I found this and though it was interesting to see the points of view on Bulgaria and what we shouldn't do? you may like it

The not-to-do list for Bulgaria

To spare yourself from worries and deceptions, and to enjoy a safe and pleasant time in Bulgaria, here is a list of things to avoid:

Don't take a train. Bulgaria's railway company BDZ has recently admitted that 300 of its 320 train engines lack valid safety certificates and have not undergone mandatory technical examinations. Only half of the state firm's 430 passenger cars have been certified as safe, BDZ reported. Nine passengers burnt to death in Northern Bulgaria two years ago when a night train sleeping car, with blocked safety exits, went ablaze while in motion. The best way to travel to Bulgaria is to take a chartered flight and land straight at the seaside. This will reduce your dependence on Bulgaria's transportation system to an acceptable level. It takes seven hours to travel the 400 kilometre stretch from Sofia to the seaside by train, and some six hours if you take a bus or car.

Don't fall ill. Eighty percent of Bulgaria's hospitals are substandard, according to a recent report by the state medical audit agency. A two-year-old girl died of laryngitis in hospital in the town of Yambol a month ago, due to inadequate treatment. The health sector is under-funded, heavily indebted and in much need of reform. A four-month old boy died of pneumonia in the town of Blagoevgrad last Monday (May 24) because of suspected wrong treatment.

Don't trust taxi drivers. Especially those who doorstep foreigners at air terminals' arrival exits. They are sure to rip you off with a fare several times above the market price of 35-40 euro-cents per kilometre. Hire a cab from the legal taxi ranks only. They are located right outside the airports.

Don't miss a chance to use the Sofia subway. Its construction started in 1972, and the metro system already has one 18 kilometre-long stretch with a total of 14 stations. That makes 474 metres (yards), or 0.37 stations per year.

Don't hope for fast internet. Consider yourself lucky if you have coverage at all. Broadband penetration in Bulgaria is 13 percent (the lowest in the European Union) compared to the EU average of 28.4 percent.

Don't miss a chance to win in the state lottery. The jackpot has reached almost 2.7 million Bulgarian leva (some €1.35 million), and is expected to exceed 3 million leva (some €1.5 million) on Thursday (June 3).

Don't get confused by nods. In contrast to mainstream Europe, Bulgarians indicate a "
no"
by moving their heads up and down and "
yes"
by shaking heads from left to right.

Don't be afraid to smoke. There are smoking and non-smoking areas in all establishments larger than 50 square meters. The owners of smaller bars and restaurants are free to decide whether to welcome smokers - and most of them do. In terms of smoking, Bulgaria is second only to Greece in the EU. Thirty-nine percent of Bulgarians smoke, according to the latest Eurobarometer data.

Don't be surprised by Bulgarian football. It is only natural if the public invades the pitch en masse to beat up the referee or/and some underperforming players. The latest such case happened in the town of Mezdra. But it was not the first one.

Don't get scared by morning TV shows. They normally start with a reality police action. Officers in riot gear raid someone's home or office, throw him on the ground and point guns at his wife and children, yelling commands. Bulgarian television and websites readily run such footage, handed to them by the interior ministry. Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, a former colleague of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov from his police years, is also a regular guest on morning talk shows. Every day he announces a new operation with a thrilling code-name - "
the Octopuses"
and "
the Jellyfish,"
for instance. Mr Tsvetanov modestly admits to authorship of most of these titles. He says Bulgaria needs new arrests every day to make for the past two decades of legal chaos and impunity in which crime and corruption flourished.

However, police hyperactivity has led to no convictions since Mr Borisov's government took office last July. Nevertheless, Mr Tsvetanov's approval rating has shot even above Mr Borisov's, an impressive record. Pollsters say ordinary Bulgarians massively enjoy police crackdowns;
the public's thirst for revenge is blurring all concerns about legality and human rights. It is only The Economist that has recently warned of "
a bad government of a different kind: a still weaker rule of law, and even a shift towards what might look like a police state."


Don't miss out on Bulgarian, cuisine. Wine and music. If you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

Many thanks "
Daisy"
for giving us the benefit of Do's and Dont's, I think it would also be useful if members reading this would place some Do's and Dont's of their own, there must be many more that haven't been mentioned.
We live in Turkey at the current time and are looking eagerly to relocate when our property has sold here.

I noticed that there was some bad publicity surrounding the health care in Bulgaria and wondered if the care that Brits have received in their part of Bulgaria was actually as bad or worse than has been mentioned on several posts within this Forum.
As far as relocating to Bulgaria the health care would be one of our main concerns and reading the reports on the Forum placed recently has made us worry about the future for us if we lived there. It is generally accepted that health care would never compare with the UK, but we can safely say that health care in our part of Turkey has been really good.
Eric and Annette

I can only speak for myself and the health care I received whilst I was in Bulgaria was OK, it wasn't up to the standard of the UK in some ways but I would say it was all I needed at the time, I can also add to this that the dentists I used were far better than any I have used in the UK so for me both these were fine and not expensive

Health care may not be up to NHS standards but at least its easy to get an appointment. Just turn up and wait so the earlier you arrive the faster you will be seen. My partner has had reason to visit the doctor and had a fast appointment even though not registered and the diagnosis and subsequent pills did the trick. Even the village doctor who visits on a Thursday gave the same diagnosis as the one in town.
We have both had a lot of dental work and have no complaints about that. Incidentally we did not use a translator although our Bulgarian isn't fluent. Resort to body language when stumped for a word! :Very funny 2:It all depends on how accepting you are of something different and Bulgarian health care is certainly different and a hospital stay means relatives or friends do most of the aftercare. In my opinion, being put out of pain is the priority.

Dont dive in through the front door before finding out where the back door is first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't buy rounds in the local bar! It becomes the norm!

ABC Property Surveyors.BG wrote:

Don't buy rounds in the local bar! It becomes the norm!

First class ABC

I second that

Regards health care: I know it varies in different regions, but, a friend of mine went into hospital in Sliven last week to have her gall bladder removed. (and umpteen stones) Back in the UK she would have been on a list for at least 2 years, and since she was in considerable pain decided to go into the private hospital here. The operation cost 800 Leva, she was operated on immediately, had keyhole surgery. All treatment, surgery, meds and post op care is covered in that amount, and she said the care and cleanliness of the hospital itself were second to none! I have another friend who can't speak highly enough of the Bourgas Life Hospital, and another who says Yambol hospital saved his life..

In contrast, when i had to have emergency surgery when I lived in Turkey, I paid 2000 POUNDS for the operation, 3 nights in hospital and to have my stitches out - all meds I paid for separately.

So maybe the warning should be to avoid some hospitals....I've heard Topolovgrad is a bit grim, and even the nurses scare me at the one in Elhovo.LOL

Karen

Missed you Abracadabra! Its me from the old days. Have you read any of Itchyfeet's posts because they are wanting to leave Turkey to come here. I second your thoughts on Healthcare. We have no problems, but like most things in Bulgaria, it does seem to depend on where you live. Your operation sounds a bargain and I hope you are now okay.

Is that you Dusty? I hope so - I have so missed you on the net. I hope you are well and that life in your village continues to be good for you. We are as happy as clams here!

My op was good and I am well thanks, will look for Itchyfeet. i know Snail.

lots of love

Karen
x

abracadabra wrote:

Is that you Dusty? I hope so - I have so missed you on the net. I hope you are well and that life in your village continues to be good for you. We are as happy as clams here!

My op was good and I am well thanks, will look for Itchyfeet. i know Snail.

lots of love

Karen
x

Hi Karen,

We have spoken on skype with you. Many thanks for putting our minds at ease regarding health and hospital care. This is such a lovely forum, everyone is so helpful and pleasent. We are so looking forward to the day when we come and visit, but we have no idea when this will be yet. :Thank you:All.

Don't trust taxi drivers, especially those who hound foreigners at air port terminals' arrival &
exits, they are sure to rip you off with a fare several times above the going rate.

This article is very funny, but quite true, its odd they didn't print an article on the "
Must see or must do's"
things about Bulgaria, perhaps this is because its possibly going to be the preferred country for tourists, especially those who go inland and away from the tourist hot spots, although it must be said that Bulgaria is behind in some respects, its well ahead in so many others though, for example.. Internet, demand isn't quite there yet in a lot of the villages but towns and cities have fantastic Internet via WIFI and coverage is far ahead of the UK.

All in all' the article is correct, but this can be said for anywhere you go perhaps the best idea is to take it with a pinch of salt! and don't take it too seriously.

Abracadabra - Yes its me. Got a bit disillusioned with forums for a while but am enjoying being back on this one. Glad you have had contact with Itchyfeet. Turkey sounds very expensive now.
Yes, there are taxi rip-offs but mainly at airports and resorts. I use the offices in the airport and coach station after being ripped off on my first visit to Bulgaria. The taxi drivers I use in VT are great and have helped me a lot.
I agree the internet is fantastic for such a poor country. When we arrived 6 years ago there was no satellite TV in our village and no internet. Now most houses have both and my internet man comes if I have a problem or I phone him should there be no connection. This only really happens in bad storms. Bulgaria has moved very fast in many respects. Its not all a 'not to do list' here.
I would say 'don't patronise the villagers'. They are a hardy bunch and ready to welcome new people if you try to make friends. I guess it might depend on which village you choose, but I have been very lucky in mine.