Bulgaria

Capital City: Sofia
Currency and exchange rate: Leva (BGN); 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN; 1 USD = 1.77 BGN
Language: Bulgarian
Country code and internet domain: +359 / .bg
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Time: EET (UTC +2)

Member of the European Union, the Group of Craiova, NATO and the Council of Europe, a founding member of the OSCE.

Visas

Romanian citizens do not need visas to travel in Bulgaria. Entry in Bulgaria is permitted with a valid passport or identity card.

Citizens of European Union, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Israel, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Uruguay, Honduras, Croatia, Chile, Japan; Australia, Brunei, Canada, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Panama, the USA, Singapore can stay in Bulgaria without a visa for 90 days every 6 months.

Details on the bulgarian embassy site.

Romanian rates for crossing the bridge Giurgiu – Ruse:

• Car 8 + 1 seats – 13 RON
• Vans > 3,5 t. – 26 RON
• Passenger transport 9-23 seats – 53 RON
• Vehicles > 3,5 t. and
• Vehicles > 7,5 t. and
• Passenger transport > 23 places – 110 RON
• Vehicles > 12.0 t. and max. 3 axes – 110 RON
• Vehicles > 12.0 t. and min. 4 axes – 163 RON

Details here.

Fees for highways

Payment for using public roads is made when entering the territory of Bulgaria, using a vignette system similar to Romanian. The vignette can be purchased at border crossings, at gas stations or from Postal Offices. Vignette price valid for cars in 2015 is:

• 10 leva (5.12 euros) for a week;
• 25 leva (12.80 euros) a month;
• 67 leva (34.30 euros) a year.

Border crossing

Romanian-Bulgarian border is between localities Pristol (Mehedinti county) and Vama Veche (Constanta county).

The sector has 14 border crossing points, all for international traffic (7 ports, 6 for road traffic and two for railway).

Giurgiu – Ruse – Road crossing point (the crossing point chosen by UNTRR caravan) the best route, rehabilitated road. We have 4-5 routes to Svilengrad but the best route is Ruse-Byala-Polski Trambesh-Veliko tarnovo-Gurkovo-Nova Zagora-Radnevo-Galabovo-Simeonovgrad-Harmanli-Svilengrad.

Pay attention to Veliko Tarnovo exit, the road to Nova Zagora via Gurkovo starts from right side, passing under a bridge the go forward road. (F2). If you missed this one, you still have a chance to go left after 2 km, and going on a secondary road to reach also the optimum route (F3). If instead of left you continue to drive forward you will take Gabrovo, Shipka, Stara Zagora route – longer with 44 km, and with a higher altitude, a narrower road and with higher traffic beeing complicated to pass over even the slow vehicles.

For a while, the road deviates twice from the direct route, once over the segment Nova Zagora – Radnevo (25 km directly), to the East 35 km through Mlekarevo and Pet mogili or 39 km if the shorter lower category road from Pet mogili is avoided, taking the road through Novoselets.

A second deviation is required in the Galabovo-Simeonovgrad area – directly, the distance is 15 km, but for vehicles under 3.5t the by-pass through Opan may be used – 43 km in total.

• Calarasi (CL) – Silistra (CC) – road (ferry)
• Ostrov (CT) – Silistra (CC) – Road
• Negru Voda (CT) – Kardam (TX) – Road
• Vama Veche (CT) – Durankulak (TX) – Road
• Giurgiu (GR) – Russian (P) – Rail
• Negru Voda (CT) – Kardam (TX) – Rail
• Calafat (DJ) – Vidin (BH) – port and road (see Calafat-Vidin Bridge)
• Bechet (DJ) – Rahova (Oreahovo) (BP) – Port
• Ship (OT) – Magura (EH) – Port
• Turnu Magurele (TR) – Nikopol (Nikopol) (EH) – Port
• Zimnicea (TR) – Svishtov (BT) – Port
• Oltenia (CL) – Turtucaia (Tutrakan) (CC) – Port
• Calarasi (CL) – Silistra (CC) – Port

Speed limits

In normal traffic conditions, speed limits (if traffic signs provide otherwise) are:

• 50 km/h in localities;
• 90 km/h outside localities;
• 140 km/h on motorways.

Never use anti-radar devices, their use constitutes a contravention and is punishable by fine.

The use of radar detectors is not legal prohibited, but the Bulgarian police recommends not to use them.

Fuel

A liter of diesel costs about 2.12 BGN (about EUR 1.084).