RELIGION
85% of Bulgarian people are Orthodox Christians
and celebrate the traditional Christian holidays - Christmas, Easter and the
name days of Bulgarians named after Archangels, Saints and Martyrs. Muslims are
11.5%, Roman Catholic 1%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Jewish 0.8%, Protestant,
Gregorian-Armenian and other 1 %. As a whole Bulgarian people are very obliging and
hospitable.
VOLTAGE
Attention! All electrical appliances work on ~
220V.
MONETARY UNITS
The official monetary unit is called "LEV"
(plural "LEVA"). The banknote denominations include 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 LEVA,
as well as coins - 1, 2, 5,10, 20, 50 called "stotinki" ("stotinka" for
singular). 1 LEV coin is also available.
MONEY & CURRENCY EXCHANGE
Many local and international banks and currency
exchange offices function in the capital and around the country. Bank working
hours are: 9 a.m. - 3 a.m., Monday to Friday. Currency exchange offices are open
to 6 p.m., some work 24 hours a day.
Currency exchange is available also at the airport on arrival or
departure, and in the big hotels. See online exchange rates:
http://www.bse-sofia.bg
TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation in the big cities:
tram, trolley bus and bus.
Taxi service: available at Sofia Airport and in every city.
Car rental: Rent-a-car is available from companies such as
AVIS, Hertz, Budget , Eurocar, etc. To see our car rental rates please
click here
Inter-city transport: plane, train, coach. Local and long distance bus
services cover 90% of Bulgaria's settlements.
Tickets can be purchased from travel and tourist agencies or at the bus
stations.
PHONE, INTERNET & POSTAL SERVICES
Local and international telephone services
are covered through automatic street telephones operating with tokens and
calling cards. Tokens for local calls and calling cards are available for
purchase from post offices. You can also make a phone call from almost every
post office on the territory of the country.
Postal services don't differ particularly from the ones in
Europe or North America.
Internet services are offered in Internet clubs and cafes in the larger
cities.
PASSPORTS & VISAS
Tourists to Bulgaria from many countries do not
need visa - a valid passport is required only. All visitors, however, are
themselves responsible to go through a visa application if a visa is required.
To see the list of countries that don't need visa to Bulgaria
click
here
CREDIT CARDS
Some of the major credit cards are accepted in
Bulgaria: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, Access, Airplus.
They can be used for payment of all standard services in hotels,
restaurants, night clubs, shops, car rentals, travel agencies, etc.
ACCOMMODATION
Bulgaria has an extensive accommodation network
ranging from luxury five-star to unpretentious two-star hotels, meeting all
modern requirements. Reservations can be made through tourist agencies or local
accommodation offices:
http://www.motoroads.com/hotels/
ENTERTAINMENT
One can enjoy a wide variety of fine dining
almost everywhere - from the small country villages to the high-volume resorts.
In addition, the numerous night clubs and theatres can delightfully compliment
your visit to Bulgaria making the most of it.
FOOD & RESTAURANTS
Bulgarian food is close to the traditional
European cuisine. Traditional Bulgarian menu includes bread, yogurt and fresh
milk, cheese, tomatoes, paprika, potatoes, onions, beans and fruits, grappa and
red or white wine. Restaurants offer wide variety of cuisines. Along with the
traditional Bulgarian dishes, many restaurants offer Italian, French, Greek,
Chinese, German, Arabian, Hungarian, Latin American, Indian and Russian food.
Some of the most popular Bulgarian food specialties are displayed bellow:
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