Home » Crimea » How to travel to Bulgaria individually without a tour package? Independent holiday in Bulgaria Independent holiday in Bulgaria.

How to travel to Bulgaria individually without a tour package? Independent holiday in Bulgaria Independent holiday in Bulgaria.

Many tourists are interested in: do Russians need a visa to Bulgaria? The answer is clear - it is necessary. You will need any Schengen visa, or a national Bulgarian one.

Please pay attention! Currently, mandatory submission of biometric data has been introduced for all those applying for Schengen visas. It is necessary to undergo fingerprinting (fingerprinting) and photography at the consulate (or official visa center). The received data will be valid for 5 years (59 months). In this regard, the initial visa application implies the mandatory personal presence of the applicant when submitting documents. Children under 12 years of age are exempt from fingerprinting (but not photography).
Otherwise, the issuance procedure remains the same, which is discussed further in this material.

The news spread on the Internet that it is planned to cancel visas to Bulgaria for the entire summer season. It began with the fact that Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov gave an interview to one of the most influential Russian tabloids, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, in which he said that in order to attract tourists, Bulgaria would work according to the Turkish visa system, that is, issue them directly upon arrival to the country. It is not known how Dyankov wanted to implement this idea, because, as you know, Bulgaria has been a member of the European Union since 2007, and visa-free entry traveling to EU countries is not possible for Russians. Moreover, Bulgaria strives to get into the Schengen zone, and Schengen, as you know, does not allow issuing visas at the border. Therefore, Russians will have to obtain visas to Bulgaria in the same way as before.

Self-application of a visa to Bulgaria

Obtaining a Bulgarian visa by an applicant is conditionally divided into 2 stages:

Stage 1. Collection and execution of a package of personal documents

For each specific applicant, including children, it is necessary to collect a package of documents:

1. Application form.

Applying for a visa to Bulgaria begins with filling out an application form. The source of the questionnaire can be downloaded, instructions for filling out -.

The Bulgarian side has the following requirements for paperwork:

On the first page of the application form you need to paste a photograph 35 mm wide and 45 mm high. The photo must be in color, without white corners or other frames. The background should be light, preferably white, and the applicant's face should be free of glasses and straightened strands of hair. The photo must accurately correspond to the real appearance of the person, that is, be relevant.

2. Foreign (external) passport. The validity period of the passport is at least 90 days after completion of the trip. for which a visa is issued. The passport must be free of dirt or mechanical damage. You also need a photocopy of the page with the applicant’s personal data. On the first page of the application form you need to paste a photograph 35 mm wide and 45 mm high. The photo must be in color, without white corners or other frames. The background should be light, preferably white, and the applicant's face should be free of glasses and straightened strands of hair. The photo must accurately correspond to the real appearance of the person, that is, be relevant.

3. A valid internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and a photocopy of pages with registration and personal data.

4. Insurance policy with confirmation of medical coverage in the amount of at least 30,000 euros. An insurance policy can be obtained from any accredited insurance organization. To select the optimal insurance program, the agent must be informed that the policy is needed for a trip to Bulgaria and the purpose of the trip itself.

5. Tickets for travel (air, railway, etc. by land transport) or a reservation for them. When applying for a visa, the visa center employee will be guided by the travel dates from the tickets. If the applicant is driving a car, then you need to provide documents for it (registration certificate and international insurance), as well as a driver’s license. If the applicant is traveling as a passenger, the visa center employee may request a letter of authorization from the driver-owner of the car, stating that he undertakes to take the applicant as a passenger. It is best to find out about the need for such a letter and its contents by calling the consulate in advance.

How to relax in Bulgaria on your own? We talk about obtaining a visa, ticket prices and accommodation. Which resorts to spend time at? What to see on your own or with a guided tour? Tips for tourists and a traveler's review.

Travels that we organize entirely ourselves leave strong impressions and change our lives. One of popular destinations Bulgaria was and remains for independent travelers. Today we will talk about how to independently prepare for a holiday in Bulgaria and not forget anything, what to see and when is the best time to go.

You can also go to Bulgaria on a tour package - often a vacation on a tour costs less than an independent trip. Look at the prices and decide which is more profitable and convenient for you. Last minute tours search on services and they will find best offers among different tour operators. Want to save money? Explore our.

- - - - - - - -

Visa to Bulgaria on your own

Contrary to popular belief, Bulgaria is not visa-free country for Russians. There are several ways to enter the territory.

The Schengen agreement has been partially in force in Bulgaria since 2007. This means that with a multiple-entry Schengen visa (also called multi-Schengen), you can enter the country for up to 90 days within six months.
You can enter Bulgaria with a visa, and Romania.
The third option is a national visa.

Documents for a Schengen or national visa to Bulgaria:

A passport valid for at least 3 months after the end of the trip.
A copy of the first page of your passport (the page with your personal data).
One color photograph measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm - there are also certain requirements for the size of the face and the background of the photograph.
A questionnaire filled out by you personally. It is issued at the consulate or visa center. You can also download the application form for obtaining a visa to Bulgaria yourself, fill it out and print it on A4 sheets.
A certificate from work on company letterhead indicating your position, length of service and your salary - it is certified by the seal and signature of the manager.
Insurance.

(Photo © vic_burton / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

When to go?

The swimming season in Bulgaria is from May to September, however, both May and September are not too hot. Our independent trip to Bulgaria took place at the end of August, we visited several cities - we experienced rain, wind, and cool nights. From December to March is the ski season.

Flights

You can fly to Bulgarian resorts from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and several other large cities.

On average, the price of round-trip air tickets in summer starts from 7,000 rubles. But this expense item may be quite small. Prices for one-way tickets from Moscow start from 1,500 rubles. And sometimes one-way tickets to Bulgarian resorts can be bought - attention - for less than 2,000 rubles! This is usually charter flights, most often from Moscow and St. Petersburg, for which you can get a ticket even at the height of the season. Such prices are also found at Pobeda, Rossiya Airlines and some others.

(photo © passer8 / flickr.com)

Where to book a hotel in Bulgaria on your own

Housing prices in Bulgaria will pleasantly surprise you. In large popular resorts (Sunny Beach and Golden Sands), prices for apartments and small hotels start from 13 euros per night per room. In other cities (Varna, Burgas, Sofia) you can find housing for even 10 euros per day, especially if you live further from the sea. As a rule, these are hostels, apartments or mini-hotels. Hotels on the first line even here offer rooms from 20 euros per night.

There are also many interesting accommodation options on the Airbnb website. In addition to standard apartments, rooms and hotels, you will find private villas surrounded by greenery, authentic accommodation and modern equipped campsites. Prices start from 10 euros per night. Of course, tourists visiting Bulgaria on their own will like it more here.

During our trip to Bulgaria, we independently booked a studio apartment in an unremarkable high-rise building, a tent on a wild beach, a room in a small hostel and a room in a small hotel in a mountain village.

(Photo © Traveling Pooh / flickr.com / Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Where to relax on your own in Bulgaria

The most important thing in Bulgaria is the sea and golden sand, stretching for many kilometers. Resort villages are located along the Black Sea, port cities, popular and secluded beaches. People also come here for health reasons: there are plenty of sanatoriums, mud clinics and boarding houses here.

The most famous resorts Bulgaria:

Pomorie;
Sunny Beach;
Golden Sands;
Nessebar;
Balchik.

In addition, there are large cities, for example, Varna and Burgas. Here you can relax and swim (and save on housing).

Rentals on the beach:

sun lounger - 6-8 leva;
umbrella - 6-8 leva;
bedspread - 3 leva.

Each resort is a place with a varied infrastructure and plenty of entertainment for vacationers of all ages. Depending on the location of the beach, you can find a view that suits you active recreation: surfing on the beaches “Goldfish” and “Dunes”, fishing and sailing on a yacht on the beaches of the Primorsko resort, paragliding on Albena beach.

You can simply sunbathe on the sand - Golden Sands and Sunny Beach are perfect for this. And if you get tired, outside the beach area there are amusement parks, shops, cathedrals and museums. In the evening you can go to a club or restaurant - there are a huge number of them at each resort.

(Photo © Złota Bułgaria / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Food prices in Bulgaria

Compared to other resort countries, you can eat in Bulgaria quite inexpensively.

Approximate prices in leva:

simple budget breakfast in a cafe - 6 leva;
lunch - 10 leva;
lunch in an inexpensive cafe - 15 leva;
lunch at good restaurant- 40 levs;
have lunch at McDonald's - 8 leva;
0.5 liters of homemade beer - 2 leva;
a standard size cup of cappuccino 2-2.5 leva;
bottle of water 0.33 l - 1 lev.

(Photo © Damien Smith / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Transport and car rental

In cities and towns in Bulgaria you can use regular buses. They are quite inexpensive - about 1.5 leva. A tangible advantage of local buses is that almost all of them have open Wi-Fi.

Another good option- rent a car if you don’t want to spend your entire vacation in one place. We rented a car in Varna for two days. We were looking for a company via the Internet, and best price- 26 euros per day. Usually cars cost 40 euros per day or more.

Our review and advice for car rentals:

habitual right-hand traffic;
very good roads;
strict speed limit: on the highway - up to 60 km/h, very rarely - up to 90;
There are enough cameras on the roads;
never saw the police;
To rent a car, a Russian license is enough.

Rent a car- this is the best way to travel! - reliable and convenient car rental service in Bulgaria. Choose a car to suit your taste and budget - there is a wide choice. The cost of renting a car is from 8 euros per day. Do you have any questions? The Russian-speaking support service will help you with everything.

(Photo © deense / flickr.com / License CC BY 2.0)

Excursions in Bulgaria

Since Bulgaria is a country with rich culture and history, popular excursions here are walks around old quarters, visiting museums and Orthodox shrines. Such excursions are available in Varna, Nessebar, Sofia and other cities. But the drive to Sofia is almost 400 km from the sea, so tourists often do not have time to visit here.

There is a lot of choice sea excursions and cruises - for one evening or several days. For those who like an unusual program, there is jeeping, a safari park, diving and visits to Bulgarian villages and villages with national music and dinners.

In summer, the Balkan National Park is attractive in Bulgaria. If you want to see Bulgaria from different sides on your own, be sure to visit ecological trails, take a walk in the mountains. To live in small cozy villages, to taste real national food, to practically not hear Russian speech - that’s exactly how we rested and we were delighted!

(Photo © Luca Mauri / flickr.com / Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Bulgarian the language is not so simple, as it seems. Even though they use the Cyrillic alphabet, many words are incomprehensible in writing and even more so in hearing.

It's practically don't drink tea and coffee. When it comes to coffee, Bulgarians recognize only espresso (cappuccino is also found, but much less frequently; you can completely forget the words “mocha” and “glaze”). Tea is drunk only in winter, and teapots are rarely found in homes and hotels.

Don't be surprised by nudists, if you see them on the beach. This is a common phenomenon in Bulgaria, and there are many nudist beaches here!

Bulgaria is an uncomplicated and friendly country. A holiday in Bulgaria, organized independently or packaged by a travel agency, will definitely be remembered by you for its warmth, simplicity and affordable prices. Have a nice trip!

Introductory image source: © mgoraciaz0 / pixabay.com.

Travels that we organize entirely ourselves leave strong impressions and change our lives. Bulgaria has been and remains one of the popular destinations for independent travelers. Today we will talk about how to independently prepare for a holiday in Bulgaria and not forget anything, what to see and when is the best time to go.

You can also go to Bulgaria on a tour package - often a vacation on a tour costs less than an independent trip. Look at the prices and decide which is more profitable and convenient for you. Last minute tours search on the services and - they will find the best offers among different tour operators. Want to save money? Explore our.

- - - - - - - -

Visa to Bulgaria on your own

Contrary to popular belief, Bulgaria is not a visa-free country for Russians. There are several ways to enter the territory.

The Schengen agreement has been partially in force in Bulgaria since 2007. This means that with a multiple-entry Schengen visa (also called multi-Schengen), you can enter the country for up to 90 days within six months.
You can enter Bulgaria with a visa, and Romania.
The third option is a national visa.

Documents for a Schengen or national visa to Bulgaria:

A passport valid for at least 3 months after the end of the trip.
A copy of the first page of your passport (the page with your personal data).
One color photograph measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm - there are also certain requirements for the size of the face and the background of the photograph.
A questionnaire filled out by you personally. It is issued at the consulate or visa center. You can also download the application form for obtaining a visa to Bulgaria yourself, fill it out and print it on A4 sheets.
A certificate from work on company letterhead indicating your position, length of service and your salary - it is certified by the seal and signature of the manager.
Insurance.

(Photo © vic_burton / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

When to go?

Flights

You can fly to Bulgarian resorts from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and several other large cities.

On average, the price of round-trip air tickets in summer starts from 7,000 rubles. But this expense item may be quite small. Prices for one-way tickets from Moscow start from 1,500 rubles. And sometimes one-way tickets to Bulgarian resorts can be bought - attention - for less than 2,000 rubles! These are usually charter flights, most often from Moscow and St. Petersburg, for which you can catch a ticket even at the height of the season. Such prices are also found at Pobeda, Rossiya Airlines and some others.

(photo © passer8 / flickr.com)

Where to book a hotel in Bulgaria on your own

(Photo © Traveling Pooh / flickr.com / Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Where to relax on your own in Bulgaria

The most important thing in Bulgaria is the sea and golden sand, stretching for many kilometers. Along the Black Sea there are resort villages, port cities, popular and secluded beaches. People also come here for health reasons: there are plenty of sanatoriums, mud clinics and boarding houses here.

The most famous resorts Bulgaria:

Pomorie;
Sunny Beach;
Golden Sands;
Nessebar;
Balchik.

In addition, there are large cities, for example, Varna and Burgas. Here you can relax and swim (and save on housing).

Rentals on the beach:

sun lounger - 6-8 leva;
umbrella - 6-8 leva;
bedspread - 3 leva.

Each resort is a place with a varied infrastructure and plenty of entertainment for vacationers of all ages. Depending on the location of the beach, you can find a suitable type of active recreation: surfing on the “Golden Fish” and “Dunes” beaches, fishing and sailing on a yacht on the beaches of the Primorsko resort, paragliding on Albena beach.

(Photo © Złota Bułgaria / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Food prices in Bulgaria

Compared to other resort countries, you can eat in Bulgaria quite inexpensively.

Approximate prices in leva:

simple budget breakfast in a cafe - 6 leva;
lunch - 10 leva;
lunch in an inexpensive cafe - 15 leva;
lunch in a good restaurant - 40 leva;
have lunch at McDonald's - 8 leva;
0.5 liters of homemade beer - 2 leva;
a standard size cup of cappuccino 2-2.5 leva;
bottle of water 0.33 l - 1 lev.

(Photo © Damien Smith / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Transport and car rental

In cities and towns in Bulgaria you can use regular buses. They are quite inexpensive - about 1.5 leva. A tangible advantage of local buses is that almost all of them have open Wi-Fi.

Another good option is to rent a car if you don't want to spend your entire vacation in one place. We rented a car in Varna for two days. We looked for a company via the Internet, and the best price was 26 euros per day. Typically cars cost 40 euros per day or more.

Our review and advice for car rentals:

habitual right-hand traffic;
very good roads;
strict speed limit: on the highway - up to 60 km/h, very rarely - up to 90;
There are enough cameras on the roads;
never saw the police;
To rent a car, a Russian license is enough.

(Photo © deense / flickr.com / License CC BY 2.0)

Excursions in Bulgaria

Since Bulgaria is a country with a rich culture and history, popular excursions here include walks through ancient quarters, visits to museums and Orthodox shrines. Such excursions are available in Varna, Nessebar, Sofia and other cities. But the drive to Sofia is almost 400 km from the sea, so tourists often do not have time to visit here.

There is a large selection of sea excursions and cruises - for one evening or several days. For those who like an unusual program, there is jeeping, a safari park, diving and visits to Bulgarian villages and villages with national music and dinners.

In summer, the Balkan National Park is attractive in Bulgaria. If you want to see Bulgaria from different angles on your own, be sure to visit the ecological trails and take a walk in the mountains. To live in small cozy villages, to taste real national food, to practically not hear Russian speech - we rested just like that and were delighted!

Bulgarian the language is not so simple, as it seems. Even though they use the Cyrillic alphabet, many words are incomprehensible in writing and even more so in hearing.

Don't be surprised by nudists, if you see them on the beach. This is a common phenomenon in Bulgaria, and there are many nudist beaches here!

Bulgaria is an uncomplicated and friendly country. A holiday in Bulgaria, whether organized independently or packaged by a travel agency, will definitely be remembered by you for its warmth, simplicity and affordable prices. Have a nice trip!

Golden Sands in Bulgaria for Soviet citizens was practically the only option for a foreign resort holiday, and for modern Russians it’s something of a rare and exotic idea - to fly to places where our grandparents went. Moreover, it’s worth doing it yourself: unlike Egypt, Thailand and Turkey, the help of a tour operator in arranging a trip will only get in the way; it’s best to plan the trip yourself.

Instead of a charter tied to dates, buy an inexpensive ticket to Varna, and then from international airport get to the resort area by regular bus- it will be cheaper and more convenient. And all other organizational issues independent travel can be resolved quickly and without problems.

Visiting Bulgaria without the help of a tour operator

In order to organize self-guided tour to Bulgaria, you need to perform a number of simple steps:

choose and book a hotel;
buy tickets for convenient flights;
apply for a visa.

The easiest way to book a hotel is through the online booking system, filtering the necessary parameters to suit your taste and budget. The online booking site will offer a huge selection of inexpensive hotels, taking into account a lot of personal wishes, such as distance from the sea, hotel style, star rating, availability of a tour desk, etc. You can pay for your reservation on the spot, without bothering yourself with a transfer via the Internet.

You can obtain a visa at the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow or through a specialized visa center, if getting to the capital is problematic. A list of documents can be found on the embassy website. It is important to remember that in order to obtain a visa, you must provide both a ticket reservation and insurance for each day of your planned stay in the country.

It is also worth knowing that during the registration period, confirmation of the reservation is usually not required, so you can safely print out the flight reservation sheet and go to the embassy with it. A ticket to Bulgaria is purchased and paid for after the visa has been approved and received. The cost of such a trip will be much lower than the price of a ready-made tour.

Victor Pashinsky

You can go to Bulgaria on your own in your own car or fly in by purchasing tickets from.

In this article we will try to describe in as much detail as possible the process of independently organizing a holiday in Bulgaria and highlight the main ways to save on a hotel, tickets, insurance or visa.

Do you need a visa to Bulgaria, how much does it cost and how to get it?

To Bulgaria indeed need a visa, but it's very easy to get. To open a visa to Bulgaria, you will need:

Bank statement— on the account at least 70 Euros per person, the statement is less than a month old. Done at your bank.
Certificate from place of work(on letterhead) - you must indicate your position and salary. The certificate is also no more than 30 days old.
International passport— when you leave Bulgaria, there must be at least 91 days left until your passport expires.
Regular passport- must be valid.
Your photo– 2 copies of photo for a European visa
Medical insurance- for a minimum amount of 30,000 Euro.
Hotel and flight reservations— issued immediately after their purchase.
Payment of consular fee- 35 Euro regular (per week) 70 Euro - urgent (per day).

In fact, a visa to Bulgaria is issued very simply. For example, we did not submit either a bank account statement or a certificate of employment. And nothing, everything was fine (though for Ukraine tourist visas follow a simplified scheme). You can get a visa yourself at the embassy - it will be cheaper than through an agency.

If all this is difficult for you, we advise you to use it - everything is described in detail there. All you have to do is consult, collect necessary documents and the visa will be delivered directly to your home. This simplified visa service costs approximately 2,500 rubles including delivery.

Travel insurance for a trip to Bulgaria - where to get it cheaply and quickly?

To obtain a visa to Bulgaria, you must purchase health insurance. For example, we bought a trip through an agency and our insurance didn’t include anything: even insurance against rain and hurricanes. Seriously. It’s scary to imagine how much we overpaid for all this happiness.

The minimum insurance amount of medical insurance for obtaining a visa to Bulgaria is 30,000 Euro. It's up to us to choose the ideal insurance - he compares the prices of reliable insurance companies that will really help if something happens. We use it ourselves and recommend it to you. By the way, if you add a couple of additional options to your insurance, the price often increases very slightly.

Prices for package tours to Bulgaria in 2016

It is no secret that package tours to Bulgaria on the Internet can cost less than those from travel agencies - their markup is about 10%, but on the Internet it can be only 1-3% due to reduced costs.

When searching for tours, we use a service that automatically searches for the most profitable options among the largest tour operators and offers them to you at reduced prices (less commission).

But this is not even the main advantage. At an agency, you usually choose from 2-3 options, but here you are offered a choice among dozens of offers.

How much will you have to spend on air tickets to Bulgaria?

The most profitable way to buy tickets to Bulgaria is from Moscow to the airport. If you do not have a clear connection to the departure dates, we advise you to look for tickets to neighboring dates. This often results in savings of about 20-30% of the cost of the flight.

It is quite difficult to search for tickets on airline websites (although sometimes there are exclusive offers, and sometimes the same flights are more expensive), we recommend using the calendar low prices from Aviasales:

You need to select the city of departure and arrival (it’s worth looking for both Burgas and Varna), indicate the number of people, select the month in which you want to fly and evaluate the minimum ticket prices by day of the week.

How to choose hotels in Bulgaria at the lowest price

To search for hotels, we usually use . It allows you to automatically compare prices in different booking systems and choose the cheapest option.

The key advantage of the service is the ability to quickly sort hotels by the desired number of stars and price, go to the map and choose a hotel near the sea and away from the noisy center.

It is also very important to be able to look at prices in different months and book a room with a sea view in literally 15-20 minutes.

Of course, each hotel is accompanied by a photo, description and list of services and a rating with reviews from guests.

On Sunny Beach eg very good selection of hotels

Many of them are in no way inferior the best hotels 4* and 5* Turkey and Egypt

There are, of course, cheaper options, which you can easily book using the button below.

Prices for renting apartments and rooms in Bulgaria

If you want to live not on popular resort it seems, but in a normal city, we advise you to stay not in a hotel, but in a rented apartment. In our experience, the price turns out to be almost the same, and living in own apartment much nicer than in a hotel.

We usually search for and rent housing through the popular rental service AirBnB. It is quite convenient, very fast and very reliable. As they say, we use it ourselves and recommend it to you.

Pomorie is divided into a new and an old part. The new one is being actively built up, while the old one is mainly used for renting out apartments that are several decades old.

Views