
must par a vehicle on the left only in a one-way street. Parking
in larger towns is on a pay basis. Restricted
parking
zones are marked as either Blue or Green zones and are paid for
on a Pay and Display principle. In Sofia
the capital, a Blue zone charge fee can be paid to a parking warden
or by sending a text message to 1302. Payment is by the hour. After
sending the text message, the subscriber gets a confirmation that
the payment is successful. Five minutes before the pre-paid hour
elapses, the subscriber receives a notification that they need to
renew their payment.
In
most other towns parking in Green and Blue zones is payable either
at a parking meter or to a parking warden that will be present on
the spot, following the Pay and Display principle. Unless designated
by signs, parking is free of charge in other areas. In central urban
areas in Bulgaria, paid car parks are common.
Disabled Parking:
Cars parking in disabled parking spaces must display the blue disabled
parking card. Places for disabled people are marked with a wheelchair
sign.
Part
Source: Anglo-Info | Economy
Car Hire / zest car rental
Union des Automobilistes Bulgares (UAB) - To enter the site, click
on the image above left
Bulgaria
offers a mixture of spectacular mountain ranges and golden beaches
stretching along the Black Sea coastline. There is an array of beach
and ski resorts to keep you entertained, with Bulgaria been cited
as a great value ski destination. The nightlife throughout Bulgaria
is also renowned for being lively.
Bulgaria
offers a fantastic combination of sun, sea, sand and culture. There
are plenty of walks to indulge in and allow you to immerse yourself
in the stunning scenery of this diverse country.
Things
to See and Do
Seek
out some of Bulgaria's festivals which are an important part of
Bulgarian rural life. Bulgaria is rich in the folklore traditions
of folk dances, music, national costumes and traditional rituals.
Hit
the slopes at the major ski resorts of Bansko,
Borovets, or Pamporovo
Enjoy
the mountainous scenery of the Rila Mountains.
Visit the city of Sofia, it is a modern
and lively capital with over 300 bars, restaurants, discos, and
cafes.
Enjoy
sun, sea and sand at one of the Black Sea
coastal resorts which include Sunny
Beach and Golden Sands
Go
on a mountaineering or climbing trip which can be arranged in the
areas of Vratsa, Veliko Tarnovo, Trojan, Maliovitza
and Roussenski Lom. There are
plenty of caves and rock formations and ancient cave paintings to
explore.
Go
horse riding in the Danube Valley,
the Balkan, Rila and Stara
Planina Mountains and the Valley of
Roses. Try Mountain biking in the Rhodopi
Mountains, there are some good trails and scenery here.
Visit
the ancient Bailusheva pine forests,
limestone rocks in Pirin National Park,
the seven lakes and the 10th century monastery in Rila
National Park.
Source: Economy
Car Hire / zest car rental
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FACT FILE
— Bulgaria
Bulgaria
is situated in south-eastern Europe, in the north-eastern part of
the Balkan Peninsula. It has a territory of 110 911 square kilometres
which is 22% of the Balkan Peninsula. Its length is 520 km and its
width is 330 km. The overall length of its borders is 2245 km. Bulgaria
borders to the north on Rumania (the frontier line runs along the
Danube river and continues on land to the north-east), to the south
— on Greece and Turkey, to the west — on Serbia and Macedonia (former
Yugoslavia) and to the east — on the Black Sea.
The
Official Name is Republic of Bulgaria and the Capital City is Sofia.
Other
major towns and cities include Stara Zagora, Varna, Rusie, Kurdzhali,
Blagoevgrad, Pleven and Burgas.
There
are 9 provinces (oblasti, singular—oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofia,
Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofia, Varna
Bulgaria
became a member of the EU on the 1st January 2007
The
Climate:
Summers on the Black Sea coast are hot, inland warm summers and
cold winters (with snow) are commonplace. The climate in Northern
Bulgaria is moderate continental, while the climate in Southern
Bulgaria is intermediate continental tending to Mediterranean.
Marked
by four distinct seasons,
Bulgaria enjoys a generally favourable climate that is one of the
country's best features. Although located at the same latitude as
southern New England, Bulgaria's climate
is noticeably more temperate. Summers
are typically hot and dry, but rarely oppressive, with moderate
relative humidity. Winters are cold
but not bitterly so. In the south and Black Sea coastal regions,
Mediterranean influences temper the harsher continental climate
of the interior.
The
country's mountains climate effects also help in determining regional
variations of weather.In the capital, Sofia, daytime high temperatures
average 82°F/28°C in July-August; 37°F/3°C in January, and reflect
the ameliorating effects of nearby Mt. Vitosha. The wettest months
are April-May and November in the interior; June, October and December
along the coast. In mid-summer, the coast enjoys prodigious sunshine.
Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox, Muslim, other.
Population:
8,155,000
Currency:
The unit of currency in Bulgaria is the lev w hich is made
up of 100 stotinki.
Currency Conversion Here
Electricity:
The voltage is 230 Volts with standard European 2 pin plugs.
Telephone
Country Code: + 359
Landforms:
The Balkan Mountains run through the
central part of the country, the Rhodope Mountains through the southwestern
part (near the border with Greece), with fertile lowlands covering
the north and southeast. The Danube River forms the northern border
with Romania
Sea
resorts
Albena
The major resort north of Varna, Albena occupies a pretty stretch
of coast just north of Varna and south of Cape Kavarna.
Sunny
Beach: Sunny Beach is a resort center,
which is situated in the southern part of the Bulgarian seaside,
6 km north of Nessebar and 42 km north-east of Bourgas. It is located
in the close proximity of the arched Nessebar bay.
Golden
Sands: Golden Sands Resort is situated
in the north part of the Black Sea, 17 km from Varna.
Nessebar:
Nessebar — the pearl of the South coast of the Black Sea, is one
of the most ancient towns in Europe. The town, founded 3000 years
ago by the Thracians by the name of Messemvria, is situated at a
little rocky peninsula.
Sozopol
Situated 34 kilometers south of Bourgas
upon a small peninsula, Sozopol is the oldest town at the Bulgarian
seaside. Founded in the year 610 B.C. by the Greeks.
Sveti
Konstantin: Sveti Konstantin Resort
is situated in the North part of the Bulgarian seaside , 8 km from
the town of Varna.
Ski
resorts
Bansko
The town of Bansko is situated at the Glazne river at the northeastern
bottom of the Pirin Mountains, 160 km south of Sofia, 60 km southeast
of Blagoevgrad. Bansko is one of the biggest mountain resorts in
Bulgaria with a long winter to take advantage of its modern, well
developed skiing and sport facilities.
Pamporovo:
Pamporovo, the second major Bulgarian mountain resort, is located
1650 m above sea level in the Western Rhodopes, 16km from Smolyan,
among evergreen spruce forests, picturesque meadows, strange rock
formations and beautiful mountain peaks. Due to the Mediterranean
influence the climate is mild with bracing air and the good snow-cover
provides excellent skiing conditions from mid-December to mid-April.
Borotets:
The oldest Bulgarian resort, Borovets, is hidden among the aromatic
pine woods covering the northern slopes of Mount Musala in Rila
mountains, 12 km south of Samokov and 72 km of Sofia.
Vitosha:
A wooded mass of granite 19km long by 17 km wide, Mount Vitosha,
whose foothills begin some 7 km from the centre of the Bulgarian
capital, is very much a part of the city and is the source of its
pure water and fresh breezes. Vitosha is the cradle of hiking tourism
in Bulgaria and every year thousands of hikers climb its highest
peak.
Spa
resorts
Bankya:
Bankya is a world-wide known health resort. It is situated in the
beautiful valley at the green foothills of the Lyulin mountain,
17 km far from Sofia, at an altitude of 630-640 m.
Devin: Devin is a renowned spa and
holiday resort. It is situated amid scenic hills in the heart of
the Rhodopes at an altitude of 710 — 780 m.
Hissarya:
The well-known spa of Augusta (the
ancient name of Hissarya) is situated in the centre of Bulgaria,
in the southern folds of the Sredna Gora Mountain, 42 km north of
Plovdiv (the second biggest town in the country) and 160 km east
of Sofia (the capital). It is close to the famous Valley of Roses.
Pavel
Banya: Situated on the right bank of
the Tundja river, Pavel Banya is an unquestionable leader in the
top chart of the Bulgarian resorts.
Sandanski: Situated at an altitude
of 224 m in the valley of the Sandanska Bistritsa River,
at the foot of the magnificent south-western slopes of the Pirin
Mountain, the town of Sandanski is famous for the beauty of its
scenery and a wealth of resources for spa and climatic treatment.
This is the warmest and sunniest town in Bulgaria with the least
temperature variations throughout the year.
Varna
is Bulgaria's third largest city with a population of 370,000. It
is the main port for both naval and commercial shipping and the
city that is beside the beach has a pleasant atmosphere with many
pedestrianised areas. It is on the same latitude as Nice,
Monaco and Cannes. Connections
are now improved from the UK with British Airways having an all
year round service. There are new golf courses being built and a
€25million grant has been awarded by the EU for the development
of a marina.
Source
jmlvillas.com -
(some of this information has been provided by jmlvillas.com clients)
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Emergency
Telephone number: pan-EU Emergency
112 Can be used in all EU Countries and
it can be dialled from a locked mobile or a mobile with
no sim card. We have driving guides for those countries
marked in red below (plus other
non EU member European countries).
Austria
-
Belgium
-
Bulgaria - Cyprus
- Czech
Republic - Denmark
- Estonia - Finland
- France
- Germany
-
Greece - Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg
- Malta-
Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania - Slovakia - Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Drink Drive Laws - Examples of what can be drunk at present
It
is not a lot and in some countries even to drink the glass
on the right would be breaking the law if you drove afterwards
in others a sip would be too much see
"Wine"
below
"Wine
- even a sip will send you over
the limit and invalidate your insurance in Parkistan, Cuba,
Indonesia, Romania, Jordan and Nigeria, according to Rhinocarhire.com
which produces a comprehensive guide." The
A to Z of car hire - The Independent - August 2010
See
this guide for further information
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Emergency
Telephone Numbers in Europe:
Emergency
Telephone number: pan-EU Emergency 112 Can be used in
all EU Countries and it can be dialled from a locked
mobile or a mobile with no sim card.
Driving
abroad - British Government website. Contains
general information about driving abroad and gives you the
option to search for specific advice by country
Finally,
Don’t forget your excess cover and buy it before you set
off
Excess
charges could cost you up to Ł1,000 or more. Protect yourself
by organising your
insurance4carrental
car hire insurance before
you head to Europe.
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