Hi Folks,
As someone who used the flights to Varna from Newcastle three times last year I thought I'd see what the prices are for 2014.

Sadly they are showing no flights at all this year, only flights to Bourgas.
Whether the airport have pulled this destination or whether they will be added later, no one seems to know.

Our next nearest airport will be Edinburgh but they too fail to visit Varna, and to make matters worse, as I need to get to Popovo or Ruse I cannot get to Bucharest locally either now.

Can anyone shed any light on this or offer ideas from Newcastle please?

Thanks

David H
Great Auk

Hi David, I dont know about from Newcastle but ryanair are flying to Bucharest now. Five days a week from london (Stansted I think it is). You may find the prices make it worthwhile to hop to London. I know far from ideal and tiring too.
Blue air do Bucharest too( blueairweb.com i think)

Thanks for the reply but going via London or Manchester is what we avoid, both are just too far from Northumberland.

Newcastle to Bourgas seems the best bet now but what a shame to find no flights from all north east airports to varna have gone without explanation.
It really makes the journey to Popovo/Ruse an ordeal

Thanks Anyway

David H

I've noticed over the last 3 years that there are fewer and fewer flights from the uk but I guess that's because there are now a lot less people coming here.

I have a place close to Popovo and the nearest airport is Bucharest, was going to take that route until I checked out the higher car companies they don't allow cross border travel so i've taken the Sofia route for this trip, best of luck

Thanks Paddy,

But from where we live, in the England/Scottish borders there is no way to get a plane to Bucharest without having to go down south.

Last year several Balklans Air trips from Newcastle to Varna were cancelled long before an opportunity to fill the flights.
Guess its just all roads lead to Bourgas from now on, perhaps the newly modernised Varna is too expensive.

And to think a few years ago I was optimistic that the freight only Ruse airport would reopen to passenger travel.

Ah well, serves me right for being optomistic.

David H

David Hall wrote:

And to think a few years ago I was optimistic that the freight only Ruse airport would reopen to passenger travel.

Ah well, serves me right for being optomistic.

David H

We live in Veliko Tarnovo and the nearest airport for us is over three hours west or three hours east. Ruse would be fine for us, it's a shame that the BG's don't get their international travel into some sort of order, 20% of British Expats in BG live in the VT area!!

It's going to be a pain in the butt whichever option you choose, direct to Varna leaves only from Manchester (closest option) at the mo as you state, what is your best option, a long journey in the UK and a short one in BG or vice versa? I would opt to travel to Burgas and then onward to Ruse by Bus, 4-5 hrs tho, personally i would drive the route (as I do) cost wise at the height of the season is nearly the same, depends how long you will be staying i suppose.

Thanx Edna

And Yes I agree it seems best to just get to Bulgaria, as getting over and dfown to Manchester will take longer than Bourgas to Ruse.
Wonder if there's a train to Popovo station from Bourgas, I've used the Varna to Popovo line before.
If not I can always get to Varna Station and change, but getting in and out of Bulgaria now, at least from Northumberland, is getting to be a real chore

Ta Muchly

David H

that sounds great here's me hiring a car from Sofia and theirs you using the train, maybe I should have looked a bit better can you let me know how you got on with your train trip and is there anybody that can tell me how to book a train to Popovo from Sofia and also from Bucharest to Ruse and down to Popovo. that would be great for me and hopefully make life a lot easier.

paddy wrote:

that sounds great here's me hiring a car from Sofia and theirs you using the train, maybe I should have looked a bit better can you let me know how you got on with your train trip and is there anybody that can tell me how to book a train to Popovo from Sofia and also from Bucharest to Ruse and down to Popovo. that would be great for me and hopefully make life a lot easier.

My wife Annette has travelled from Sofia by train to Pavlikeni and it took longer than the car. There are plenty of mountains to negotiate and the train also seems to stop at every tree!! From Sofia airport you need a taxi and that is the first problem, charges can variant! A minibus is best from the airport to the bus station, which is next to the train station, the coaches are quick and it may be best to get a coach to Ruse.

thank you Itchy very helpfull

Can you get a flight from Scotland to Luton or Stansted than another to Varna or Bucharest? Easy jet, Wizzair go to Sofia and Varna, and Ryan air go ot Plovdiv, and Bucharest. Blueair got from Luton to Bucharest too. Might have to consider that now for the future.

Yes thanks for the info, but sadly its what I've alrready discovered.

Have gone from Edinburgh to Luton in the past then flew Luton to Varna and on via train to Popovo from there but its all hopeless.

And whilst the flights are well priced, Luton is the toughest airport I know to get too

Nothing for it but to go Newcastle to Bourgas, its the quickest after all, and at least I'm in Bulgaria in three hours even though its not where I want to be.

Thanx anyway though

David H

Biker, where are you seeing the Stansted-Sofia (Ryanair) fights? I can't find any.