- Welcome aboard!
- Visa and accommodation
- Compare and choose
Before the start of the summer season, the question invariably arises of where to go on vacation and which country's resorts to give preference to. Studying the options, tourists weigh all the pros and cons, get acquainted with the peculiarities of the resort infrastructure, cuisine, service in hotels and the possibilities of an excursion program in a particular country. If you do not want to spend a lot of time and money on the flight and experience difficulties in acclimatization, pay attention to the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, for example, Bulgaria and Montenegro. What to choose and what features of a beach holiday to pay attention to? Start by looking at airline schedules and ticket prices for that direction.
Welcome aboard
The main air gates of beach Bulgaria are the international airports of Burgas and Varna. The first one is located closest to the beaches of Sunny Beach and neighboring resorts, and from Varna you will most likely get to the Golden Sands:
- Bulgarian airlines fly to Burgas directly from Moscow's Vnukovo airport, and Azur Air from Domodedovo. High season tickets start at € 200 and travel time is 2 hours 40 minutes.
- Varna is connected with the Russian capital by direct regular flights of Bulgaria Air. The cost of the flight starts from 220 euros, the journey takes 2.5 hours. Tickets for S7 planes will cost a little more - from 250 euros in both directions.
In the summertime, charters and flights from Moscow and some other Russian cities to international airports located on the Black Sea Riviera of Bulgaria. With them, the road can be much cheaper, especially if the flight is included in the cost of an organized tour.
Montenegro receives guests at the airports of Tivat and Podgorica. In the first case, the cheapest direct flight with Pobeda will cost 230 euros and take just over three hours. The cheapest way to get to Podgorica is on board Austrian airlines. For an Austrian Airlines ticket with a connection in Vienna, you will have to pay about 200 euros. Direct regular flights are also in the schedule of Rossiya Airlines. The price of the issue in the high season is from 440 euros. A little more than 3 hours will be spent in the sky.
Visa and accommodation
Montenegro wins significantly over Bulgaria by the complete absence of entry formalities for compatriots. To visit the country for tourist purposes, Russian citizens arriving for up to 30 days do not need a visa. You will not be asked for health insurance either, but getting it will make you feel more secure.
But in order to relax in the resorts of Bulgaria, you will have to obtain a visa. Russian citizens have three options for resolving the visa issue:
- Use the valid "Schengen" if it is already in your passport.
- Obtain a national visa for Bulgaria. If you are flying to the country for the first time, you will be issued a double or multiple entry visa valid for a year. If you have already visited the republic last year, count on a multivisa, which you will be able to use for the next three years.
- Check your passport for valid visas for Cyprus or Romania. Their owners also have the legal right to enter the territory of Bulgaria and spend their holidays or vacations there.
Solving the housing issue during your stay in Bulgaria or Montenegro, you can choose both a hotel room and private apartments. Most of the Bulgarian hotels so far claim only three stars on the facade, but hotels of a higher class appear on the resort maps more and more often lately. The all-inclusive system is still a rarity in Bulgarian resorts, but you can always consider options for staying in sanatoriums, where guests are provided with three meals a day and are also offered wellness programs. A 3 * hotel room in the high season will cost 30-40 euros in Bulgaria, and you can easily rent an apartment with two bedrooms from local residents for 40-50 euros per night.
Montenegro is a little more expensive and an overnight stay in a good hotel with three stars on the facade will cost a couple 50-60 euros per day. Apartments can be found a little cheaper - from 40 euros for renting a modest one-bedroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen.
Compare and choose
The cuisine of both Bulgaria and Montenegro is in many ways similar, because both countries are located on the Balkan Peninsula and have common culinary traditions. A lot of dairy products, vegetables and meat are used in cooking. If you're willing to settle for non-Michelin-starred restaurants, you will love to dine and dine in small, family-owned establishments. A cold and hot lunch with wine and a snack will cost the couple 35-40 euros in Montenegro and 20-25 euros in Bulgaria.
As for the beaches, in Bulgaria they are everywhere sandy, wide and free, but for renting umbrellas and sun loungers you will have to pay from 5 euros per day per set. Many recreation areas on the Bulgarian Riviera have been awarded Blue Flags for their cleanliness.
Montenegrin beaches can be either sandy or rocky. They are not as spacious as the Bulgarian ones, and are often small bays covered with rocks on all sides. Renting a set of beach equipment in the resorts of Montenegro is paid, and for the right to use a sun lounger and an umbrella you will be asked for 5-8 euros.
Most tourists who have visited both countries do not have any disagreements about the beauty of the sea. In their opinion, the Montenegrin Adriatic undoubtedly outperforms the Bulgarian Black Sea. But the swimming season in Montenegro and Bulgaria begins at about the same time - in the second half of May.
