Bulgaria for first-time visitors: the practical things
Borders, money, alphabet, transport, and the head-shake that means yes.
The short answer
Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and of the Schengen area, so there are no routine internal border checks from other Schengen countries; the language is Bulgarian, written in Cyrillic, and the country is materially cheaper than western Europe.
Most of what makes Bulgaria confusing for a first visit is not difficult, it is just unfamiliar. Here is the short version.
Borders and visas
Bulgaria is in the European Union and in the Schengen area. Arriving from another Schengen country means no routine passport check. Arriving from outside it means a normal Schengen entry — and importantly, days spent in Bulgaria count against the same ninety-day allowance as the rest of Schengen, which catches out people who used to treat Bulgaria as a way to reset the clock.
Visitors from the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia do not need a visa for a short tourist stay.
Money
The lev has been fixed against the euro for decades at a rate of 1.95583 leva to one euro — a peg, not a floating rate, so the conversion has not moved in living memory. In practice: whatever the price is in leva, halve it and take off a couple of percent, and you have euros.
Bulgaria's changeover to the euro was legislated separately and its status is worth checking against a current official source rather than a travel article, including this one. Card acceptance is near-universal in cities and patchier in villages and at small market stalls, so carry some cash outside the cities.
The alphabet is the real adjustment
Bulgarian is written in Cyrillic, and Bulgaria invented it — this is genuinely a point of national pride, marked by its own public holiday on 24 May. Street signs in Sofia are usually bilingual. Signs in a village are not.
Three letters will mislead you if you assume Latin values:
| Cyrillic | Sounds like | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Р | r | p |
| С | s | c |
| Н | n | h |
So РЕСТОРАНТ is restorant, and it is a restaurant. Once you can sound out a word, a surprising amount of signage decodes.
Getting around
- Sofia's metro connects the airport to the city centre and is fast, clean and very cheap. It is the single best piece of public infrastructure in the country.
- Trains are slow but scenic and almost free. The Sofia–Plovdiv line is the exception and genuinely convenient.
- Intercity buses are faster than trains for most routes, including Sofia to the coast, and are the default way Bulgarians travel domestically.
- Taxis are cheap and metered. Insist on the meter, use an app where you can, and be sceptical of any taxi waiting directly outside an airport terminal or a major station.
Two gestures that will confuse you
A head shake means yes and a nod means no. It is not a myth, it is not universal, and it is unnervingly common. Watch for it in transactions where the answer matters.
And the martenitsa — a red-and-white bracelet given on 1 March and worn until you see a stork or a blossoming tree, at which point you tie it to the tree. If someone gives you one, wear it. Refusing it is genuinely rude.
Tipping
Ten percent in restaurants, rounding up for taxis and coffee. Service is not usually included. Tipping is expected but not aggressively pursued.
For the 2027 contest specifically
The host city is Burgas. BNT and the EBU confirmed it on 13 August 2026, with the semi-finals on 11 and 13 May and the Grand Final on 15 May 2027 at Arena Burgas. Book accommodation early and at a refundable rate — the coast fills up in May, and the official ticket sale has not opened yet. Our host city page tracks every announcement as it lands.
FAQ
Do I need a visa to visit Bulgaria?
EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian visitors do not need a visa for short tourist stays. Bulgaria is in the Schengen area, so a Schengen visa covers it and time spent here counts against the same 90-day allowance.
Is Bulgaria expensive?
No. It is one of the cheaper countries in the European Union. Eating and drinking out costs a fraction of western European prices, though Sofia hotel rates during a major event are the exception to that rule.
Do people speak English in Bulgaria?
Widely in Sofia, in hospitality and among anyone under about forty. Less so in smaller towns and with older people, where a few words of Bulgarian and a translation app go a long way.
