News

Sunny Delight - Budget busting Bulgaria is Europe without the Euro By William Spencer News of the World

BULGARIA might not be first on your list if you're planning a sunshine break.

But I've got news for you . . . because while many European resorts will get you hot under the collar at their expensive price tags, this one's like a breath of fresh air.

Loads to do for families, good temperatures, not too far from home - and you can even get a pint for just 44p.

So if you're looking for an affordable holiday with plenty of bargains, you won't find much to Balkan at here.

Bulgaria's in Europe but outside the Eurozone, so you feel you're getting real value for money with the exchange rate of £1 to just over two Bulgarian Lev.

Once the preserve of a few wily wine-seekers, Bulgaria has moved on considerably.

Sunny Beach is the thumping heart of the Black Sea riviera, a small city jammed full of every tourist delight - from casinos to beach bars.

We called it Sunny Delight - as artificial as the sweet drink, but boy, there's fun to be had here.

This is a honeypot for young party animals, where bar-hopping tour groups shamelessly sing down the street, dance on bars and think nothing of ending the night with a reverse bungee jump and chicken kebab.

The long beach promenade is as frenzied as Brighton pier, with fun-fair attractions, bars and shopping vying for attention.

And with temperatures that frequently nudge 30°C (85°F) in the summer, you can see the draw for families wanting a reasonable getaway.

There's lots to keep you entertained. One of the kookier attractions was Big Balls Man where you sit inside a giant see-through beach ball and float across a swimming pool - a bit like a human hamster in a wheel.

Our hotel provided a much-needed oasis of calm away from the buzz of Sunny Beach. Just 50 metres from the sea, The Royal Beach Barcelo offers five-star luxury in the heart of the fun.

Glitzy

It's clean and efficient, and the staff are so friendly you could be in a small family-run hotel.

Our balcony overlooked the three outdoor swimming pools near the glitzy seafront which gives way to the Black Sea beyond. I was taken aback by the main splat-shaped pool with little palm tree islands.

My missus loved the hotel's cleanliness, and my two-year-old son couldn't stay away from the kids' pool and climbing frame. The buffet food was surprisingly good, too.

There's a refreshing honesty about the Bulgarians we met. Drago, our holiday rep from Balkan Holidays, wasn't selling excursions because he had to - he genuinely wanted us to see the best of his country.

We took his advice and branched out to explore the surroundings.

The nearby ancient town of Nessebar juts out into the sea south of Sunny Beach. In between higgledy- piggledy wooden houses with verandas we stumbled across churches galore with elaborate Byzantine brickwork. Some had been gouged in the ground after an old law forbade churches from being taller than a man on horseback.

This is real picture-postcard Bulgaria, a far cry from the high-rise hotels of Sunny Beach.

But it was further down the coast, in Sozopol - with its warren of wooden-topped houses overlooking the sea - that we truly fell in love with Bulgaria.

Be warned though, it's easy to get lost among the maze of streets where, characteristically, you'll find an old lady sitting on every corner selling plum jam and white lace doilies.

You can't help but marvel at Sozopol's quaint beauty, and you don't have to worry that venturing out will break the bank either.

We feasted on a fish supper in a beach café and it only came to about £14 for the three of us. Unbelievable value, and tasty too.

So the next time you pay £4 for a pint of over-priced lager in the UK, think about the nine pints you'd get in Bulgaria. This is Europe without the Euro, and it's well worth exploring.

Blue Sky Thinking - Simon Calder's Top Destinations

Bulgaria - Because it still offers the cheapest beach holidays in Europe, and standards have improved radically in the past year; also a good ski destination - Independent 14/01/09

Bourgas airport open all year - Wizz one of first airlines to indicate they will fly all year

According to local papers Wizz are one of the first airlines to take the opportunity of flying all year round into Bourgas as a result of the decision to open the airport throughout the whole year - July 2007

According to the European Travel Commission, Britons have the third highest propensity for foreign travel of 38 European nationalities, behind only the Swedes and the Swiss.

This is despite foreign travel for the British not being a simple matter of crossing a land border, as it is for many Europeans. The ETC attributed the strength of the UK outbound market to the fact that the country has the biggest number of budget airline services in Europe.

The ETC's 'European Tourism Insights 2006-Outlook for 2007' report also shows that strongest growth in UK visitor arrivals last year was seen by Montenegro, with a 67.4% increase, ahead of Finland with 45.5%. They were followed by Poland (+32%), Latvia (+30.8%), Slovakia (+22.1%), Lithuania (+21.2%), Norway (+19%), Monaco (+14%) and Bulgaria and Germany (both +12.2%).

Number of UK passengers to Bulgaria grows in 2006

The Civil Aviation Authority has just announced that compared to 2005, in 2006 there has been a 19% jump in passengers flying to Bulgaria from UK airports.

Nearly 1m passengers flew from UK airports in 2006. Bourgas, the airport closest to Sunny Beach was the most popular destination. The leading airport to fly to Bourgas was Manchester with 71,743 passengers, followed by Gatwick (55,055) and Glasgow (44,000). The largest percentage growth in 2006, compared to 2005, was at Birmingham, Belfast International, Doncaster Sheffield and Durham Tees Valley airports.

Irish Low-Fare Airline Steps in to Bulgaria

Irish low fares airline Ryanair is preparing to open destinations to Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv.

The company, headquartered in Dublin, will connect the southern Bulgarian city with airports in the UK, Spain and Germany, following the densest Bulgarian emigrant populaces in Europe.

Sofia Airport is also negotiating with Ryanair, as well as with British no-frills airline EasyJet, according to local press reports.

Ryanair is one of Europe's largest low-cost carriers and one of Europe's most successful airlines, operating on 362 routes to 22 countries. Ryanair has been characterized by rapid expansion, a result of the deregulation of the air industry in Europe in 1997.

In 2002 Ryanair launched 26 new routes and established a hub in Frankfurt-Hahn Airport.

In 2003, Ryanair announced the order of a further 100 new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft from Boeing, and in February a third continental base was opened at Milan-Bergamo in Italy.

Currently Ryanair operates 12 European hubs, another ten new hubs they intend to establish over the next seven years.

Sofia News Agency 14th December 2006

Bulgaria Welcomes 1,5 M Tourists for Summer 2006

Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts have received nearly 1.5 M foreign tourists for the 2006 summer season, shows a survey of the Analysis of Tourism Institute.

The numbers were announced at the tourism forum "Bulgaria's Mountains".

Rough calculations show the income from foreign tourists' visits for the summer season is about EUR 600 M. Bulgaria has scored a 8,3 % increase of the number of foreign tourist and a 4,6 % growth of income from tourism for the last year.

Sofia News Agency 18th October 2006

Bulgaria's Parliament Oks European Common Aviation Area

Bulgaria's parliament ratified the agreement for establishing the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA)

The European Union signed on June 9 in Luxembourg the agreement for the creation of a European Common Aviation Area with Bulgaria, seven more countries from South Eastern Europe, Norway and Iceland.

The others include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.

The negotiations on the ECAA Agreement with the South East European partners were launched in March 2005 and took less than a year. ECAA is expected to create a seamless and efficient European air transport network, linking European people, countries and cultures, and play a vital role in the further integration and development of Europe as a whole.

The agreement would give Bulgarian airliners the right to operate in member states without permission from the air traffic administration. The number of air carriers, which operate to and from Bulgaria, is expected to increase, together with the airports' revenues. Forecasts say the price of air carriers' tickets will go down.

Forecasts for aircraft movement between the EU and southeast Europe predict an average annual growth rate of more than 6% per annum between 2005 and 2011. As tourism is a growth area in the coastal regions in southeast Europe with potentially 414 airports in the region, there is an opportunity for further expansion.

Sofia News Agency 18th October 2006

New Low cost airlines to fly to Bourgas in 2007?

Four low-cost companies had already declared their intention to start flying to Bulgaria after January 1 2007 when the country joins the EU and the aviation market will be liberalised.

Italian Myair announced on October 10 that it would fly from Sofia to Bologne. Ireland's Ryanair, the UK's Easy Jet and Germany's GermanWings already presented a flight schedule to Sofia airport, Dnevnik said. A number of air companies have applied to fly to Bulgaria's Bourgas airport.

Sofia Echo 10th October 2007

Holidays to Bulgaria

Views and Records
by Peter Hartley
Market-Day.net

A lot more people these days are choosing Bulgaria for their summer holiday. As more and more people are discovering Bulgaria as holiday destination the tour operators and flight companies are starting to expand their service into this country.

There is still an awful lot for Bulgaria to do before they get accession into the EU ( which is currently set for 2007 ).

Bulgaria has a lovely coastline and there are 2 main holiday destinations one in the north called Golden Sands and one in the south called Sunny Beach. These 2 destinations are where the main hotels accommodations are located.Large tour operators are based in these resorts the likes of First Choice. When having a holiday in Bulgaria there is two options to choose from. The first being the normal package holiday from travel agents which you will be staying in the normal hotel at half board or all inclusive. The second option would be a private villa or apartment booked directly with the villa or apartment owner. After that you will have to book your own flights to the country.

The second option of the private villa or apartment in Bulgaria is a very cost effective option. Lets have a look at the process.

There is a few websites offering villa or apartment Holidays to Bulgaria. Your first point of contact would be the internet to search for the options available to you. Now because the private rental market in Bulgaria is in its infancy the prices of villas or apartments are very reasonable. This would cost you a lot less than booking a private rental in the likes of Spain. Once you have chosen the property you are wanting to book you would contact the owner directly to either check availability or to book the property.

Flights is the harder bit there is a few companies that have just come on the market offering cheap flights to Bulgaria the likes of wizzair but with this company it is not a directly flight you usually have to stop off in Budapest. The main company is First Choice which offer the best deals I have seen on the internet to date. As Bulgaria gets more and more popular with British tourists then more of the cheap flight companies will introduce regular flights to the country making it an easier option for people. Generally a private rental Holiday done through the internet yourself should save you roughly about Â£100 - Â£150 per person.

Lets have a look at the destinations for Bulgaria. Golden Sands is the smallest of the 2 big resorts it is found about 20km outside Varna and is a beach resort to rival any of the european resorts and with the prices of things in Bulgaria it is likely that you would not spend as much on a holiday to Bulgaria as you would to other European resorts.

Sunny Beach is the southern resort and is 4 times as big as Golden Sands. Again Golden sands is a beach resort like any european resorts with a multitude of hotels apartments and villas for rent. The restaurants are delicious and the friendliness of the locals always make you feel at home.

There are other not so well known smaller resorts the likes of Albena, Kranevo, Sozopol, Sinemoretz, Balchik that are worth visiting and all within easy reach of either a City the likes of Varna or Bourgas or one of the bigger resorts.

What is becoming more popular these days is the rural holidays to Bulgaria where people just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of normal life and want a more relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Staing in a rural area and experiencing the real Bulgarian way of life is a must. The locals are so friendly and are only too happy to invite yo to experience their way of life. Village life in Bulgaria is recommended if you are looking for relaxation or de-stressing as nothing is more calming than life in a real Bulgarian Village.

In Summary as Bulgaria gets more popular with british tourists there is an abundance of private rental property for holidaymakers to choose from. Bulgaria is a lovely country which is waiting to be explored. It is an unspoilt country with plenty to offer holidaymakers that are looking either for a busy nightlife or the peace and quiet rural life of the countryside. So why not have a look at what is on offer in Bulgaria and book your Holiday to Bulgaria now.

10th October 2007

Bulgaria is the top emerging destination of 2007,

according to Opodo.

Opodo's UK country manager Neil Mott said: "2006 has seen a strong rise in travel to Eastern European countries since whilst being accessible, they still hold a certain 'mystique' for the traveller.

"Bookings to Bulgaria have risen by 40% in the last six months and with the prospect of joining the EU in January '07, we expect to see a significant increase in the number of tourists heading there to take advantage of the Euro." Travelmole.com August 2006

Cost of flying for holidays in Bulgaria likely to go down!

Bulgaria joins the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA).

The European Union signed an agreement for the creation of a European Common Aviation Area with Bulgaria, seven more countries from South Eastern Europe, Norway and Iceland.

Bulgaria's Transport Minister Petar Mutafchiev signed in Luxembourg the agreement that would give airlines unrestricted access to the region's skies.

The European Commission says the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) will create a seamless and efficient European air transport network, linking European people, countries and cultures, and play a vital role in the further integration and development of Europe as a whole.

Bulgaria's government approved an agreement for establishing the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) at the end of April. The agreement would give Bulgarian airliners the right to operate in member states without permission from the air traffic administration. The number of air carriers, which operate to and from Bulgaria, is expected to increase, together with the airports' revenues. Forecasts say the price of air carriers' tickets will go down.

Cheap Holiday destinations

Bulgaria and the Indian state of Goa are the cheapest places to go on holiday, a recent survey by tour giant Thomas Cook cited by British tabloid Mirror reveals.

In its summer 2006 survey into the cost of living in the world's leading holiday resorts, the Thomas Cook Cost of Holiday Living Index (TCCHLI) surveyed prices on 16 typical holiday items across 25 popular worldwide destinations.

The survey revealed that long-haul destinations such as Goa, offer greater savings in holiday spending compared with Europe, with Goa, Brazil and Tunisia all cheaper overall than even Bulgaria, Europe's cheapest destination.

In contrast, Europe's cheapest destinations according to the TCCHLI survey for 2006 were Bulgaria, (overall cost: GBP 34.73), Spain (overall cost: GBP 44.72) and Majorca (overall cost: GBP 45.98). Sofia News Agency Sun 28 May 2006