Trip to Bulgaria by car is a good thing. It's not as expensive as on the plane. Especially if you're traveling with your family. And if You're a car enthusiast, the car ride can bring You a real pleasure.
However, on the way to meet some unpleasant moments: the lack of necessary documents, corrupt police, bad roads. To avoid all these difficulties, you need to know in advance the requirements of the customs, rules of the road in other States, and the correct routes.
Required documents
- Bulgarian passport or Schengenvisa. For registration of Sungevity please contact us.
- Medical insurance. Not necessary but desirable.
- An international driving permit. Also not a compulsory document, but if You take international law, You will be able to go further on the Russian rights. Otherwise You will lose time.
- GreenCard - insurance on the car.
- Road tax (or vignette).
Routes to Bulgaria from Moscow
From Moscow to Odessa advise You two routes:
- First you will go from Moscow to Minsk (perfect road). Then turn on Orsha. Then get to the post "Three sisters" (they crossed the border of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine). How not to lose time on this post? I do NOT ADVISE to go through this post in the afternoon on Friday, in the first half of the day on Saturday and Sunday after 15:00. This route will save about 2 hours, although it is longer than route 2.
- First you will go from Moscow to Kaluga (track M3). Driving a transit Fee, go past the Bryansk on baczewski. Will have to cross Ukrainian border. From there you can go on the repaired track m (also known as E101). Next, you need to roll on the track m and go to the same route m. On it we turn to Kiev, and then heading back to Odessa.
Until recently the route Kiev-Odessa was in a terrible state (after the winter). By summer 2013, according to rumors, it had to be repaired. Try to find this information, if you choose this route.
Highly recommend to go by the rules. Ukrainian police are very strict and can even take away the rights for gross violations. That is why above, we advise You to make international law. In this case, You will be able to continue the journey, even if they take.
From Odessa to Bulgaria without ferry
Route No. 1
The first variant of the route from Odessa to Bulgaria passes through Cahul. From Odessa we go through Cahul to Bolgrad. The road to Cahul — n�� of the best, but you can go. In Moldova we get through the checkpoint Vinogradovka. From him to Cahul need to pass only 30-40 km away.
Next we cross the checkpoint Ounce. We in Romania! Going about 450 miles through Galati and Constanta. Be careful on the Romanian roads, because in many places it is forbidden to overtake, and the quality of the road surface is very good. Now, in order to get to Bulgaria, were to cross the checkpoint Durankulak, and we in Bulgaria. Drive to Varna. Further, all the roads in Bulgaria are open to us.
Route 2
The second option is the route from Odessa to Bulgaria passes through Reni. First you will go from Odessa to Izmail and Reni. The next stage of the path — entry into Moldova. Until recently, the roads on this route were very bad. So while I do not advise this route. After crossing the border with Romania going to Bucharest, then on the Ruse. Cross the Danube river on the toll bridge and into Bulgaria.
Via the ferry. Go to checkpoint Calarasi, there is a ferry across the Danube. Through him, we are transported to Silistra. And we in Bulgaria! Advise this route. Roads on it — very good. And the ferries run frequently during the day every 20 minutes, and at night every 30 minutes.
If You want less to sit behind the wheel, then we can recommend another route via the ferry. Going from Odessa to Ilyichevsk. In Illichivsk Board a ferry that will transport us to Varna. But here the apparent convenience is offset by some disadvantages. First, motorcyclists will not be able to get on the ferry. Secondly, the ferry departs once fully filled. Waiting sometimes be delayed for a few days.
Fear of fines?
The best way not to pay fines to comply with the rules. You have to be especially attentive to speed limits.
Speed limits in Russia, Romania, Ukraine:
- The speed up to 140 km/h.
- On the road — 90 km/h.
- In settlements of up to 60 km/h. with the Exception of Veliko Tarnovo (up to 50 km/h), Sunny beach — 40 km/h.
In Belarus, the restrictions are the same, except motorways — 120 km/h.
