We have collected for you answers to the most common questions of tourists or people planning to live in Bulgaria. If you have interesting questions, write to us at toprentm@gmail.com and we will try to disclose this question in subsequent articles. See you in Bulgaria!

Car rental:

 Frequently asked questions?

 

- What to consider when choosing a vehicle in the Republic of Bulgaria?

  1) Narrow streets where it is difficult to drive, stretch out or park.  Therefore, we recommend choosing small-sized machines.
  2) A limited number of free parking lots, and paid ones in large centers or significant sights can also be a difficult place to find.  Therefore, the smaller your car, the less this will be a problem for you)
  3) The price of fuel is much more expensive than in Russia or Ukraine, but cheaper than in Europe.  Small cars, as well as cars on gas, are more profitable to rent here.
  4) Mountain climbs.  Bulgaria has a fairly large number of mountains and passes, where serpentines and long hills alternate.  Therefore, if traveling through the mountains, it is better to give preference to cars with a manual transmission or if an automatic transmission, then a more powerful engine, since very small cars of less than 1.6 will slightly “pull” in a simple way.
  5) Density of parking.  It’s not a secret that in Europe, as in Bulgaria, parking problems and often cars are so close that you have to get in through passenger doors or find scratches from someone’s door or bumper in your car.  Therefore, the more expensive and newer you rent a car, the more expensive you will have to pay for the damage, even CDW cannot always help, since there are different franchise conditions or you forgot to draw up a protocol from the police.  Therefore, for Bulgaria, a new expensive car is not the most important thing, choose for reliability, maintenance and service.  And CDW can be issued in any rental company, the main thing is to be able to use it correctly at the right time.

 - Getting a rented car, what you should know and what to look for?

 Upon receipt of the vehicle, it is necessary to check it for damage and damage:

 * Go around the car yourself 2-3 times, carefully inspecting it, fix the damage in a special form with a representative of the rental company;  pay special attention to the condition of windows, doors, bumpers, headlights, wheels;  Take a video or photo of the general plan and in detail damage;

 * Sit in the cabin and make sure the dashboard sensors are in good condition, check the steering, turn on the air conditioning, lock and unlock the door locks, tape recorder / radio;

 * Check the equipment of the car, make sure that the car has a first aid kit, a spare wheel, a jack, an emergency sign and a vest;

 * If in doubt, ask the employee to take a ride in the place on this machine with you;

 * You can check the quality of service (oil, antifreeze, etc.)

 * When signing the contract, read the conditions before this, whether everything is correctly indicated and noted;  Be sure to check your contact details so that the rental company can contact you if something happens, and you contact her.  The contract must indicate the company’s registration number (BULSTAT) in case of problems with the authorities, they could contact the company and resolve issues.

 

 - What is included in the insurance coverage and what does the insurance not cover?

 Different types of insurance provide different conditions, consider the most popular:

 MTPL insurance - be careful when renting a car for the type of this insurance, there must be a mention that the right to drive a vehicle is provided by third parties, as well as foreign citizens.  If this record is not available, problems with insurance companies are possible and they have the right to refuse to indemnify for insurance;
 - CDW (Collison Damage Waiver) - extended rental car insurance.  Does not cover damage to the windshield, tires, underbody, car interior, as well as damage to the engine, transmission and chassis;

 - Super CDW - covers damage to the windshield, tires, underbody and inside the car.  But it does not cover damage to the engine, transmission and chassis.  More details here

 The insurance is not valid when driving while intoxicated, or intoxicated, or if the driver does not comply with the rules of the road.  If the Client does not provide the necessary documents from the Police about a traffic accident, then most likely the damage will have to be paid to you.

 

  

 - The road surface in Bulgaria?

 The road surface in Bulgaria is average, in our opinion.  In most cases, asphalt or concrete pavement according to the main directions and attractions.  But still, to the wildest corners, but no less beautiful, the roads are still unpaved and you should consider this if you decide to rent a car.  In all rental companies, the use of rented cars outside public roads, primers or roads with critically poor coverage is strictly prohibited.  I will try to explain to you why.  You are probably already an experienced driver and can imagine what damage such use of the machine can cause, but you do not know that this does not cover any type of insurance, and that repairs, as well as the price of parts in Bulgaria are much higher than in other countries.  Therefore, most likely you will have to pay for personal damage to such operation of the car, after an expert evaluation.  Appreciate your money, spend it on something pleasant and keep the property entrusted to you so that everyone will enjoy it.  You can always take a little walk, breathe in the wonderful clean sea or mountain air and enjoy the nature of Bulgaria :)

 

 - What are vignettes and where to buy them?

 Not all car rental companies provide included in the price vignette - payment for toll roads in Bulgaria, in fact it is all roads outside the city or village.Be sure to check this moment with your rental company.

 Where can I buy it - at some petrol stations through the terminal, from Bulgarian mobile operators, via EasyPay or directly through the site https://www.bgtoll.bg/ Also through this site you can check if the rented car has a vignette or if it can expire  actions are about to expire, and the fine for her lack of up to 300 leva.

 

 - What are the emergency phone numbers in Bulgaria?

 national rescue service - 112

 ambulance - 150;

 police - 166;

 fire protection - 160.

 

 - What to do when an insured event or traffic accident occurs ?

 Contact the traffic police or emergency services immediately if necessary, and report the situation or ask for help at the rental company where you rented a car.

 

 - Are there any differences between Bulgarian traffic rules and the Russian Federation?

 The differences are slight or some may already be the same, over time (legislation changes everywhere), some of them:

 * The maximum speed limit in settlements is 50/59 km / h, outside - 80/89 km / h, on the highway - 110/140 km / h;

 * the maximum allowable level of alcohol in the blood is 0.49 ppm;

 * When leaving the transport on the highway, each passenger must wear a reflective vest, regardless of the time of day;

 * Mandatory use of dipped headlights at any time of the day;

 * It is forbidden to talk on the phone without the special “hands-free” system.

 

 

 

- Paid parking in Bulgaria where and how to pay?

 If there are no prohibition signs, parking meters or payment signs near the parking place, then you will not have to pay for parking.  But if you see a paid parking sign, blue or green zone, you must read the payment terms and be sure to pay so that you do not have to pay a fine of 10 to 100 euros.  How much are parking lots and how do they work:

 * The blue zone costs 1 - 2 BGN (0.5 - 1 euro) per hour, the car is allowed to leave a maximum of 3 hours.  Parking is paid every day. The working hours in each city are different (at night free) on weekdays, but completely free on weekends and holidays.  In resort towns, the blue zone may not work out of season (for example, Sunny Beach).

 * The green zone is often in resorts or close to places of interest, costs 1 - 2 BGN (0.5 - 1 euro) per hour.  The car is allowed to leave a maximum of 4 hours.  Parking is paid from 08:00 to 19:00, be careful it can work on weekends, and only seasonally.  On national holidays, cars are not charged in both the green and blue zones.

 You can pay using SMS messages sent to the short number indicated on the sign, or you can buy a coupon card from a valet, if one is nearby.  We noticed the parking meter - make a payment from the card or in cash, and then put the ticket under the windshield on the dashboard.

 

 - What are the fuel prices and how to refuel in Bulgaria?

 The price fluctuates every month, and it may differ in the city and in the country or in the mountains.  Here are the approximate prices as of 2020 (winter): gasoline 95 - 2.20 / 2.35 lev / liter;  diesel - 2.20 / 2.40 lev / liter;

 gas (propane) - 0.86 / 1.01 lev / liter.  There are no 92 in Bulgaria. As you have noticed, the most advantageous type of fuel is gas, provided there is a new generation of gas equipment, there is no difference in consumption between gas and gasoline, which is more environmentally friendly.  There were no problems with gas stations in Bulgaria on our own experience and on the experience of our customers, every year there are only more of them.  Gas  stations are usually at regular gas stations, in rare cases, usually in the mountains you may not find a joint arrangement of gas and gasoline at the same gas station, but it will definitely be nearby, as more and more gas engines are preferred in the country because of the price of fuel  and convenience, because you will immediately have 2 types of fuel, believe me, this has repeatedly helped us even on long journeys.

 

- Fines for violation of traffic rules and how to pay them?

 You can get the fine according to the protocol drawn up on the spot, or receive it by post - office from the cameras, they arrive at the place of registration of the owner of the vehicle, or you can find out about them online (only for Bulgarian citizens) and directly at the Police  (traffic police) department for foreign citizens.

 Keep in mind that in Bulgaria there is a system of discounts within a month from the date of receipt of the fine and it is 30%.  After that you will have to pay 100%, if within a month you do not pay the penalty and you will drive a vehicle, the police are entitled to withdraw your driver’s license during the next inspection.

 If you rent a car, your driver’s license (copy), together with the rental agreement and a fine for refusing to pay, are sent to the Police and then written off from the rental company to the driver.

 Payment of the fine can be made online, through any bank or directly to the Police through the cashier.

 

 - What driver's license is required in Bulgaria?

 In Bulgaria, driving licenses from other countries are valid, as the country is a party to the Vienna Convention.  Of course, it is desirable that there be a translation into the Latin alphabet, but so far this is not necessary.

 

 - How long can I drive with a foreign driver’s license in the country?

 This question is relevant for those who are staying for a long time or intend to live in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.  So, they officially designate no more than 3 months of continuous stay in the country, but border systems with the traffic police system are not connected yet and they can still ask for your personal passport or a personal card.

 

 - Is it possible to transfer control of a rented car to another driver?

 The right to drive a rented car is granted only to persons inscribed in the contract, except in extreme cases.  Why so, everything is very simple, for the most part, is the requirement of insurance companies, when an insured event occurs, an unpleasant situation will arise regarding a conflict of interest.Or an even more unpleasant situation may develop regarding fines or damage, for which the driver inscribed in this contract will have to answer.  Therefore, this condition is aimed primarily at protecting the interests of the client who has rented a car, since he will have to pay for everything.

 

 - What should I do if the rented car is faulty or suspiciously malfunctions?

 Contact the rental company from which you rented a car and report a problem.  Frequently, rental companies replace the car and understand it further themselves, but if you borrowed from a company in which this condition was not specified anywhere in the contract, then most likely you can simply be picked up and promised that they will solve the problem soon.  Therefore, carefully read the terms of the lessors and ask them directly if they have such an opportunity.

  

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