Banks: 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday
Post Offices: 08:30 to 17:30, Monday to Saturday
Government Offices: 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
Business Centres: 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
Shops: 09:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday; 09:00 to 13:00 Saturdays

Despite Bulgaria’s reputation for mobsters and corruption, its capital Sophia is actually one of the safest cities in Europe. Crime is below the European average, and violent incidents against foreigners are rare. You do, however, need to keep up your guard against petty theft and pickpockets. They are rife in the train and bus stations, and around some of the more crowded tourist attractions.

Police: 166

220V, 50Hz; plugs are round two-pin types typical to Europe

The tap water in Sophia is safe to drink, though visitors may want to stick to bottled water to avoid a potential upset stomach. All milk and dairy products are pasteurised and fine to eat, and restaurants typically maintain good levels of hygiene and sanitation. Visitors should make sure they’ve had vaccinations against hepatitis since type B is endemic in Bulgaria.

All citizens of the EU are entitled to free or cheap medical care if they have a medical emergency while visiting Sophia. Make sure you carry a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) when you travel. Travellers from all other countries should buy travel insurance to cover the costs of any unexpected medical emergency. Minor illnesses can be treated at BD Pharmel-EM or Apteca pharmacies, which are located in the city.

IMC International Medical Centre: +359 2 944 9326 

Emergency services: 150

Bulgarian is the language spoken in Sophia. It uses the Cyrillic alphabet (the only EU nation to do so) which makes reading signs difficult. Turkish and Macedonian are also used by some locals, but English is only spoken by young Bulgarians and hotel staff.

Bulgaria uses the lev (лв) as its official currency. There are 100 stotinki in a lev. Notes come in denominations of лв100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins come in denominations of лв1 and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 stotinki. Euros are also widely accepted, as are US dollars to a lesser extent.

All visitors over the age of 17 can bring 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1 litre of spirits; 2 litres of wine; 50ml of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette without incurring a customs tax.

Social etiquette in Sophia is similar to that elsewhere in Europe. A handshake is the standard form of greeting and dress should be casual but conservative. In Bulgaria, nodding the head means ‘no’ and shaking the head means ‘yes.’ This can cause a lot of confusion until you get used to it. The service in restaurants, hotels and shops can be brusque and slow in Bulgaria, but locals are typically friendly.

Since Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, any EU citizen can travel in Bulgaria for as long as they like. Travellers from the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can enter Bulgaria without a visa for 30 days within any six-month period. Make sure your passport is valid for at least three months beyond the duration of your visit.

All visitors are required by law to register with the local police within five days of arriving. Your hotel should take care of this for you and give you the registration slip. Keep this slip with your passport at all times.

The National Information and Publicity Centre offers a wide range of brochures and maps. The office is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00.

National Information and Publicity Centre
Pl Sveta Nedelya
Phone: +359 2 987 9778
Website: www.bulgariatravel.org