The realistic exchange rates now available in banks and private bureaux have all but demolished the appeal of the black market to visitors, but the demand for hard currency among Bulgarians remains strong. "Freelance" moneychangers may well offer you a slightly higher rate than the best of the exchange bureaux, but it's best to resist the temptation - the vast majority of them are either performing a sleight-of-hand trick or offering you a wad of now worthless pre-1999 leva.