Can anybody recommend ssuitable flights for us? Our nearest airport is Leeds &
Bradford, but we can get a train from York into Manchester aiport. Otherwise there's Humberside and Robin Hood. We still don't know where to choose to live, all our family are in North Yorkshire so it makes sense to choose somewhere relatively easy for them to travel to. Any suggestions?

I would say that Manchester is the better option and you will get more flights there but the choice really is down to you and your family.

easyjet from manchester is the cheapest. have to be careful with dates because they dont fly ever day but weve never found anyone who can beat them on price.

Thankyou I'll have a look which airport/s they fly to from Manchester, to help us decide what part of Bulgaria to be looking at when we come over to find a house. I was hoping someone might suggest which districts are most accessible for us.

During the summer Balkan holidays cover most regional airports but you will find some of the regional airports will have a double touch on them, they fly to Burgas and Varna
Wizz fly Luton to Burgas, Varna, Sofia
Easy Jet fly Manchester and Gatwick to Sofia
Summer again Thomson, Thomas Cook, fly to Burgas
Ryanair from Stansted to Plovdiv

Winter you have
Ryanair Stansted to Plovdiv
Wizz Luton to Burgas Varna Sofia
Easy Jet to Sofia

we always fly from manchester as out house is in Balchic .we leave train direct to manairport from huddersfield fly direct to Varna and our hirecar picks us up and drops us at Balchic house .home to home takes 2pm uk leave house
7pm bg time inbalchic house fresh to enjoy everything..Of course it depends where you live and where your going too.
we shall be doing this trip on this friday 20th.hope it gets warmer brrrrrrrrrrrrr

I read that Varna airport is to be closed through the winter for repairs - it kind of stopped me in my tracks as I was looking in the area. Sophia seems to get most flights but where's a collection of good villages within reach? Do any of you live in Vratsa area and what do you think of it?

Vratsa is very nice, you have the caves which are well worth a visit I have some great pictures of them but I cant post them on here for some reason. The town of Vratsa has had a lot of media coverage about the roma etc but like everywhere in Bulgaria there are roma. But you need to go to Vratsa and look for yourself as what one person likes another wont. From your postings and what you are looking for etc I would look in the Vidin region.

Thankyou Fletch, this is very helpful and that was actually going to be my next question - what's Vidin region like? Because of being over 60 we hope for reasonable bus services if possible, we don't want to drive until we have got well used to being on the other side of the road!

If you are going to look in the Vidin region you need to make sure that you dont buy in the flood area, this is easy to check, Vidin has much to offer, as does the surrounding areas, we have had a property there for many years and love the area. The bridge is well on its way to being finished across the Danube to Romania, the roads from Sofia to Vidin are very good as once the bridge is open it will be the shortest route across Europe, there is also a new high speed train that should be in service soon, and also the bus is excellent from Sofia, If you want more info please just ask

Fletch wrote:

During the summer Balkan holidays cover most regional airports but you will find some of the regional airports will have a double touch on them, they fly to Burgas and Varna
Wizz fly Luton to Burgas, Varna, Sofia
Easy Jet fly Manchester and Gatwick to Sofia
Summer again Thomson, Thomas Cook, fly to Burgas
Ryanair from Stansted to Plovdiv

Winter you have
Ryanair Stansted to Plovdiv
Wizz Luton to Burgas Varna Sofia
Easy Jet to Sofia

Thank you Fletch this is worth knowing

Tarra guys were off from Manchester yomoz .will be there for some of that Bulgarian salad yessssssssssss (hope their tomatoes are early lol
see ya in 2 weeks .............whhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooosssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gone

Many thanks again Fletch, I guess I should look at a map next and see which villages are not too far from the main road between Vidin &
Sophia. Just wondering if there are any relatively gypsy-free places, or if they are everywhere?

neilythere! wrote:

Tarra guys were off from Manchester yomoz .will be there for some of that Bulgarian salad yessssssssssss (hope their tomatoes are early lol
see ya in 2 weeks .............whhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooosssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gone

Have a good trip and see you soooooooooooon

we have a house at mokresh which i think is predominently gypsies. the whole area round lom has a lot. i think the whole of that district is fairly highly populated. but there are some lovely villages n most of the people weve met seem ok. i always go in the local shops when house hunting and see how the locals react. enjoy your house hunting and good luck.