VARNA HOLIDAYS The Black Sea Coast Varna - Bulgaria Local Information

British Vice Consul	Weather	Currency	Public Holidays
Security	Transport	Language	Banks

British Vice Consul	There is a British Honorary Consul in Varna at 40 Graf Ignatiev Street, telephone +359(0)52 633044, they may be able to help if you encounter minor problems during your vacation, however, major problems should be refered to the British Embassy in Sofia at 9 Moskovska Street, telephone +359 (0) 2 9339222, fax +359 (0) 9339250, e-mail britembinf@mail.orbitel.bg
Banking	There are many ATM machines in the town of Varna which accept mainly VISA and Mastercard Debit and Credit Cards, this is the best way to draw cash whilst on holiday. Banks will also cash travellers cheques. If you intend to bring cash and exchange it for Leva whilst here it is probably better to use the services of a reputable bank.
Weather
Currency	The national currency of Bulgaria is the Lev, or Leva, it is divided into 100 parts called Stotinki.
Public Holidays	1 January New Year's Day 3 March National Day April Easter is a movable celebration in the Orthodox Church, it rarely happens at the same time as celebrated by Western churches. 1 May International Labour Day 24 May Day of the Slavonic Script and Bulgarian Culture 6 September Unification Day 22 September Independence Day 24 December Christmas Eve 25 December Christmas Day 26 December Second Day of Christmas
Transport	Taxis: These are plentiful and cheap. Just make sure that any that you hire make use of a meter. Buses: Again plentiful and cheap. Most local maps also show the routes and the relevant bus numbers.
Language	Bulgarian can be a difficult language for English speaking people to learn, however, learning a few words of Bulgarian can pay dividends when dealing with local people whilst you are here. Many Bulgarians, especially in tourist areas understand a little English, although they will not readily admit to doing so. Below is a short list of useful words and phrases. Yes Da No Ne Thank you (thanks) Blagodarya No thank you Ne blagodarya Please Molya Good Morning Dobro outro Good Day Dobur den Good Evening Dobur vecher Good Night Leka nosht Excuse me Izvinete Today Dnes Cheap Evtin All right Dobre My name is .... Kazvam se ..... May I ask your name ? Kak se kazvate Cheers Nazdrave ! Numbers, one to ten. Edin, Dve, Tri, Chetiri, Pet, Shest, Sedem, Ossem, Devet, Desset. Below are some signs and their meanings Entrance  -  Exit Toilets,   Men  -  Ladies Danger No Smoking Entrance Free
Security	The only problem you might encounter on your holiday is the same as in many holiday resorts, pickpockets, so please be aware all the time that this can be a problem and take adequate precautions to foil any attempts to relieve you of your hard earned cash and documents. It would be a good idea to leave travel documents including your passport at the apartment, and carry a photocopy of the relevant pages of your passport with you.