Bulgaria

SAFETY: good
There are no particular risks for travellers. Note, however, that local criminals have a penchant for car theft, especially of valuable cars with foreign number plates.

TRANSPORT SYSTEM: good

The road system is sound, as is public road transport. Investment is concentrated on modernising the main arteries, while secondary roads are not particularly comfortable. The railway infrastructure is decidedly outdated, but a massive investment plan to modernise the network and rolling stock is in the pipeline. Good domestic and international air links.

Main airports: Burgas, Pleven, Plovdiv, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Varna.

Main ports: Burgas, Varna.

ACCOMMODATION:fair

Excellent choice in the capital and on the main tourist circuits, and acceptable in the rest of the country.

COUNTRY FACTS: Full name: Republic of Bulgaria – Location: Balkans, south-eastern Europe. Borders: Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Romania to the north, the Black Sea to the east – Time zone: UTC+2, 1 hour ahead of Italy, observes daylight saving time – Area: 111,000 sq km – Capital: Sofia – Population: 7,323,000 – Religion: 82.6% Orthodox, 12.2% Muslim, 5.2% other religions – Languages: Bulgarian, Turkish, Romani – Measures: metric system.

CURRENCY: New Bulgarian lev (BGN). There are no restrictions on importing currency up to 8,000 BGN; to export sums worth more than 25,000 BGN, authorisation from the Bulgarian National Bank is required – Credit cards: the major cards are generally accepted– Exchange: bring euros, easy to exchange.

ELECTRICITY: 230 V and 50 Hz – Sockets: two-pin and Schuko types, bring an adaptor.

DOCUMENTS: identity card valid for travel abroad. For transit through Bulgaria and for stays of up to 90 days in any six-month period, an identity card is sufficient for EU citizens. For longer stays, a special permit issued by the National Police Service is required – Driving: Italian driving licence (a Bulgarian translation is recommended) – Car: Italian motor insurance is recognised.

COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEPHONES: International dialling code: 00359– GSM: coverage across the whole country. Standard: GSM 900/1800 and 3G 2100 (as in Italy). Local operators: BTC Mobile EOOD, Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile EAD and Mobiltel EAD – Internet: available in all the main urban centres – Web domain: .bg– Emergency numbers: single emergency number 112; police 166; ambulance 150; fire brigade 160; roadside assistance 557270.

RULES, LAWS AND CONDUCT: drug offences are severely punished under local law. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is punishable by up to 3 years’ imprisonment. Sexual violence, offences against minors and the exploitation of prostitution are also punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Homosexuality is legal.

HEALTH: no compulsory vaccinations are required. Cases of hepatitis B, TB, listeriosis and meningitis are reported in the country. Local medical staff are well trained, but facilities are still below Western European standards. In the larger cities, common medicines are easy to find. Italian citizens travelling temporarily who hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) receive the treatment provided by the local public health service.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 1 January, New Year’s Day; 3 March, anniversary of the 1878 Liberation; Easter Sunday and Easter Monday; 1 May, Labour Day; 24 May, Saints Cyril and Methodius Day; 24-25 December, Christmas.

OPENING HOURS: Post offices: Mon-Fri 8.00-17.30 – Banks: Mon-Fri 8.30-16.30 – Shops: daily 9.00-13.00, 16.00-20.00

CLIMATE: continental. Summer runs from June to September, with sunny days and pleasantly cool nights. From November onwards temperatures drop considerably. The months from December to February are cold and very cloudy, but rainfall is scarce. The intermediate seasons are generally very long and wet. Along the Black Sea coast the climate is milder and more temperate.

Monthly max/min temperatures (in °C)

Rainy days (at least 1 mm of rain)/monthly rainfall in mm

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN ITALY

Embassy and Consulate of Bulgaria
Via Pietro Paolo Rubens 21– 00197 Rome– Tel. 06 3224648/3224640/3224643 – Fax 06 3226122 – E-mail: bgamb@roma.tin.it

Consulate General
Via Bonaventura Cavalieri 4 – 20121 Milan – Tel. 02 29060176 – Fax 02 62690067 – E-mail: consolatomilano@bulgaria.191.it

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN BULGARIA

Italian Embassy

Via Shipka 2 – 1000 Sofia– Tel. 00359 2 9217300– Fax 00359 2 9803717– Web: ambsofia.esteri.it – E-mail: ambasciata.sofia@esteri.it

Honorary Consulate
Via Alexander Battenberg 42 – Plovdiv– Tel. 00359 32639908– Fax 00359 32265428– Web: ambsofia.esteri.it – E-mail: consolato.plovdiv@esteri.it