Bulgaria
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Language: Bulgarian (Cyrillic alphabet). English is spoken in tourist areas and by younger generations. Learning the Cyrillic alphabet helps enormously.
Currency: Bulgarian Lev (BGN, pegged to EUR at ~1.96 BGN/EUR). Cash is common -- many smaller businesses, taxis, and rural guesthouses prefer cash. ATMs widely available in cities.
Transportation:
Bus: Intercity buses are the most reliable way to get around. Major companies include Union Ivkoni and Karat-S. Book at bus stations or online for popular routes.
Train: BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways) is slow but scenic. The narrow-gauge Septemvri–Dobrinishte line is a highlight. Don't use trains if you're on a tight schedule.
City transport: Sofia metro is clean and efficient -- get a daily pass. Taxis are cheap but use apps like Yellow! Taxi to avoid scams.
What To Expect
Bulgaria is the country that Balkans veterans tell you to visit now, before everyone else catches on. In Plovdiv, Roman ruins sit beneath colorful 19th-century houses, and Europe's longest pedestrian street hums with students and street artists. An hour away, the Rila Monastery rises from forested mountains like a medieval painting come to life.
The diversity is staggering. On the Black Sea coast, golden-sand beaches stretch from the lively Sunny Beach to the calmer shores of Sozopol. Inland, the Seven Rila Lakes offer some of the best alpine hiking in Eastern Europe, while Sofia combines Ottoman-era mosques, Soviet monuments, and a surprisingly good craft beer scene.
And the food? A warm banitsa from a bakery, a bowl of cold tarator soup on a summer afternoon, a shopska salad topped with grated sirene cheese -- simple, fresh, and unpretentious. Don't be surprised if a round of rakia appears, whether or not you ordered it.