Bulgaria & Slovenia

Getting there

Getting to Eastern Europe is as easy as getting to France these days. Both easyJet (easyJet.com) and British Airways (BA.com) fly to Bulgaria's capital Sofia, which is just over an hour's drive from Borovets. To find and compare all European flights, check out Skyscanner.net – a very useful flight search engine. You can fly to Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana (lju-airport.si), from Manchester, Birmingham and London Stansted. Check out their national carrier Adria Air (adria-airways.com) or easyJet (easyJet.com) for flights. It's also worth looking at Slovenia's neighbours for feasible travel options – Klagenfurt (klagenfurt-airport.at) and Graz (flughafen-graz.at) in Austria are close to the Slovenian boarder, as is Trieste in Italy (aeroporto.fvg.it) and Zagreb (zagreb-airport.hr) and Pula (airport-pula.hr ) in Croatia.

Red tape

Both Bulgaria and Slovenia are members of the EU, so EU passport holders don't need a visa. Foreign nationals from the rest of the world need to apply for permission to enter.

Health

As part of the EU, Bulgaria and Slovenia are both governed by European health standards. Health insurance is recommended and EU citizens should carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Slovenian facilities rival those of any in the west, while medical services within Bulgarian ski resorts are of a high standard. As long as you're insured, you should have no worries about winding up in hospital here.

Eating

The Balkan countries aren't renowned for their culinary excellence – but that doesn't mean you can't eat well. Bulgaria offers plenty of good, wholesome inexpensive fodder served in generously sized portions which hit the spot after a day on the slopes. Spit-roasted pig is a favourite in resorts such as Borovets and Brit-friendly food like steak and chips is everywhere. To drink in a bit of Bulgarian culture, try some of their beers: Astika, Zagorka and Kamenitza are all tasty crisp brews and are cheaper than the foreign lagers on sale. At local supermarkets, a bottle of Bulgarian brewed beer will cost around £0.30. Bulgarian wine is also well worth a try, and make sure you try the Rakiya – Bulgarian brandy, made from a variety of fruits and traditionally drunk as an aperitif. Bulgarians have a habit of reminding you how poor their country is and those working in the service industry will expect a sizeable tip (at least 10%) from western visitors. Slovenia's cuisine is heavily influenced by its neighbours Italy, Austria and Hungary, so expect to find plenty of pizzas (which are huge!), Wiener schnitzel and goulash at mountain restaurants. Wash them down with one of Slovenia's excellent lagers (Lasko Zlatarog and Union are favourites) – Slovenian wine is also of a high calibre. Salads are also fairly common so veggies should find plenty to eat. It's polite to round up the bill by way of a tip. In both countries, you will have no problem finding western junk food such as kebabs, hot dogs and chips, and Slovenians are keen on horse, which can often be found in burger form. Some of Bulgaria's larger resorts also have international restaurants such as Chinese, Indian and Mexican.

Crime & safety

Bulgarians often grumble about the Mutri (the Bulgarian Mafia) and their corrupt officials, but this is something unlikely to affect the average tourist. That said, don't be too alarmed to see 'No handguns' signs at the entrance to some nightclubs! You're most likely to have a run-in with the police if you are driving in a foreign car – so be careful and be prepared for lengthy delays. Slovenia is much more developed than many imagine and has a very low crime rate. You would be very unfortunate to come across any problems here.

Language

Bulgaria: Bulgarians speak Bulgarian, which is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, making things trickier for those not familiar with it. But as you might expect, most Bulgarians in the tourist industry speak English. Slovenia's official language is Slovene (also called Slovenian), though English is widely spoken in most tourist areas.

Getting around

Driving in both Bulgaria and Slovenia is standard European (right-hand side). A valid driving licence from your home country is necessary. The local drivers in this part of the world aren't the greatest and seem to have little consideration for oncoming traffic, so be particularly cautious when driving round blind bends as it's quite common to meet careless overtakers on the wrong side of the road. Bulgarian drivers are nuts and the roads aren't well maintained, so it's only for the brave. Driving in Slovenia is very chilled, with little traffic on the road compared to the UK. A vignette (road tax sticker) has just been introduced to replace the toll roads on the motorway network – make sure you've got one or face a fine.

Car hire

Most major hire car companies (europcar.si, easycar.com, hertz.com, avis.com etc.) have offices in airports and cities. Usual age restrictions apply.

Mountain passes

If you're are driving to resorts, double check your route to ensure it's open before you travel; some of the higher mountain passes will close in heavy snow, meaning journey times can be longer in winter.

Public transport

Bulgaria's public bus system is antiquated, though private buses cover many major routes, offer more comfortable transport and are cheap – the biggest company is Etap-Grup (EtapGroup.com). Almost all timetables are written in Cyrillic so brush up on your Bulgarian before taking the bus. The Bulgarian rail network (bdz.bg) is quite extensive but the rolling stock is ageing and quite slow so private buses are often the preferred choice for those travelling between cities. Public transport in Slovenia is of a high standard and your journey is likely to run smoothly and include some stunning scenery. The train network (slo-zeleznice.si) is inexpensive, clean and reliable – ideal for travelling between cities or even to neighbouring countries. Slovenia's bus system (ap-ljubljana.si) is a little more far-reaching than the rail network, though getting to rural areas can still be difficult with an infrequent service; always check timetables first.

Opening hours

Bulgarian supermarket and grocery stores are usually open 0900-1800 through the week but closed on Saturday afternoons. Banks are open 0900-1600 Monday to Friday but are closed at weekends. The Slovenian supermarket chain TUS has infiltrated almost every town in the country and is open 0800-1900 weekdays and 0800-1300 Saturdays. Most shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays except for some pharmacies and some tourist attractions. Banks and post offices are open 0830-1230 and 1400-1700 Monday to Friday and 0830-1130 on Saturdays. All banks are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Green travel tip

Take the train from London to Slovenia for a relaxed journey that allows you to enjoy the scenery that you miss from the air. It takes about 18 hours – nice if you have time.

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