Project Description

Some famous sights, such as the Ropotamo River, the Aladzha Monastery, the Rila Monastery, and Pobiti Kamani, also known as the Stone Desert, can be visited only with guided tours that will cost you 2 to 3 times more than renting a car in Bulgaria. It’s not surprising that the car hire is so popular among travellers willing to see and truly experience the country.

What is a tour? You can’t stay longer at the place you like, you can’t go off-route to take beautiful pictures, nor can you sit at a cafe of your choice.

The average cost of a one-day car rental. The number is calculated based on the bookings of the previous three years. It takes into account the rental of cars across all classes.

Sofia Airport is located 10km, or about a half-hour of driving, from the capital city Sofia. You can take bus number 384 or 84 to the city. But it’s not the best option.

The bus will take you from the airport to the city centre, which means that taxi fare costs are inevitable. That is why the travellers arriving with large bags, children, and baby carriages prefer to arrange for a private transfer (that will cost around €35, depending on the distance to the hotel and time of the day) or rent a car.

It is more convenient and cost-efficient to have your rental car delivered right to the airport where the public parking spaces are located opposite the terminals and open 24/7.

Instead of tiresome travelling by bus or taxi, you’ll get your hire car keys once you exit the terminal. 10 minutes to sign an agreement — and you enjoy the country’s beauty.

More cost-efficient

Online car booking is cheaper because you take your time to compare prices and choose the optimal comfort for the money.

​​​​​​​More reliable

Having your voucher on hand, you are entirely sure that you will have your vehicle and you know the rental cost. Then it’s easier to plan the rest of your travel expenses.​​​​​​​

More comfortable

You don’t lose your time going from company to company to rent a car. You can spend that time lying on the beach, sightseeing, shopping or just walking and visiting places of interest with your dear one.​​​​​​​

The occupancy rate of the car rental fleets by month. For example, most cars are being rented in August, which means that this month has the smallest amount of available vehicles. The higher the percentage of the car fleet workload, the earlier it is worth booking a car to choosing the best option at the best price.

The international auto insurance regulations are applicable in Bulgaria, as in any other European country. You can be offered:

  • Third-Party Liability Insurance (TPL)
  • Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
  • Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW)

As a rule, car hire companies include TPL, toll-road pass, and unlimited mileage in the vehicle rental costs. CDW, child safety seat, and second driver are offered at an additional price.

When booking a vehicle for your vacation, you should be very careful in choosing a car hire company. When you rent a car on our website:

  • You save time. The vehicle selection system in Bulgaria is very convenient for the visitors and provides all the necessary information, which is complete and relevant at the time of order. You don’t need to spend hours of your free time to find a proper car and book it.
  • You save money. You know the exact order price before making an advance payment. There are no hidden costs or fees.
  • You can rest assured in our support at any time during your trip.

Car rental on our website is a good solution for those who look for comfort and fair price.

Roads in Bulgaria are far from being the best in Europe. They are narrow, twisty, and poorly lit. Road marking is missing or faded in places. Drivers are not alerted with signs to beware of roadworks ahead. It is critical to observe traffic rules and exercise caution on the road.

Traffic rules in Bulgaria

  • Bulgaria uses the following speed limits: 30mph (50km/h) within towns; 55mph (90km/h) outside cities. You’d better not break the traffic rules not so much because of fines as because of the above
  • The speed limit in pedestrian zones is 20km/h
  • There are new and repaired expressways in the country where your driving speed must be 30mph to 85mph (50km/h to 140km/h)
  • The low beam must be on while driving
  • The blood alcohol limit is 0.5 permille
  • All children younger than 12 must ride in the back in fitted child seats
  • Drivers can only use their phones to make or receive phone calls by using a hands-free system
  • All passengers must ride buckled up.

In case of an emergency stop, the driver and all passengers must wear reflective vests, even in the daytime.

Radar jammers are illegal, while radar detectors are allowed.

Switch off speed camera detection and warning functions in your navigation system.
Even though low beam must always be on, local drivers often disregard this rule. Moreover, you can encounter donkey-drawn carts on the road. Long-eared animals drag pensively in the middle of the road paying no attention to honking.

Drivers should exercise attention and caution when driving at night in beautiful Bulgaria.

Fines in Bulgaria

Since January 2017, Bulgarian authorities “tightened the screws” once again by raising some penalties significantly.

  • Speeding fines are 20 leva (€10) for exceeding up to 10km/h over the posted speed limit, 50 leva (€25) for up to 20km/h over the limit, 100 leva (€50) when speed is more than 30km/h above the limit and so on
  • If you take a disabled parking space, you can pay a fine of 200 leva (€100)
  • Other parking violations will result in a fine of 20 leva (€10)
  • The penalty for kids travelling without a child seat is 50 leva (€25)
  • If the driver or passengers do not wear a seat belt, they can face a fine of 50 leva (€25)
  • The fine for driving with low beam off is 20 leva (€10)
  • The penalty for using your phone without a hands-free system while driving is 50 leva (€25)
  • The law is hard on drunk drivers and provides a fine from 500 to 1,000 leva (€250 to €500) for the first offence and up to 2,000 leva (€1,000) with driving ban in case of a repeat offence.

Fine payment

You can pay a fine on the spot or at a bank. If you pay the penalty immediately, the police officer will provide you with a payment receipt.

Fines over 50 leva (€25) can be disputed. However, challenging a drink driving penalty will be a waste of time and money because nobody will stand for you.

The paid parking lots can be identified in Bulgaria by a green or blue line on the road. There’s all the necessary information on the parking rates and time limits on the “P” sign under the word “ЦЕНИ”, which is Bulgarian for “PRICES”.

You can park your vehicle free of charge if there are no restrictive signs or paid parking signs.

Please follow the parking rules because 70% of fines are paid in Bulgaria for illegal parking.

Bulgaria is a relatively small country, yet it has 3,200 filling stations. More than half of them belong to large networks, such as Shell, Petrol, OMV, Eko, etc. Their fuel quality complies with European standards.

Whenever you can, avoid filling up at smaller rural petrol stations. Their fuel quality can be lower than at the network stations.
Petrol stations are located every 30-50km on all highways in the country, save for Trakia Highway, also known as Thrace Motorway, where filling stations are few in number so far.

Fuel costs

  • Petrol 95 – €1.18
  • Petrol 98 – € 1.39
  • Diesel – €1.17
  • Liquefied petrol gas (LPG) – €0.61

LPG dispensers are available at many filling stations because LPG-powered vehicles are somewhat popular in Bulgaria.

Cash and card payments are accepted.

How to fill up

The process is straightforward. When you drive up to a petrol station, an attendant comes to you almost immediately. You say the type and amount of fuel you need and go to the office to pay at the cash desk. Good news is you don’t need to hurry up. You can have a cup of coffee with a sandwich or buy something at the store while your car is being filled up. The staff might also wash your windows in the meantime.

If you return to your vehicle before the attendant finishes washing the windows, it is a common courtesy to give a tip. But that is up to you. If the attendant has gone to service another car, you don’t need to look for them.

What else is available at bulgarian filling stations

There is often a Viva Cafe. You can also visit a small store where you can buy a road map, vignette (toll-road pass), and… even concert and museum tickets.

You can check the tyre pressures and pump up the tyres free of charge if needed. You can also clean your car with a pressure washer by yourself.

Some petrol stations have even a family room or play area.

We recommend travellers to buy a local SIM because roaming will cost way more. When choosing a SIM, tell the seller you need a prepaid card.