Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 65

mileage and insurance), www.md-rent.com, and www.vickyrent.com. The speed limit
in the country is 50 to 60kmph (31-37 mph) in populated areas, 80kmph (50 mph)
on minor roads, and 120kmph (74 mph) on highways; note that you'll need to dis-
play a 5 ($6.50) per week vignette/decal (from OMV or Shell gas stations).

To rent a car with a driver, contact Rent-Cars-With-Driver ( & 888-68-4848;
http://rentacarsdriver.dir.bg) or Surprise Tours, a one-man company run by the ami-
able and charming Svetlio ( & 088/7485174; [e-mail]). Svetlio charges 70

€

€

($89) per day and 8 ($10) per 100km (62 miles) to drive you anywhere in his (non-

air-conditioned) Passat; while not a qualified guide he is knowledgeable and he is at
your beck and call 24 hours. Svetlio will arrange all your accommodations bookings
(you can either just specify a budget limitation, or tell him exactly what you want
based on the recommendations below). If you want an air-conditioned or 4x4 vehicle,
this is hired for an additional fee. Day trips to Rila, Koprovishtitsa, Melnik, Plovdiv,
and Veliko Tarnovo cost 80

€

€ to 85 € ($102-$108). A tip is welcome (and usually

earned), but not expected.
BY BUS
This is the best way to get around if you have decided against hiring a car, as the pro-
liferation of private companies like ETAP and Grup (www.etapgroup.com) and Bio-
met (www.biomet-bg.com) has meant that buses are smart, clean, reliable, and
user-friendly. This is particularly true if you are traveling and making all your book-
ings from Sofia. The recently renovated Central bus station (http://tis.centralnaav-
togara.bg) has an information desk staffed by helpful English-speakers, and also boasts
an easy-to-use, self-help computer system, providing timetables and exact prices
charged. There are regular buses (almost hourly) to Plovdiv, Varna, and Veliko Tarnovo;
getting to smaller towns like Bansko and Koprivshtitsa will require advance planning.
BY TRAIN
Train travel is not recommended at present: Not only is infrastructure old, leading to
potential delays, but cars are often grimy and fellow passengers, usually heavy smokers,
are plucked from Sartre's depiction of hell. Bus travel is by comparison well organized,
relatively comfortable, and faster. That said, the national train carrier Bulgarian State
Railways (BDZh) connects most towns in Bulgaria (with the exception of those located
in mountainous Rhodopes and Pirin), and hosts a friendly website, so travelers use the
rail system relatively easily (though note that outside of Sofia you'll still have to deal
with signboards in Cyrillic, and no on-board indication that you've arrived at your des-
tination); for timetables check http://bdz.creato.biz/en or www.bdz.bg. For informa-
tion contact Sofia's Central Railway Station at & 02/932-3333.
BY PLANE
Air travel is a tad indulgent, given that Bulgaria is relatively small (it takes 4-5 hr. to
drive from Sofia to the coast), but if you need to get from one side of the country to
the other fast, a few airlines connect Sofia with the coast (see Varna “Essentials,” later
in this chapter).
TIPS ON ACCOMMODATIONS
Unless you're staying in one of the handful of Bulgaria's five-star hotels, do not expect
Western standards of service. In small towns you will probably be better off dealing
with a family proprietor, but here you'll often struggle to find someone who speaks
English. Star ratings are generally misleading; take one off from most establishments