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Holiday in Bulgaria

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Slate
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Location: Walsall, West Mids

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 18:18    Post subject: Holiday in Bulgaria Reply with quote

My Mrs and I have just come back from a week in Bulgaria. We've heard all sorts of good and bad about the place before we went so we're pleased to say that the place is fantastic.
We aren't 'resort' people, preferring the more scenic and rural side of life, so weren't dissapointed with what we found.
We flew over and rented a car. I won't do that again! When I go again I am driving as the roads are too good to miss in Monty. When we were exploring villages and just driving around the sticks, there wasn't many times when I didn't miss the Trooper. Some of the small village roads are just rough stone and I had to creep along in our rented Chrysler saloon car.
There is so much common land around that you can just follow tracks into, without bloody ramblers, or even locals around.
We had a trip to the Vratchanski nation partk in the mountains above Vratsa, as well as a trip t see the Danube river. Although the place is a bit rough and shabby around the edges, its really beautiful. For outdoors types like us, it is amazing. Damn cheap too! Petrol/ Diesel and LPG are the same as the UK which is high for the Bulgarians, but other than that you can live well on £100 a week. Decent lager 50p a bottle, and I'm not even a lager drinker! We will be going back.
It'll be a long drive through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Romania, but well worth the drive. And I bet I won't lose my luggage on the way either Laughing
I shall now bore you with pictures...Enjoy!

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 18:18    Post subject: Google Ads keep this community free to join!


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Slate
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 18:20    Post subject: Reply with quote

Photobucket Bulgaria album


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v230/Connn/Family/Bulgaria/


Last edited by Slate on Fri Nov 02, 2012 18:41; edited 1 time in total
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griffter
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 18:22    Post subject: Reply with quote

link dont work
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Slate
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 18:42    Post subject: Reply with quote

Try the other one mate. Both work for me, even when signed out of photbucket  Confused
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griffter
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 19:20    Post subject: Reply with quote

cool the other one works Very Happy
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DAVID's J99P
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 19:59    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great piccys mate  Very Happy  Cool

Both links work fine Wink
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kety_ smith
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 19:14    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bulgaria is a beautiful country and a great place for a vacation. The prices are low
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Slate
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 20:18    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is, yeah Smile
Apart from the coastal areas, its still very much unspoilt. Even the tourist areas like the mountains,caves, monasteries, etc aren't over the top expensive, and over hyped.
Compare Cheddar Gorge to Ledenika Caves. Cheddar is full of *beep* stuff, over priced and made to sound likes its bloody Alton Towers of something. Ledenika Caves are just that. Very impressive natural Caves with a car park, souvenir shop and refreshments.
Many prices in Bulgaria are half what they are here..with the exception of fuel. God knows how the natives can afford to run cars!
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bale
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 18:04    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice pics man I was thinking of going away to Bulgaria this summer
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hopkin
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:43    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just caught up with this topic! so as I mostly live here I thought I would add my threepenneth. If you're thinking of driving out allow three days each way, I do at least one BG-GB -BG road trip per year and it is a good drive over. The route I use is (from my end) Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Belgium and France. if you have insurance problems getting cover for Serbia travel via Romania and keep the journey within the EU although the roads are much better in Serbia than Romania having said that year before last we did the Transfaragen pass in Romania (as featured on a 'Top Gear' programme a while back, YouTube it) and that was great fun. As mentioned by the OP here you can pretty much drive where you like once away from the resort areas and a 4x4 is an asset if you visit most villages. Had a Toyota HiLux for my first three and a half years here but changed to a D-Max last year, so far I am very happy with the change. Diesel is currently £1.20/Ltr due to the pound slipping against the €uro, was a bit cheaper a week or two back. Road tax is about £30 a year (you will need to buy some if you visit I think €10 a month) and being EU your UK insurance will cover you here. If anyone wants any more info let me know.
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Slate
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 18:24    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers for the reply Hopkin, i have been wondering about the route to take, and have been undecided about going via Serbia or Romania, although Romania would suit better as we will be travelling to NE Bulgaria.
I have allowed 3 days travel though, especially with the kids in the car lol. I'll buy a vignette before we come too.
Whereabouts in BG do you live? I love the place. We are going to move out in a few years..sooner if I get my way! Very Happy
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hopkin
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 20:32    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Slate, I expect you know if you drive out you will also need a vingette for Austria, Hungary and Romania as well as Bulgaria but these can be bought at the borders or at filling stations near the border on main routes. Matter of interest you can buy fuel/ vingettes/ tolls(Serbia) using €uros all the way even though Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia have their own currency. We live near Sliven about 100Km inland from the Black sea, have had the house for eight years and lived here more or less full time for four years since retirement, spent 45 years long distance driving so enjoy my trans European trips. Any info you need feel free to post here or PM me. Jake (Hopkin)
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Slate
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:18    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought I'd updated this thread, but apparently not lol.
We cancelled the holiday, postponed the wedding, and arrived in Bulgaria 1st August, with no plans to return. Loving it so far.
Plenty of work to do on the house and garden. We are sleeping in  two of the downstairs rooms, and have started setting up the kitchen in the third. Our living room is in the small house. Once the upstairs is plastered etc, we can live more like we are used to, but tbh, the Bulgarian way is fine so far.
Earlier in the week I drove 5km to a local village down the tarmac, then found my way back home via 'green lanes' and farm tracks. I didn't need 4wd for any of it, even the small river crossing, so not really taxing on the car, but good fun all the same. I plan on finding some more challenging routes as I explore.
If anyone is interested, I've added more pictures to the earlier link I think, but will check Smile
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hopkin
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 14:39    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done for making the move hope you enjoy it here, think you will need to use 4x4 drive come winter as we have a white Christmas EVERY year.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 19:11    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking forward to it ( i think!) Hopkin Smile
I had a chance to go exploring today, so after visiting the main town of Vratsa, I headed east a bit to Mezdra to see a Roman fortress ruin. After that I headed north along what I though was the right road, and ended up on this:


After about 5km I passed a parked car so asked him how far it was to the next village. he said it was about 10km, so onwards I went. I had to take it steady as there were some holes, sharp bends and hills along the way, but nothing 2wd couldn't cope with. Would be a bit more fun after the rain I think.

Unbelievably, I was actually on the right road, its even signposted to Mezdra lol.
After that I went onto the main road home, then took a turning towards another village. On the map the road ended, and the road went from tarmac to gravel, to narrow gravel, then to these farm tracks:


And after a while I came to a road and found myself 100yds from  the signpost earlier. Looks like I accidentally found a good route. I was some interesting looking turnings which need exploring another day
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