Q: When to Visit Bulgaria?

The best time to visit Bulgaria is between May to September when the weather is nice and warm, great for doing outdoor activities, with a high chance of beautiful clear sky. That said, Bulgaria does get a fair bit of tourists during the summer months between June to August, and that can drive up the price of accommodation a little bit. Not by much like other European countries but it is something to consider. If you wish to avoid the tourist crowds as well as the high season price hike, I highly recommend you stick to either late April or early October. Although, statistically, the weather might not be as good, there are still chances of nice beautiful clear days with great weather during this period. The crowds are also getting thinner while the prices are starting to come down. Either way, as long as you stick to the recommended period, you should be good to go.

Q: How to Get to Bulgaria?

From the US , you can fly to Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, via Lufthansa or Austrian Airlines often leave from big cities like New York and Chicago, which should take around 12 hours, including the transiting time in Germany or Austria respectively. From Europe , you can find plenty of flights flying from major European hubs to Sofia International Airport (SOF) via low-cost airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet, and WizzAir that will take you to Sofia in no more than 3 hours. From Asia , you can also fly with European airlines like Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa from any big cities in the region and it should take you about 15 - 17 hours including transit time before you arrive in Sofia. To find a cheap flight to Bulgaria, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Question 1

When to Visit Bulgaria?

Accepted Answer

The best time to visit Bulgaria is between May to September when the weather is nice and warm, great for doing outdoor activities, with a high chance of beautiful clear sky.

That said, Bulgaria does get a fair bit of tourists during the summer months between June to August, and that can drive up the price of accommodation a little bit. Not by much like other European countries but it is something to consider. If you wish to avoid the tourist crowds as well as the high season price hike, I highly recommend you stick to either late April or early October.

Although, statistically, the weather might not be as good, there are still chances of nice beautiful clear days with great weather during this period. The crowds are also getting thinner while the prices are starting to come down. Either way, as long as you stick to the recommended period, you should be good to go.

Question 2

How to Get to Bulgaria?

Accepted Answer

From the US, you can fly to Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, via Lufthansa or Austrian Airlines often leave from big cities like New York and Chicago, which should take around 12 hours, including the transiting time in Germany or Austria respectively.

From Europe, you can find plenty of flights flying from major European hubs to Sofia International Airport (SOF) via low-cost airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet, and WizzAir that will take you to Sofia in no more than 3 hours.

From Asia, you can also fly with European airlines like Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa from any big cities in the region and it should take you about 15 - 17 hours including transit time before you arrive in Sofia.

To find a cheap flight to Bulgaria, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Question 3

How to Get Around Bulgaria?

Accepted Answer

By Buses: Buses are the cheapest way to get around Bulgaria. There are several buses running between big cities like Sofia and Plovdiv as well as to and from other neighboring countries like North Macedonia, Turkey, and Greece in case you are visiting Bulgaria as part of a bigger trip in the Balkans. You can check the bus schedule online and book the ticket directly here.

By Trains: You can also travel around Bulgaria by train. They have a surprisingly reliable train system with well-maintained facilities. It is a little cheaper but also a little slower than buses. I recommend you interchange your mode of transportation between trains and buses based on the available schedule that fits your trip most since both are great ways to get around the country. You can find the train schedule on its official website and you can buy one at the ticket kiosk at the train station.

By Tours: For more remote places, you might want to rely on tours to travel to places like Rila Monastery or Rila National Park which we will be visiting as a day trip from Sofia. There are plenty of other day trips you can make in North Macedonia, so be sure to check available tours here.

By Rental Cars: You can also rent a car straight from Sofia Airport and drive around Bulgaria but for this itinerary, you won't need it. If you insist, hit the link below to rent a car in Bulgaria:

Rent a Car in Bulgaria

Question 4

How Much Money Do I Need for 5 days in Bulgaria?

Accepted Answer

From this 5-day itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:

Accommodation: For 7 nights in Bulgaria, you can expect to pay around 84 EUR for accommodation, considering you are staying in budget guesthouses or hostels.

Food: For 5 days, 3 meals a day in Bulgaria, you can expect to pay around 120 EUR for food considering you eat out every day. It will be significantly cheaper if you buy your own groceries and cook yourself instead.

Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay around 10 EUR for train travel between Sofia and Plovdiv and that is it.

Activities: Depending on how much you want to do in Bulgaria, you can expect to pay approximately 65 EUR for a day trip to Rila Monastery from Sofia as well as entrance fees to tourist attractions around the country.

Total Budget for 5 days in Bulgaria: 279 EUR

Question 5

Is it Safe in Bulgaria?

Accepted Answer

It is very safe in Bulgaria. I spent about a week traveling around the country independently and I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary. That said, it is always a good idea to exercise precautions by not leaving your belongings unattended, especially when in crowded places like bus or train stations, and ALWAYS keep an eye out for your belongings at all times.

Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places to secure your phone and wallet. Other than that, you should be perfectly fine traveling around Bulgaria independently.

Question 6

Which tourist SIM card is best for Bulgaria?

Accepted Answer

There are 3 major carriers in Bulgaria, A1, Yettel, and Vivacom, that offer prepaid sim cards tourists can buy while they are traveling in Bulgaria. That said, if you are looking for a more convenient way, I highly recommend you look into getting esims instead which is something that you can buy prior to your arrival in Bulgaria.

If you have a smartphone that supports esims, I highly recommend you take a look at these esims. They have a variety of data packages, price points, and durations for you to choose from.

The setup is fast and instant and you can buy it prior to your trip so you don't have to scramble your way to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is also equivalent to what you get with a local sim card with 4G speed across the entire country.

Or if you are traveling to Bulgaria as part of a bigger Europe trip, I highly recommend you get the regional Eurolink esim which will give you access to data from over 39 countries across Europe. I have personally used this esim on my 3-months trip around Europe and it has worked wonders.

For more information on esims in Bulgaria, click here: Check Bulgaria's Available eSim.

Start Here

5 Days in Bulgaria: The Ultimate Backpacker's Guide

Planning

2 Months in the Balkans: The Ultimate Backpacking Itinerary

Visiting Plovdiv: 11 Best Things to Do & Places to Visit

Explore Sofia: 12 Impressive Things to Do & More