Discover Bulgaria
from the mountains to the sea.

No. Since January 2025, Romania and Bulgaria are both in Schengen, so the Giurgiu–Ruse crossing has no passport control. A valid national ID card is enough for EU citizens.

Bulgaria has adopted the euro (€). During the transition, the lev (lv) still circulates in parallel, but prices are increasingly shown in euro. Cards are accepted almost everywhere.

Yes. To use motorways and main roads you need an electronic vignette (e-vignette), bought online at bgtoll.bg before or as you enter the country.

The main crossing is the Giurgiu–Ruse bridge. To the coast it's roughly 4-6 hours from Bucharest, depending on the resort and the queue at the bridge.

For the coast, June–September (peak July–August). For skiing, January–March. For cities and hiking, May–June and September–October are ideal.

In resorts and big cities, yes — especially tourism staff. The official language is Bulgarian, written in Cyrillic, so a phrasebook helps in rural areas.

Both are worth it. In summer, the Black Sea coast; in winter, the ski resorts of Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. Many travellers pair a few beach days with an inland loop of monasteries and fortresses.