Sisters forever, Russia and Bulgaria have long-standing tourist ties. The number of people rested on the local Golden Sands roughly coincides with the number of these very grains of sand, and no international political upheavals could violate once and for all the established rules of good-neighborly relations. Those who are not accustomed to overpay for decent comfort and service "without bells and whistles" continue to go to Bulgaria on their own.
Entry formalities
In short, a Russian citizen needs a visa to Bulgaria, but before applying for it, carefully study your passport:
- If it already has an open "Schengen", no additional entry permits will be required.
- Holders of open visas to Romania, Croatia and Cyprus can also fly to Bulgarian beaches without restrictions if they fit into a 90-day stay every six months.
- If the cherished above marks are not found in the passport, you will have to collect documents for a Bulgarian visa. A detailed list of them can be found on the website of the embassy or in visa centers that offer their services for registration. Going independently to Bulgaria and submitting documents to the embassy, it is important to have medical insurance and a paid hotel reservation or an apartment rental agreement for the entire period of stay.
- The obtained Bulgarian visa does not entitle its holder to cross the borders of other European countries, as is the case with the Schengen visa.
Levs and spending
The official currency of Bulgaria is the leva, into which you can convert dollars, euros, and even rubles. However, you will have to look for a bank that accepts Russian currency for exchange, and the exchange rate will be unprofitable, so it is better to have rubles on a credit card, and carry euros or US dollars in cash.
- You can eat inexpensively in Bulgaria by buying food from street vendors or stopping by a cafe for local residents. Pizza in such places will cost 2-3 levs, chicken skewers for 2-4 levs, as well as a portion of popular fish.
- It is best to buy Bulgarian wines in a regular grocery store, where a bottle of dry red or white will cost 2-5 levs, depending on the brand, and sparkling wine is easy to find for 3-4 levs.
- Renting an apartment in Bulgaria is somewhat reminiscent of resort adventures in Anapa or Crimea - there is a similar housing stock and similar prices. For 20-25 euros you can rent a room in a resort area or a room in an inexpensive hotel with its own bathroom. In the most popular holiday destinations, a separate apartment for rent will cost from 40 to 60 euros per day, and a hotel room - from 30 to 100, depending on the star rating of the institution (all prices are for August 2015 and are approximate).
