Each cell is that destination's own verdict for the month — sweet spot, ok or avoid — with its typical daily high, from the same ten years of climate readings its page is built from. A dot marks a busy month. The last row counts the sweet spots, and the best months are marked.

Before you go

Cost of living	very cheap — prices run about 23% of the United States' (World Bank, 2025)
Currency	Euro
Languages	Bulgarian
Plugs	Type C and F, 230 V
Driving	On the right
Calling code	+359
Travel advice	No advice against travel — UK Foreign Office, updated 2026-08-11
Health	UK Foreign Office health advice

Facts from Wikidata (CC0), the UK Foreign Office (Open Government Licence) and the World Bank, refreshed 2026-10-08. The advisory is written for British travellers; entry rules depend on your passport.

On arrival

Apps — Rides: TaxiMe, Yellow Taxi. Maps: Google Maps, Apple Maps. Taxi fares vary considerably: take a licensed taxi with a working meter, check the licence sticker and the tariffs on the window before getting in, and avoid taxis waiting outside hotels and in tourist areas; have your hotel call one, or hail one showing a green light.
Paying — Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026, and old leva can be changed free of charge at the Bulgarian National Bank. Everyday life runs largely on cash, though most businesses take major cards and ATMs are widely available. ATMs fitted with card skimmers are common in Sofia, Burgas and Varna: use ones inside banks or in well-lit public places, and cover the keypad.
UPI, for visitors from India — Not accepted for paying here; bring a card that works abroad.
Getting around Sofia — Metro line M4 runs from its Sofia Airport station through the city centre (Serdica) to Obelya. A 30 plus ticket costs €0.80 and covers changes, metro included, for 30 minutes: tap a contactless bank card on the blue validator in each vehicle, again at every change, or at the metro barriers, and once one card has paid for more than two such tickets in a day, it is charged the €2 day pass for all lines instead. For a taxi, use the official taxi desk in the arrivals hall and check the meter is working.
Tipping — Tips are not added to the bill: give 5 to 10% in restaurants if you like, though it is not always necessary.
Emergency — 112 (any emergency).
TravelCharika is not an emergency service: we cannot call for help or send anyone. Numbers can change; if one fails, ask someone local or your hotel.

Put together by hand from the sources listed, checked 8 October 2026. Apps, cards and rules change, so check before you rely on one.

Sources (16)

Every verdict here is the destination's own: ten years of climate readings, the public holidays that crowd it, and what the flight costs. Nothing is said about Bulgaria as a whole that was not first measured at each place in it.