driving to bulgaria

hi am new to this ,but we are thinking of driving to bulgaria just after xmas ,before the new year .
we will be in newcastle for xmas with family ,
so plan to go from there .
i have been looking at the trains you can put ur car on ,has any one traveled this way ?
if so what was the best way to go ?
would be glad of any help with this .
we plan to rent for a few months and then buy ,as we dont know what part we would like to live in .i see a lot have asked this but would like an update answer .

Hi melody 08 have you anything in mind ie the coast or inland might be able to help if we had a bit more info cheers Smile

I have a property available for long term rental - rental can be negotiated. It managed by jon@bghomes.info (email address) web site is www.bghomes.info. English.bulgarian co we have dealt with them with may issues and they have proved to be kindness itself and helped us along the way. The house is beautiful its new 4 bed detached with large lanscaped garden with 2 wet rooms and showers and 3 furnished bedrooms and down stairs their is an open plan area with lounge, dining and kitchen area.
my email address is lizrb1953@hotmail.co.uk if you require any further information.

If you are travelling just after Christmas you should expect a lot of snow. You will need winter tyres (snow-chains not recommended). The quickest route is straight across france/germany/austria/hungary/serbia but in winter it can be easier to travel down italy and ferry over to greece and then come into Bulgaria from the south. Either way, from the UK you are looking at between 3 and 5 days depending on how often you stop etc. Expect heavy snow when you get to Bulgaria so have winter tyres and winter clothes. Good luck.

Have done this trip many times over the past 4 years - aikidd is right France/Germany/Austria/Hungary....
from here we now prefer to come thru Romania even tho the roads are mainly single carriage way - but the surface is now much improved. If you can come thru Romania on a sunday - there are no trucks on the road!

Be prepared to pay road tax/vignettes in each country - this is the main reason we dont come thru Serbia - we got charged 125 euro minimum for "green card". Got stopped for speeding - 10km over the limit - the cops are still corrupt there and added another 25 euro to the fund. Like the good old days here and in Romania. Also, the last bit of road coming into Bulgaria to Sofia from Serbia over the mountain, will be a killer in the winter - best to leave that one out.

Stick to EU countries if you can - less hassle at the borders with Customs.

Wintertime driving - make sure you have boots to wear in the snow - a spade is handy, just in case - a thermos of hot chocolate and some extra pick-you-up rakia - for emergencies only of course!! Shame to let the cockles get cold!

Remeber that winter tyres that are studded are not allowed in Bulgaria.

we have a place in vadi in bulgaria and we want to know how to get our furniture there if any one can help contact me on www.jimmulvey@hotmail.co.uk thankyou

Hi Melody
You have had a lot of good advice already, so I will not repeat it.
However I have just driven back here and I must point out that you will need to make sure you have a green card for your car insurance and if you use Serbia you will need to buy their car insurance at the border. It cost us £100, as a month is the smallest amount of cover you can buy.
You may find some interesting help on my blogsite, buypropertiesbulgaria.blogspot.com I have tried to put a lot of useful information on there to help people looking to relocate.
I would suggest, if you can delay your departure until a little later in the year, March is better, the weather is warmer and less snow.
Best of luck. If you need more info please ask.
Mark

Hi all I'm new to this post and love the advice can anyone advise a route staying in the EU

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September 03 2010