Bulgaria is the Balkans' eastern gateway. Sofia connects to Belgrade, Niš, Skopje and Istanbul by direct overnight coach. Plovdiv (Roman ruins) and Veliko Tarnovo (medieval fortress) are essential day-trips; the Rila and Pirin mountains have Europe's cheapest hiking.
Bulgaria is in the EU but not yet in the Eurozone — uses the lev (1.95 BGN = €1, fixed peg). Euros are not accepted; bring or withdraw lev. Sofia is overlooked but excellent: Roman ruins under the metro, beautiful churches, low prices. The 3-hour bus to Niš is the easiest crossing into Serbia.
Currency
Bulgarian lev (BGN) — Euro adoption planned
Language
Bulgarian (Cyrillic); English among under-40s in Sofia & Plovdiv
Visa
Schengen rules (Bulgaria joined Schengen for air/sea borders in 2024).
Best time to visit
May–June, September. Black Sea coast: July–August.
Main transport hubs
SofiaPlovdivVarnaBurgasVeliko Tarnovo
Popular routes
All Bulgaria routes
Sofia → SkopjeSofia → IstanbulPlovdiv → SofiaSofia → PlovdivSofia → BucharestSofia → BelgradeSofia → DortmundSofia → Serres 1Sofia → Sunny BeachPlovdiv → IstanbulSofia → VarnaBurgas → SofiaSofia → Veliko TarnovoBurgas → IstanbulSofia → Rila MonasterySunny Beach → SofiaVarna → IstanbulSofia → BurgasVeliko Tarnovo → SofiaSofia → SozopolSofia → Stara ZagoraSofia → KardzhaliSofia → PirotSofia → KazanlakPlovdiv → Sunny BeachSunny Beach → VarnaKyustendil → SofiaSofia → GabrovoPetrich → SofiaBlagoevgrad → Sofia