Bulgaria: Black Sea Coast and Mountain Towns
Bulgaria for first-time visitors: the Black Sea coast around Varna and Burgas, mountain towns like Veliko Tarnovo, and what the country's recent switch to the euro means for your budget.
Sofia is an underrated first stop — a walkable centre with Roman ruins sitting next to a working metro station — but most first trips split time between the capital, the Black Sea resorts around Varna and Burgas, and a mountain town like Veliko Tarnovo, the old medieval capital stacked up a river gorge. Bulgaria also just went through a genuine shift: as of January 2026 it uses the euro rather than its long-standing lev, the last of the pre-2004 EU entrants in this region to make the switch.
Getting around#
Trains connect the main cities but run slowly by Western European standards; long-distance buses are often the faster and more frequent option between Sofia and the coast, and between Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo. Within Sofia, the metro and tram network covers the centre well. If the plan includes both the coast and the mountains, budget real travel time between them — this isn't a country where everything is a quick hop by rail.
What it costs#
Bulgaria remains one of the least expensive EU countries to travel in, even after the euro switch. A mid-range traveller can expect roughly $50–85 a day for accommodation, food and local transport, with the Black Sea coast running higher in the July–August peak and Sofia or Veliko Tarnovo staying cheaper year-round.
When to go#
May–June and September keep the coast warm without July–August's peak resort crowds and prices. The mountain towns and Sofia are pleasant across a longer season, spring through autumn, with a proper cold, sometimes snowy winter.
What to know before you go#
Bulgarian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, so street signs and menus outside tourist zones may not have Latin transliteration — a translation app with offline text recognition is genuinely useful here. The traditional nod-for-no, shake-for-yes head gesture is a well-known quirk of the country, though most people in tourist-facing settings now use the standard international gesture to avoid confusing visitors.
What to skip on a first trip#
- Assuming lev cash is still useful long-term. With the euro now the official currency, hold onto only what you need for the transition period and switch to euro for anything beyond a short trip.
- Rushing between the coast and the mountains in one loop. Pick one region to focus on and treat the other as a separate future trip rather than a rushed add-on.
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Build a free itineraryFrequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit Bulgaria?+
Bulgaria is an EU and Schengen member, so most US, UK, Canadian and Australian passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Confirm the current rule for your own passport before booking.
Does Bulgaria use the euro or the lev?+
The euro, as of 1 January 2026. Bulgaria's own currency, the lev, is being phased out, with both currencies displayed side by side (dual pricing) for about a year after the switch. Older guides quoting lev prices are now out of date.
Is Bulgaria still cheap now that it uses the euro?+
Generally yes — it remains one of the more affordable EU destinations — though a currency changeover often brings some rounding-up of prices, so expect costs to have crept up compared to older lev-era guides.
Is a week enough to see Bulgaria's coast and mountains?+
A week is enough for either the coast or the mountain towns with a couple of days in Sofia, but trying to combine both properly needs closer to ten days given the travel time between them.
Sources & references
- Visit Bulgaria — official tourism portalBulgaria Ministry of Tourism
- Bulgaria joins the euro areaEuropean Central Bank