Bulgarian British Partnership
- Property for Sale in Bulgaria
Helping to bring out the best in Britain and the best in Bulgaria.
Bulgarian British Partnership is a UK based company, with Professionally Qualified Staff working in both the UK and Bulgaria.
Property for sale in Bulgaria;Language & Business Services
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MORE ABOUT LIFE IN BULGARIA (Page 2 of 3)
DRIVING IN BULGARIA
Roads - Signs and Marking: Whilst there has been some improvement in the Main Roads, there are still a lot of Pot Holes in the more Minor Roads. New Motorways and Dual Carriageways are being constructed.
Road Signs are not as good in Bulgaria as they are in Britain, there is sometimes a lack of signs. Also, road markings in Bulgaria sometimes don't exist or are badly in need of repainting. However, it does seem to be improving slowly. Most of the Signs are Internationally understood and some are written in English as well as in Bulgarian.
Road Rage: Statistics suggest that there is a higher percentage of road traffic accidents on Bulgarian Roads than in Britain, which some attribute to poor driving skills. There is some evidence that the Police are getting tougher on bad driving, speeding etc.
Whilst most Drivers are fine, there does seem to be some Road Rage incidents - it is best not to try and reason with Road Rage people - avoid responding, it just seems to fuel the situation.
Using Headlights: Driving in Bulgaria is of course on the right-hand side (unlike Britain). Drivers have to have their headlights on throughout the year and there are on the spot fines for Drivers who do not comply. Because this is a relatively new rule - a lot of drivers keep forgetting to put their lights on. In Britain we have a tendency to flash our lights if we are indicating to an oncoming driver that we are giving way to them. Be careful because in Bulgaria - they seem to flash their lights to warn you that they are coming (and they expect you to give way!).
Road Tax in Bulgaria is significantly cheaper than in Britain - just 67 Lev (about £30) for a year. I would say it is generally less expensive to keep a car on the road in Bulgaria than in Britain. Insurance, Car Maintenance, etc is also currently less expensive in Bulgaria. It is difficult to generalise, but I would very roughly estimate that it costs less than half the price to keep a car on the road in Bulgaria than it does in the UK.
Parking used to be free everywhere, but with Capitalism - there's now more Parking Charges.
THE COST OF LIVING GENERALLY IN BULGARIA
Draka Village Hall. Most Villages in Bulgaria still have an active Village Hall where everyone gets together to celebrate Birthdays and National Holidays.
Development Land here in Bulgaria is relatively less expensive, in the Burgas, Black Sea Coast Region: This Land we have for sale is only £3,250 for over half an acre, in a beautiful rural location, yet not too far from the big city. Please see the "Land for Sale" section under Properties for Sale in Bulgaria.
Overall - I would say that it is significantly less expensive to live in Bulgaria than in Britain. At the moment if a British Pensioner on a basic State Pension retires to Bulgaria - their money will go a lot further in Bulgaria than it does in Britain: In Britain Pensioners may struggle to make ends meet, whilst on the same Pension in Bulgaria - they will have more money left to actually spend on enjoying life and not just paying bills!
Some things are very much cheaper in Bulgaria and others are a similar price to that in Britain. For example, The House Tax payable each year (equivalent to our Council Tax in Britain) is less than £15 a year (for a small house). Water and Electricity bills are also cheaper - although electricity charges have been increasing. Some types of food are significantly cheaper, whilst others are similar to British Prices. Meat in Bulgaria does not tend to be very much cheaper than in Britain. It is generally very much less expensive to eat out in Restaurants in Bulgaria as compared to British Prices, but like anywhere - there are more expensive Restaurants in Bulgaria too. Imported Goods tend to be at similar prices or sometimes even a little more expensive than in Britain.
FOOD IN BULGARIA
Fruit and Vegetables in Bulgaria taste so much better than we usually get from UK Shops. Just about everyone in the Villages grows their own fruit and vegetables and there is always plenty to go round. The Markets too are full of beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables. Given the warmer climate and more sunshine in Bulgaria - some great fruit and veg can be grown.
Traditional Bulgarian Food includes:
- Banitsa - a Pastry - a bit like an Egg Flan, with Filo Pastry.
- Tarator - a cold Soup made of cucumber, yogurt, etc.
- Shopska Salad - Lettuce, Cucumber and Tomato, covered with white cheese.
- Sirene - a White Cheese
- Bulgarian Yogurt
- Great Stews
Rakia is the Traditional Alcohol made in Bulgaria. It is strong - best sipped slowly; if you drink too much too quickly it can take your breath away! Rakia is always served with salad in Bulgaria. Rakia can be made from different types of fruit - Peaches, Plums, Grapes, etc.
People seem to eat more bread in Bulgaria than we do in Britain. In Britain we might have one or two slices of bread, whereas in Bulgaria it is usually 3, 4 or 5 slices.
In Britain we like to eat our food hot and will get stuck into a very hot meal straight from the oven. In Bulgaria they prefer to let their food cool, feeling that hot food is not good for the stomach. Bulgarians are very much more relaxed when they are eating and take their time - stopping to have a chat at frequent intervals. In contrast, we tend to eat our food much more quickly and chat afterwards.
Before Winter arrives, in the Villages you will see people hard at work bottling and preserving fruit and vegetables to see them through the winter months.
If you would like to read about the Culture of the Bulgarian People - everyday life in Bulgaria and more about History and Heritage in Bulgaria, please click on this button which will take you to the next page:
