Good to Know

Time Zone - Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours;

Currency - Bulgarian currency is called Lev (BGL), plural: Leva. One Lev is made up of 100 stotinki. It is tied to the EURO and the exchange rate is fixed at EURO 1 = BGL 1,95583. Money can be exchanged safely at most banks and also at reputable exchange bureaus. Hotels and airports tend to give less favorable rates. Exchange bureaus are no longer allowed to charge a commission for money exchange, so check this first. Never change money with anyone who stops you on the street and offers you a better rate. Most hotels, shops and restaurants in Sofia accept credit cards, but this is not so in smaller towns and rural areas. Cash is the accepted form of payment, so keep plenty of small notes on you when traveling in the countryside. Cash machines are widely available in cities and larger towns and provide a convenient access to local currency. All major European and North American debit cards are accepted.

Mobile Networks - There are three mobile operators which cover most of the country, though do not expect coverage really high up in the mountains. They offer a prepaid card system - Prima (from Mtel), b-connect (from GloBul) and "Opa!" (from Vivatel) which can be purchased from newspaper kiosks or mobile phone shops.

Important phones - In any case of emergency, please call to 112. You can also call to:

146 - Emergency Road Service;
150 - Emergency Medical Aid;
160 – Emergency Fire;
166 - Police/Road patrols;

Taxi Services - The cars of the numerous taxi companies are easily available at taxi stations and on the street. You can also order a cab over the phone or through your concierge. Below there are few examples of some well-known cab companies and their phone numbers in Sofia:

Yellow Business Taxi - tel: +359 2 91119
OK Taxi - tel: +359 2 9732121
1 Euro Taxi - tel: +359 2 9622226
Ricars Taxi - tel: +359 2 91114
Omega Taxi - tel: +359 2 91142

Fixed route taxi vans and hotel shuttle-busses: City van and shuttle-bus services are available at your hotel’s reception desk;

Rent-a-car in Bulgaria - Sofia, the big cities and resorts are available rent-a-car services of the well-known international companies as Hertz, Budget, AVIS as well as local ones at lower prices.