Why rent a car in Bulgaria
It's less a case of why, rather why not as car hire in Bulgaria is cheap and very well represented at the major international airports and across the country. Familiar car hire companies such as Budget, Europcar and Hertz all have a rental offices across the country in addition to regional and local favourites like Top Rent a Car and AutoJet.
Public transport in Bulgaria is adequate in the major towns and cities, but for those looking to get out and about and see more that this diverse country has to offer, a rental car is a cost effective means of transport and certainly worthy of consideration.
Most popular locations to collect car hire in Bulgaria
Bulgaria Mini Guide
Bulgaria is located to the west of the Black Sea in the area of Eastern Europe known as the Balkans. It is bordered by Greece, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey and is close to the Turkish Straits. The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia which is a hub of cultural interest with many landmarks, bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Bulgaria has four international airports at Sofia and the cities Varna, Plovdiv and Bourgas, while easyJet, SkyEurope and Wizzair are among the low cost airlines which have regular flights to Bulgaria. Bulgaria also offers some domestic flights within Bulgaria.
EU citizens and people from a number of other countries do not need visas to go to Bulgaria but you should check the requirements before planning your journey. Take a ferry from Italy to Greece and then drive through Serbia or Romania if you plan to get to Bulgaria by car.
Travelling from Greece you have to go from Thessaloniki towards Serres and then Promahonas. In Bulgaria you have to pay road tax at the border which is inexpensive and then you are given a special sticker to place on your car. However you also need to pay health insurance to the Bulgarian authorities. The total for road tax and health insurance for five days would be in the region of 10 Euros. Keep the receipt for this transaction. There are no tolls on Bulgarian roads.
A number of major European cities have train routes to Bulgaria including Istanbul, Moscow and Vienna. Renting a car is the best way to see Bulgaria and can be collected from train stations across the country for your convenience.
Should you rent a car in Bulgaria
Many areas of Bulgaria remain relatively untouched and unvisited by tourists, probably because public transport does not service these regions. With that in mind if you hire a car in Bulgaria you will have the opportunity to explore some of these areas and see much more that the country has to offer.
Travel at your own pace and enjoy the independence that car rental affords, available at refreshingly low prices.