Bulgarian border city/next foreign city (if different) - approximate (apx.) location - road
· Those border crossings listed below with "not official" do not have a KPP border symbol on the road map, and so may not be an official crossing.
Bulgaria - Serbia
1. Kalotina/Tsaribrod (Dimitrovgrad) - apx. 65 km NW of Sofia - Primary Motorway E80
2. Strezimirovtsi - apx. 70 km NW of Pernik - Secondary Highway 63
3. Vrushka Chuka - apx. 45 km SW of Vidin - Secondary Highway 14
4. Bregovo/Negotin - apx. 35 km NW of Vidin - Secondary Highway 12
5. Kyustendil/Bosilegrad - apx. 30 km NW of Kyustendil
6. Salash/Novo Korito - apx. 30 km W of Belogradchik - local road (not official)
Bulgaria - Macedonia
1. Gyueshevo/Kriva Palanka - apx. 25 km SW of Kyustendil - Primary Motorway E871
2. Stanke Lisichkovo/Delchevo via Zvegor - apx. 20 km W of Blagoevgrad - local road
3. Zlatarevo/Stumitsa via Novo Celo - apx. 25 km W of Petrich - local road
Bulgaria - Greece
1. Kulata/Sidirokastro (Valovishta) - apx. 190 km S of Sofia - Primary Motorway E79
2. Svilengrad/Ormenion - near Bulgarian/Greek/Turkish intersection - Motorway E80/A1
3. Sadovo/Kato Nevrokopion - apx. 20 km. S of Gotse Delchev - local road (not official)
4. Makaza - apx. 60 km S of Kurdjali - local road (under construction)
Bulgaria - Turkey
1. Kapitan Andrayvo/Edirne - apx. 10 km. SE of Svilengrad - Primary Motorway E80/A1
2. Malko Turnovo - apx. 90 km. S of Bourgas - Secondary Highway 98 and Primary Motorway E87
Bulgaria - Romania
1. Vidin/Kalafat - in NW Bulgaria - Primary Highway E79
2. Oryahovo/Becket - apx. 75 km. NW of Vratsa - Secondary Highway 15
3. Rusei/Giourgiou - apx. 100 km NE of Veliko Turnovo - Primary Motorway E85
4. Tutrakan/Otelnitsa - apx. 110 km. NW of Shumen - Secondary Highway 49 (not official)
5. Silistra/Kulurash - apx. 105 km. N of Shumen - Primary Motorway 7
6. Yovkovo/Negru Voda - apx. 40 km. NE of Dobrich - Secondary Highway 29
7. Durankulak/Mangalia - apx. 95 km. NE of Varna - Primary Motorway 87
BORDER CROSSING TIPS
If driving over a border, be sure to go around all the trucks piled up and waiting because they go through a different line than cars do (not so with tour buses, though, so try to pass as many as you can on the road up to the border). The standard car papers, including proof of ownership as well as international insurance ("the Green Card") must be shown. For customs declarations, you will probably be asked to open the boot, and sometimes they actually search the whole car. Non-Bulgarian registered vehicles will probably be subject to a road tax. Everyone gets to pay about five leva to be able to drive through a shallow pool of disinfectant to be sure they're not bringing any weird things on their tyres into the country.
Taking a bus across the border is a long process, so be patient, have snacks available and a book or magazine. The passports of all the travellers on the bus are processed all at once (you will probably be asked to give yours to the bus driver or assistant, who will do most of the work). Chances are also good that you and the rest of the passengers will have to get your luggage and display it for the customs officers, who may or may not ask you to open it for their inspection.
If you're crossing by train, it is a long process as well, and very annoying if in the dead of night while you're trying to sleep. The conductors and customs people coming around several times to stamp, re-stamp and re-check passports, and you may have to get off the train to go to the customs desk in person, on one or both sides of the border.
· Be very wary of your luggage and your security at all times on trains, but especially during the confusing border stops and starts during the night.
For road assistance in Bulgaria, dial 146
For Police/Road patrols, dial 166
· Many roads and highways (and even towns) have changed their names and numbers in the past few years, but the signs haven't necessarily changed with them! Most major signs are now in Cyrillic as well as Roman lettering, but get an up-to-date map from the nearest petrol station to have something to fall back on.
· Much needed repair is going on these days on Bulgaria's road system. Be ready for detours and sudden changes in road surfaces which are being worked on.
