While it's a sensible precaution to carry a percentage of your funds in the form of travellers' cheques , they are certainly not convenient for everyday use, except in Sofia and the coastal and ski package-resorts. Elsewhere you'll be lucky to find a private exchange that will touch them, and even banks can be reluctant to accept any but the particular brand to which they're affiliated. Moreover, the only firm with affiliates in Bulgaria which can issue replacements for lost or stolen travellers cheques is American Express (c/o Megatours, ul. Vasil Levski 21, Sofia; tel 02/988 4953, megatours@technolink.com ). If you can't find a branch of Bulbank (which accepts any brand bearing the Eurocard or Mastercard logo), a three- or four-star hotel is your best bet for changing cheques. In holiday resorts, be prepared for a commission charge of up to five percent.

Credit cards can be used to pay for car rental, and at top-notch restaurants and hotels in the major cities and resorts, but can only be used throughout most of Bulgaria as a means of obtaining cash from an ATM. You can in theory get cash advances in leva with Eurocard, Access, Visa, Diners Club and Mastercard, but most banks are still either inequipped to deal with the procedure or simply can't be bothered. Again, Bulbank is likely to be able to handle transactions more efficiently than other banks. Almost all cards can also be used to get cash from ATMs , which are relatively plentiful in city centres but much rarer out in the sticks.