First topic message reminder :

Hi Everyone,

I am all excited I have just booked my flight and will be visiting Sunny beach Mid July for the first time. This is my first visit to Bulgaria let alone sunny beach and I'll be taking ownership of my apartment.

Any usefull information and tips welcome from all you nice people, everon being great.

I have sorted out furniture, so just need to know what I will be doing with my spare time in the sun....lol ..suggestions welcome, for example places to visit, eat and places to avoid etc

who know's I may get to meet some of you

Well done Jac!! Glad you got sorted as I said to you before Fetch has been in BG for over 11 years and she know everything there is to know. I see she has already give you info. She will help if you need her.

When we used to go to BG for holidays, in the good old days Eating out we used to use the Djanny bistro down but the market place - it was one of the busiest places and you paid Bulgarian prices too. Lovely place and a very nice waitress Dina always look after us.

Oddy

We've been to Sunny Beach a few times now, with friends and family, and have learned a few 'tricks'. We always drive up, so if you've an apartment you'll not need car parking, but we always park at the open air secure car park at Nessebur. It was 7Lev for the full day last season. Buses to Sunny Beach leave from the courtyard, the fare's (was) 1lev each, or there's the tourist 'train' at 5lev. You could really 'push the boat out' (groan, sorry) and sail across the bay at about 15lev each. The absolutely last resort would be a taxi, but check the price ticket in the taxi window VERY carefully. It's quite legal for the driver to advertise a ludicrously high price in the window and charge you 35lev for a 5 minute trip!!!

In Sunny Beach itself you definitely need to keep your wits about you. You will be approached at every restaurant by someone trying to persuade you to eat there. They wont be agressive, usually it's just light hearted banter and "
we've already eaten"
usually puts them off. There's huge competition, so prices are kept down (although still much higher than eating in, say, Yambol) and there's usually special offers on drink, BOGOF, happy hour all day etc.

There's several money machines (Bankomat) along the 'strip', all UK cards work in them, and all have an 'English' option, so please do not be tempted to change money at the change kiosks, and most definately not on the street itself. Bulgarian men all wear a 'man bag' purse on a shoulder strap, so you wont feel out of place keeping your passports, cash etc in one yourself.

There's toilets aplenty along the strip, most charge 1lev per visit, a couple of charge 2lev, remember to collect tissue paper on the way IN, there wont be toilet rolls in the cubicles! There's free toilets at a couple of spots on the beach, but they're just chemical loos with a rush mat screen around them.

There are dozens of souvenir/tat shops, all pretty much the same stuff repeated every 100 yards, so compare prices. Remember though, that the 'Adidas' sports shirts will not have seen the inside of an Adidas factory!

You could also buy just about every offensive weapon known to man, huge knives, BB and air guns, Tazers, etc, etc. If you buy, consider the consequenses if you're caught with them back in good old Blighty, and remember that all cases are x-rayed.

In peak season the 'strip' will be a teeming, seething mass of humanity, barely room to turn round, but there will still be the wallies in golf carts and on electric bikes who think they have the right to hurtle through the crowds at full throttle, beeping at you to get out of their way.

Enjoy Sunny Beach. It's not for some, but it's a great place to be on holiday, relax and have fun.

Keith

Thank you Karona for so much information I for one do appreciate you taking the time to write all this I'm sure others will find it useful to

You can change your money in any Crown money exchange and they usually give a much better rate than the banks, but this is the only money exchange that you can use besides the banks.

Fletch wrote:

You can change your money in any Crown money exchange and they usually give a much better rate than the banks, but this is the only money exchange that you can use besides the banks.

I didn't realise that Fletch thanks for telling us

Just to give you some ideas ref money exchange, Crown will not rip you off. Banks may not have the best rate but I use the First International Bank or FIBank, they only charge 0.1% commission.

In February I changed some money for my daughter who was coming out. At the time UK post office were giving 2.09 to the pound. FIBank were giving 2.19 to the pound, but the Nationwide were giving 2.21. So if you are with the nationwide wait till you get here and use the Bank machines.

I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone. I am a little aprehensive but with all your advice and tips i'll be just fine.

Once again thanks.

Hi Jac100, if you want to see the more traditional side of Bulgaria you need to get outside of Sunny beach and a visit to old Nessebur is a must (although it is also very busy in July) also the other places that the others have suggested. My wife and I have an apartment in Pomorie which again is more traditional, we will be there in July so if you are interested maybe we can arrange a meet, my wife who is Bulgarian has many very good friends in the area.

Hi,

I am coming over to SB whitsun week and wondered what is will be like as it is early in the season. I will be travelling on my own to complete on my apartment and source furnishing etc. I would welcome some assistance and support if anyone is able to do so.

Many thanks,

Joan

it will still be very quite in Sunny Beach but you will find that everyday more things open, If I am correct your apartment is just outside Sunny Beach, we are based in Sunny Beach and have been here now for 14 years if we can be of any help to you please just email or pm me.

Eating out:
Eating out is not expensive and there are many places you can go. On the beach front there is kebab stand after kebab stand selling chicken kebab and chips. The meat is very thin and you dont get much, same with the chips. You basically get scraps from most the stands. Eating in restautants is not expensive and the food is very good. Go to Djanni &
Condor restaurant

Nightlife:
As i have said there is lots of nightlife, places like Disco Orange, Lazur, Corner Bar, and more. Drinks are not too cheap! People have the impression that all drinks are cheap and you will spend next to nothing. This is NOT true! Some drinks like local beer, cocktails and shots are cheap, if you want to drink those then it maybe cheap. Drink anything imported like Smirnoff vodka, Redbull, branded beers like Budweiser or Stella and it is not as cheap as you think. Prices are ‘holiday prices’ which is maybe a little bit less than in England but not a large amount. However buying Alcohol at the supermarket is cheap. You can buy bottles of branded vodka and it is very cheap in comparison to the UK.

Trouble:
The biggest worry of people is trouble in Bulgaria. You probably have heard of people getting beaten up, prostitutes everywhere, stealing, beggers and the rest. It is all true. However, noticing any of this depends on you to some degree. If you are going with a group of lads and act like you are “the boys” and be cheeky, play up or whatever, some people may not take to kindly to it and you might have problems. There are prostitutes and if you are going with other men then its likely you will get approached, this will happen alot. If you are going with a women (i.e. a couple) then this probably will not happen.

Bulgaria is hit and miss with people. I know of some who love it and go back year after year. Others will not go back. It all depends what you want in your holiday and what you are into.