Driving Tips

Driving Tips

Dear Clients,

Welcome to Bulgaria! The following information may be useful for your stay in our country!

Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe, borders five other countries: Romania to the north (along the Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east.

With a territory of 110,933 square kilometers (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria ranks as the 16th-largest country in Europe. Several mountainous areas define the landscape, most notably the Stara Planina (Balkan) and Rodopi mountain ranges, as well as the Rila range, which includes the highest peak in the Balkan region, Musala. In contrast, the Danubian plain in the north and the Upper Thracian Plain in the south represent Bulgaria’s lowest and most fertile regions. The 378-kilometer (235 mi) Black Sea coastline covers the entire eastern bound of the country. Bulgaria’s capital city and largest settlement is Sofia.

General information:

Population: 7977646
­Area: 110933 sq. km
­Language: Bulgarian
­Religion: Orthodox
­Summer temperatures: 26° to 30°C
­Winter temperatures: -5° to 5°C
­Time zone: GMT +2 (April – September +3)
­Capital – Sofia
­Currency – Lev (BGN)
­Exchange – 1 Euro / 1.95583 BGN

Monetary Units :
The official monetary unit is called “LEV” (plural “LEVA”). The banknote denominations include 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 LEVA, as well as coins – 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 called “stotinki” (“stotinka” for singular). 1 LEV coin is also available.

Language

The official language in Bulgaria is Bulgarian. The Bulgarian language belongs to the group of the Slavic languages and it is very close to Russian, Macedonian and  Serbo-Croatian languages. The majority of people speak Russian, basic English, German and French.

Culture:

Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Celtic influences. Thracian artifacts include numerous tombs and golden treasures. The country’s territory includes parts of the Roman provinces of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia, and many of the archaeological discoveries date back to Roman times, while ancient Bulgars have also left traces of their heritage in music and in early architecture. Both the First and the Second Bulgarian empires functioned as the hub of Slavic culture during much of the Middle Ages, exerting considerable literary and cultural influence over the Eastern Orthodox Slavic world by means of the Preslav and Ohrid Literary Schools. The Cyrillic alphabet, used as a writing system to many languages in Eastern Europe and Asia, originated in the former around the 9th century AD.

Ancient Roman architecture in Plovdiv, the oldest city in Europeand the 6th oldest settlement in the world, continuously inhabited since at least 3,000 BC.

A historical artifact of major importance is the oldest treasure of worked gold in the world, dating back to the 5th millennium BC, coming from the site of the Varna Necropolis.

 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria

Bulgaria has nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of Nesebar.

 

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Useful Driving Information when visit Bulgaria

Driving Orientation:

The traffic in Bulgaria is organized under Left-Hand Drive (LHD). Pay high attention in your first encounter with the traffic in Bulgaria. You must be at least 18 years of age to be permitted to drive in Bulgaria.

Speed Limits:

  • City limits -50 km/h
  • First class roads – 90 km/h
  • Highway limits – 130 km/h

 

Car equipment required in any vehicle on the road:

  • A red warning triangle
  • A reflective green vest
  • A first-aid kit /emergency medical box/
  • A fire-extinguisher
  • Spare tire with rim
  • Jack screw and lug wrench

 

National Roads:

 

  • Highways

Distance to main cities

Sofia-Plovdiv:  145 km

Sofia-Stara Zagora: 250 km

Sofia-Burgas: 430 km

Sofia-Varna: 445 km

Sofia –Veliko Tarnovo: 220 km

 

 

  • Secondary roads

 

Distance to main winter & summerresorts, SPA and tourist sites:

 

Sofia- Borovetz: 70 km

Sofia –Bansko: 175 km

Sofia- Sandanski: 160 km

Sofia –Melnik: 210 km

Sofia- Pamporovo: 230 km

Sofia-Sunny Beach: 475 km

Sofia- Albena: 470 km

Sofia-Golden Sands: 470 km

Sofia-Nessebar: 470 km

Sofia –Sozopol:  465 km

 

Mandatory regulations:

  • Seat belts: Mandatory for all passengers.
  • Baby and Child seats: Mandatory to any child in the vehicle. If you rent a car better request a baby seat / booster from your car rental supplier.
  • Vehicle lights: During the winter, between 01 November to 01 March front lights must be turned on, no matter what part of the day it is.

Forbidden:

  • Alcohol: Driving under alcohol and/or drugs is prohibited. No matter what is the alcohol concentration, even after having only one beer it is illegal to drive!
  • Cell phone usage: Forbidden without having a hands free device.

 

Autojet Team wishes you safe drive in Bulgaria!