How to get to the villas by car
Book your holiday villa in Bulgaria
There are many places to visit around the city Bourgas and we believe the optimum term of stay in our villas is 2 weeks. In fact almost all of our guests book two weeks with us and we have set our rates correspondingly. Anyway if you could afford to prolong your holiday and you are not limited in time three weeks stay will be just perfect for full relax and escape from all problems and stress in your daily round.
Before getting into your car however you have to consider all the options and all the legalities and possible pitfalls.
First and foremost, there are the legalities of driving a car or van to Bulgaria. You need a driving licence in photocard design otherwise you will need an International Driving Permit and then there are the car’s documents. Insurance itself deserves closer attention: under the European Union, all insurance policies issued within an EU member state are also valid in any other EU state, without the need for additional documentation (i.e. Green Card). European green card vehicle insurance is now valid in Serbia – the requirement to hold a green card is no longer in effect from 1 January 2012. You can drive through Serbia as through any other EU contry, no extra documents required.
So far you are ready to travel by car to Bulgaria and there are only a few more taxes and regulations to meet. The first of these will be familiar to anyone who has driven in Austria or Hungary in the past: motorway vignettes or taxes. The costs are small, but the process can be confusing. Here a short list of things good to know:
– No payments in Belgium
– No payments in Germany. Before entering Germany fillup your tank, it is considerablly cheaper in Belgum.
– Buy a vignette before entering Austria.
– Slovenia – highway users in Slovenia are required to buy a vignette. 7-day, 1-month and annual passes are available
– Croatia – A toll is charged on most Croatian motorways, all major credit cards and Euro are accepted at all toll gates.
– In Serbia you have to declare how much cash money you have in the pocket. Otherwise they are legible to confiscate.Watch your speed as the Serbian policemen have got corruption running in their blood. 2 tolls about 25 euros.
At the Bulgarian border you have to buy a vignette. There are vignettes available for one week (EUR 5) and one month (EUR 13). Read more about the vignettes in Bulgaria.
Depending on which country you start from there are several routes described as the southern, middle and northern routes. The southern route is France-Italy-Greece-Bulgaria; the middle route is France-Belgium-Germany-Austria-Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia-Bulgaria; and the northern route is France-Belgium-Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria. Which way you choose may depend on which part of Bulgaria you are heading for – the northern route can get you to the Black Sea coast more directly but you should be aware that the roads in Romania are horrible and you don’t want to drive in Romania in the dark. Route planning can be made easier using Google Maps and Via Michelin.
We recommend the middle route (if this suits you). You will enter Bulgaria from west and will have to drive from Sofia to Bourgas. These are our tips for the ride from Sofia to Bourgas:
– When driving in Sofia look for road signs for “Plovdiv”. They will bring you to the A1 motorway in Bulgaria. The motroway Sofia – Bourgas is completed fully in spring 2013.
– Some 11 km before the city of Bourgas you will see a motorway exit to “Aytos” and “Slanchev Briag” (this is transcription from Bulgarian for “Sunny Beach”)
– Follow these signs through the villages of “Vetren”, “Mirolyubovo”, “Izvorishte” and finaly “Bryastovets”
Whichever route you take, there may often be cause to deal with the traffic police of various countries. While Bulgarians may tell you the Romanian police are the worst, and Romanians that the Bulgarians are worse, truth be told they are all much the same: stick to the speed limits, obey the traffic laws, be polite to whoever stops you, don’t drink and drive, and you should be able to avoid most problems.
The use of seat belts is mandatory in Bulgaria. Child car seats are required by law, but only on the back seats. Speed limits are 50 KM/H in the cities/towns, 90 KM/H out of town and 140 KM/H on the highways. At crossings that are not regulated, the driver who is on the right has the right-of-way ( but this rule is frequently ignored).
Use common sense and don’t park in restricted zones even if it seems as if everyone else does.
We can help you to rent a car for your holiday in Bulgaria.
You can also contact us anytime for more information.
Good Luck!
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