What kind of visa is needed in Bulgaria?
There have been no direct flights between Russia and Bulgaria for more than a year. Nevertheless, it is possible to visit the Balkan country that is historically and geographically close to Russians. To do this, you need to apply for a Bulgarian visa in advance or have a valid Schengen visa with the stamp of the state that issued it, or any other member of the Schengen area.
Important! From May 2023, entry to Bulgaria on an "empty" Schengen visa forbidden. It is necessary that the foreigner first visited the country that issued him a double or multiple Schengen visa, or another country of the Schengen Agreement (not Bulgaria). At the border, this innovation is strictly observed. The cases when Russians who did not have the appropriate stamp were forced to return home are not isolated. If your Schengen visa issued by, say, Germany is still "empty" and you are planning to visit Bulgaria, then you need to either visit Germany first and then go to the southern regions, or apply for a Bulgarian tourist visa in addition to the Schengen one. The following option is also becoming widespread: a trip from Turkey to Greece in order to stamp a Schengen visa, and then to Bulgaria.
Some categories of property owners, for example, pensioners, solve the issue with an unhindered visit to Bulgaria, applying for a residence permit. In addition, entry to Bulgaria is not restricted to holders of residence permits of the Schengen countries, as well as Cyprusand Romania.
Suppose the visa issue is settled. Next, it is necessary to lay the optimal route in terms of time and price. Let's consider various options.
Flight to Istanbul, and then bus
The most popular transfer hub among Russians today is, of course, Istanbul. At least a dozen flights from Moscow, as well as St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Sochi and other cities operate daily to this Turkish metropolis.
A Moscow-Istanbul plane ticket for June costs from 13,000-20,000 rubles (with luggage) and above. You can fly with a Russian or Turkish airline and choose the time and airport of arrival that is convenient for you. With the last moment, you need to be careful. Pay attention to which air harbor of Istanbul you will land at – New Airport, IST (most flights) or Sabiha Gokcen, SAW. A new airport is preferable, since it is closer to the border with Bulgaria.
Buses of the transport company "Nisikli" (Nisikli) run from the New Istanbul Airport to the coastal Bulgarian cities. In addition, it is possible to take a flight suitable for you at the bus station (80 minutes by city bus from the New airport).
From the New Airport
Nishikli buses run from the New airport to Burgas and Sunny Beach in high season (from April to mid-October). Departure is daily at 6:00, and from June 1 to September 31 at 16:00 (the schedule may change!). The morning flight is convenient, for example, for those who arrive in Turkey at night.
The Nishikli stop is located on the minus second floor of the airport near the exit to the city of A.
Buses also depart from Sunny Beach in the opposite direction at 6:00 and 16:00.
The phone number by which you can contact a Russian-speaking representative of the company and book a seat: +359 894 559 552 . You do not need to pay for the ticket in advance. This can be done already on the bus.
The cost of the trip Istanbul-Sunny Beach: 80 lev or 875 liras (about 3500 rubles) You can pay in both Turkish and Bulgarian currency.
The road to Sunny Beach takes approximately 6 hours, taking into account the border crossing. Recently, the waiting time at the border checkpoint, as a rule, does not exceed 40-60 minutes. Although there are cases when the bus is in line with other transport for 3-4 hours.
From the bus station «Esenler» (Essenlier)
It is certainly more convenient to take the bus at the airport right away, but sometimes it is not possible to adjust the arrival to the bus schedule. Moreover, flight delays often occur, and you have to change plans on the go, or rather on the fly.
In such a situation, you can get to the bus station «Esenler» (formerly called «Bayrmpasha») and start to Bulgaria from there. Buses of the Nishikli, Metro and Arda Tour companies run to Burgas, Varna, and Sunny Beach all year round. The schedule changes, but, as a rule, 2 morning and 2-3 evening flights are provided.
The cost of a trip from Istanbul bus station to Burgas or Sunny Beach: 60 Bulgarian lev or 650 Turkish lira (about 2650 rubles). Tickets can be bought at the ticket office of the bus station, on a convenient Russian-language website Obilet.com in the presence of a foreign bank card or on Tu-tu.ru with the possibility to pay with a Russian bank card.
Note that you can get to the bus station from the New airport by city bus Havaist 5,travel time is one hour and twenty minutes. The stop is located on the minus second floor near the exit to the city of A. Tickets can be purchased at the yellow Havaist kiosks by paying with a bank card or cash in Turkish lira (currency exchange at the airport). The cost is 68 liras (275 rubles).
To sum up, the cost of the entire trip from Moscow to the Sunny Beach resort via Istanbul with a transfer by bus is at least 16,000-23,000 rubles per person.
Flight to Istanbul, and then transfer
Many people prefer not to contact the bus, but to order a group or individual transfer. The trip can be by one car or with a change of car and walking across the border. If there is not a large amount of luggage, then the second method is more convenient, since it is often much faster. As a rule, it takes about 15-20 minutes to cross the section separating one country from another.
Cars run almost daily, but it is better to reserve seats in advance. Transfers pick up passengers from airports, and in the opposite direction directly to their addresses. The cost of the trip is usually 60-80 euros (about 5000-7000) per person. An individual transfer will cost about 240-280 euros in one direction. The transfer from Sabiha Gokcen is 40 euros more expensive, since the airport is 80 km further from the destination. It is quite easy to find a suitable option for you on thematic Telegram channels.
The journey from the New Airport to Sunny Beach takes 4.5-5 hours when crossing the border on foot, from Sabiha Gokcen 5.5-6 hours. The time to travel along this route by one car (without changing transport at the border) is difficult to predict – it all depends on the length of the queue in front of the checkpoint.
If you have already bought a ticket to Istanbul, but have not yet decided how to overcome the further part of the way, you can try to look for fellow travelers through chats in Telegram channels. This is a fairly popular and effective way not only to share transportation costs, but also to find a company to communicate on the road. For example, there are chats on telegram channels that are specifically designed for ads like "Looking for fellow travelers" or "Let's take fellow travelers". You can also ask a question in the communities and there will surely be someone who knows the answer and will be able to help you, and quite quickly.
If you managed to find a transfer from the New airport, and you arrive in Sabiha Gokcen, you should use the city bus Havaist 13, which runs between these air harbors. It departs every hour and a half, the ticket costs 110 lira or 11 lev (about 440 rubles).
Thus, the cost of a trip from Moscow to Burgas via Istanbul, including a plane ticket and a transfer from the airport, will be approximately from 21 000-26 000 rubles.
Flight with a connection in Istanbul, Yerevan
The most expensive (and not always the fastest) the way to get to the Bulgarian beaches is a flight with a transfer to another flight. The best option is to dock in Istanbul. A ticket to Varna on a Turkish Airlines plane for June with luggage is offered on the websiteairlines for 3350 liras (about 13,500 rubles). Russians can purchase it only from a foreign bank card (previously, it was available to purchase in rubles and on a Russian card).The total cost of a one-way trip will be approximately from 26 500-33 500 rubles per person.
From the beginning of July to August 31, it will be possible to get to Bulgaria with a connection in Yerevan. Bulgaria Air launches direct flights (on Mondays and Fridays) to Burgas from the capital of Armenia. You can buy a ticket on the website Aviasales.ru at a price of 17,500 rubles. when booking immediately and the return (if in one direction, the ticket is more expensive than 32,000 rubles). You can pay with a Russian bank card. A flight from Moscow to Yerevan in June costs from 11,000 rubles.In total, the trip will cost at least 28,000 rubles per person in one direction.
Theoretically, it is also possible to get to Bulgaria via Serbia. By plane from Moscow to Belgrade, and then by bus to Sofia or again by air to Burgas. However, flights from Russia to the Serbian capital are significantly more expensive than to Turkey or Armenia.
On your own car
It is difficult to lay a road route to Bulgaria in the current circumstances, but it is possible. If, in addition to endurance and readiness for surprises, you have a Bulgarian residence permit and a Schengen visa or a Schengen residence permit, you can go west, through Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and then Serbia or Romania.
Russians are also actively exploring the southern route to Bulgarian resorts, through Georgia and Turkey along the Black Sea coast. You don't need a visa to these transit countries, but the journey takes more than a week. (Please note that the checkpoint in Upper Lars is closed for repairs from May 5 to June 5, 2023).
A great gift for fans of traveling by car will be the long-awaited opening of the promised ferry service between Sochi and the Turkish Trabzon. The launch of the ferry was planned for mid-May, but then it was postponed. If the ferry works, then there is no doubt that there will be a lot of people who want to use it. It will probably be one of the most budget-friendly ways to get to Bulgaria from Russia for a family of several people.
Summary
Of course, Bulgaria is no longer as accessible a country as it used to be. Both the time of the trip and its cost have increased several times. Some Russians, having counted the costs, decide to sell their resort real estate. However, it is worth noting that alternative options in Russia or other countries are even more expensive.
Despite the difficulties, there are enough ways to get to Bulgaria from Russia. For a year without direct flights, alternative schemes have been worked out. At all stages, local or compatriots will help you for a reasonable fee.
We recommend, firstly, planning your trip in advance, taking the time to find the best air tickets and suitable transfers to other modes of transport. Secondly, it is worth considering in advance how to act in case something goes wrong, for example, a flight is delayed. It is necessary to have contacts of alternative land carriers, as well as people who can help. Thirdly, it makes sense to come for a longer period, of course, if there is such an opportunity.
Thank you for your help in preparing the article by our experts in Bulgaria:
Evgeny Prokazov, Sales Director of the agency Bulgaria Avenue
Irina Mikhailova, Client Relations Manager of the agency «Alternative to imoti ood»
