Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Train
The historic
train station
(ul Ivan Vazov)
was built in 1902. Through the
ticket windows
( 8am-6pm) on the right you can buy advance tickets for domestic and international
services, while same-day tickets can be bought at the
windows
( 24hr) on the left. The
left-luggage office
(train station; 6am-10.45pm)
is outside the station.
Sofia
(23.10 lv, seven to eight hours, six daily)
Plovdiv
(19 lv, five to six hours, seven daily)
Kazanlâk
(14.40 lv, three hours, two daily)
Stara Zagora
(15.80 lv, three hours, four daily)
Sliven
(9.50 lv, 1 hour 40 minutes, five daily)
International tickets are also available at the
Rila Bureau
( 8am-5.30pm Mon-Thu,
8am-4pm Fri, 8am-3.30pm Sat)
inside the station.
Getting Around
TS Travel
( 0888622658, 845 060;
www.tstravel.net
;
ul Bulair 1; 9am-6pm Mon-
Fri, to 2pm Sat & Sun; 12)
This English-speaking car-rental agency offers various
models, from 80 lv per day in summer, including unlimited kilometres and insurance.
Burgas Lakes
The four lakes surrounding Burgas are Pomoriysko (or Pomorie), Atanasovsko,
Mandrensko (Mandra) and Burgasko (Burgas). These are collectively known as the Bur-
gas Lakes. Comprising over 9500 hectares, it's the largest wetland system in Bulgaria, and
is home to some 255 bird species, representing around 67% of the country's total.
The
Poda Conservation Centre
( 056-500 560;
www.bspb-poda.de
;
adult/student
3.60/ 1.20 lv; 8am-6pm)
opened in 1998 under the auspices of the Bulgarian Society
for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) and is an admirable effort at wildlife conservation so
close to the urban sprawl of Burgas.
In the
Poda Protected Area
, which surrounds the centre, bird lovers will delight in
spotting numerous scarce and endangered birds, including Dalmatian pelicans, five spe-
cies of herons, avocets, little terns and red-breasted geese. Most birds can be seen year-
round, while others are migratory, stopping over only to breed or see out the winter. The
