Wintertime in Bulgaria can be strikingly cold beginning at the end of November with plenty of snow falling from December onwards. The average temperatures during this season range from 37-48 degrees and it rains on average 4-5 times per month. The mountains and ski villages are booming during this time are popular with snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, and gorgeous ski resorts with warm, cozy taverns. The coastal resorts shut down during the winter months as the weather is far too cold to spend on the beach or in the water.

Events and Festivals

-Christmas Eve – December 24th

-Christmas Day – December 25th

-Second Day of Christmas – December 26th

-New Year’s Eve – December 31st (Large parties in the capital city)

-New Year’s Day – January 1st

-Mummer’s Festival “Surva” – last weekend in January – Pernik hosts the large event promoting ancient Bulgarian customs and traditions.

Springtime in Bulgaria is a beautiful season with mild weather, especially along the coastline when temperatures start to warm up and are influenced by the Mediterranean climate. April and May can often still see snow in the higher parts of the country, but the valleys start to warm up. The landscapes come alive during the springtime with verdant countryside and pastures filled with poppies, primroses, and a variety of wild orchids. The spring months can still be a wet time of year in Bulgaria, so having an umbrella and raincoat handy is advised. The average temperatures this time of year range from 72-74 degrees, lows can drop to 46 degrees. Springtime is one of the busiest seasons in Bulgaria with many visitors making the trip to the country to experience outdoor activities such as hiking.

Events and Festivals

-Humour Carnival – May – Annual festival held in Gabrovo, in the heart of Bulgaria in the middle of May. Includes a carnival parade, with floats, food, wine, and Balkan music.

-Orthodox Easter

The summer months are a popular season in Bulgaria when visitors flock to the country’s sparkling coast to the seaside resort areas. The summer months are the high season in the country especially in Sofia with beaches and the sea to enjoy on hot summer days. The beaches do get crowded during the summer and the resort areas are booming with vacationers seeking sunshine, sand, and sea. August is the hottest month with temperatures soaring into the high 80s and humidity. June is the wettest month with several days of rain. July 1st has become a tradition in Bulgaria to watch the sunrise over the Black Sea, many heads to the coast and celebrate midsummer. Up in the mountains is a pleasant visit during the summer months with cooler temperatures and plenty of shade found throughout the slopes and walks through the Rhodope Mountains and Pirin National Park.

Events and Festivals

-Piring Sings Folklore Festival – June – Traditional craft and music fair held in the village of Oreshak with food, dancing, and folk artists exhibits.

-International Bagpipe Festival – August – Gela Village

-Rose Festival – June – held annually for over 115 years in Kazanlak

-Fire Dancing Festival – August 2nd to 15th – Bulgari village

-Cherry Festival – June 26th – Kyustendil

-Wake up Open Air Festival – August – A popular music festival held in the hills of Kuklen Monastery with music, dance performances, fire walking, spiritual lectures, and yoga sessions.

The fall months in Bulgaria bring the start of the colder weather with the build up to winter. However, the fall months especially September and October are simply stunning in the cities and mountain towns. The country starts to light up with the fiery fall foliage, and the mountains and national parks are utterly spectacular. The temperatures are still pleasant with warm temperatures and cooler evenings, visitors can still check out the beaches during this time or head to the mountains. The vineyards around the Struma Valley and Melnik are bustling with energy and activity in the fall, grapes are harvested until the end of October. The ski resorts in Bulgaria start to open up in December and the end of the ski season is mid-April. Temperature averages during the fall season range from 50-78 making things feel a bit chilly, rain and snow can be prominent 3-4 days per month.

Events and Festivals

-Puppet Theatre Festival – September (Friday’s and Saturday’s) – Sofia

-Euro Folk Black Sea Festival – September 2-7 – Tsarevo

-Bulgarian Plum Festival – September 18-20 – Troyan

-Independence Day – September 22-23

The road infrastructure in Bulgaria is pretty poor with significant potholes and uneven surfaces, and roads in the country that are unfinished. There can be animals and livestock roaming the roads, traffic signs are hard to read and difficult to navigate, and the locals are erratic drivers who don’t obey the speed limit. There are modern four-lane highways that connect Sofia with Plovdiv, Burgas, and Turkey along with highways to Varna, and Greece.

Road signs are not great in Bulgaria, there are signs written in both Bulgarian Cyrillic and English, some are shown in Latin making it hard or impossible for foreigners to read. Speed limits are shown in km/h.

The national speed limit in cities and urban areas is 50km/h, outside of the cities it’s 90km/h and on the highways, it is 140km/h (unless otherwise specified).

Documents and Laws

They drive on the right-hand side of the road in Bulgaria and pass on the left. You are required to have the right paperwork when driving including a valid driver’s license, an International Driver’s permit, registration for the vehicle, and proof of insurance. Seatbelts are required by all passengers in the vehicle at all times.

Every driver must possess a highway permit, called a “vignette” these can be obtained at gas stations, DZI bank offices, border points, and post offices. (Rental cars usually have the vignette sticker on them, but be sure to double-check this before driving outside of the city).

You must drive with headlights on even during the daytime all year round in Bulgaria.

Driver’s cannot turn right on a red light in Bulgaria.

The pan-European standard number 112 for all emergency calls is working everywhere in Bulgaria since September 2008. If, for some reason, you can not connect to 112, dial 166 for police, 150 for an ambulance, and 160 for the fire department.

The laws are very strict when it comes to drinking and driving in Bulgaria, the blood alcohol limit is 0.05%. Your first offense will result in a hefty fine, and you can lose your license for up to a year as well as face a long prison sentence.

When traveling to Bulgaria it is a great idea to rent a car, there are many rental car offices throughout the country including international companies such as Avis, Hertz, Europcar, and Sixt.

Drivers must be 21 to hire a car and have a valid driver’s license as well as an International Driving Permit and a valid driver’s license for your deposit.

Many of the sights in Bulgaria are only accessible by car, so the most convenient way to visit the best sites is by driving a car.

There are plenty of petrol stations found along the main roads in Bulgaria, as well as through the cities and towns. Some of the bigger chain petrol stations include OMV, Petrol, Lukoil, Shell, Eko, and Gasprom. Petrol stations are readily available around cities and villages. On the main highway, the petrol stops are clearly marked and often don’t offer a wide range of services like elsewhere in Europe, where you would have a resting place with a restaurant next to it.