The lack of investment in public transport over the past 10-15 years has left it in a sorry state, with semi-derelict stations, run-down vehicles and demoralized staff, and although private bus companies have taken up the slack on major routes, the state-owned network has drastically contracted. While transport remains cheap it is also slow, a failing compounded by Bulgaria's mountainous terrain and climatic extremes (which rapidly degrade tarmac), with train journeys between the north and south being particularly prone to roundabout routes and changes. Bear in mind, too, that schedules are designed to fit in with the working day. There may be several departures in the early morning, then nothing until mid-afternoon, with nothing at all on Sundays.
The fragmentation of the transport system is reflected in the
timetables
(
razpisanie
) in train and bus stations, which used to be on a clearly legible board but are nowadays often merely scribbled on a piece of paper stuck to the window of the ticket office. Usually, arrivals (
pristigane
) are listed on one side, and departures (
trâgvane
or
zaminavane
) on the other. To make things harder for travellers, the schedules of private buses are unlikely to be posted at all, and it's impossible to buy a national train timetable: in addition, any timetables that do exist are invariably in
Cyrillic
.
By train
Bulgarian State Railways
(
BDZh
) can get you to most towns we mention, although trains are very slow by Western standards and delays are common on the longer routes.
Intercity
(
intersiti
) and
express
(...
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By bus
In many parts of Bulgaria it's necessary - or easier - to travel by
bus
(
avtobus
or, colloquially,
reis
), especially in the Rhodopes and the Pirin, where few of the attractions are accessible by train. Each town of any...
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By taxi
Providing you don't get ripped off,
taxis
are a reasonably priced and useful way of getting around in towns and cities, or reaching places that aren't accessible by public transport. All licensed taxis are metered, and generally charge about...
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By car
Foreigners may drive in Bulgaria using their national
driving licence
(though, should you stay longer than six months, it must be translated and legalized), but most of the neighbouring countries require an international licence. It is...
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Hitching
Hitching
(
autostop
) is fairly widespread in rural Bulgaria, where local drivers are used to giving lifts to villagers in the absence of buses, but motorists are less accommodating on busier routes, where bus and train services are...
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By air
Daily
BALKAN flights
are the quickest way to travel between Sofia and the Danubian and Black Sea ports, and given the length of the train journey (6-8hr) a flight to Varna or Burgas is worth considering. The difference in cost is considerable,...
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