As the great Aleko Konstantinov said, "Get to know your country to love it"... We have long wanted to get to know one specific part of Bulgaria, namely the Danube plain and the northern Black Sea coast, so we decided to we rent a car from our friends at Top Rent A Car and let's take a trip around this beautiful part of Bulgaria. As we are fans of green energy and electric cars, we decided to check what it's like to travel with this type of car in Bulgaria. In the following lines, we will tell you about our adventure and about our impressions of the car, the company from which we rented it, the places where we stayed, as well as our first impressions of the trip through this region of Bulgaria...
Our adventure begins in Sofia,
where after prior request we have to pick up the car of our choice. We decided on an all-electric Peugeot E208 GT because we wanted to test the electric car, and the trip would be much cheaper than with a conventional car. We were greeted at the office by two smiling and friendly staff and it took us about 10 minutes to fill out paperwork before we left. We chose a rental option with 2 drivers, as well as Full Protection insurance - a guarantee for a safe and accident-free trip.
Our very first impressions of the car are WOW…
it drives like a child's toy, an extremely comfortable and safe car. Also, although it looks compact, the trunk is quite large. We leave Sofia and head to our first stop - Lukovit. The car is fully charged and we have a mileage of about 330 km. - we have calculated that we will load all the way to Pleven to be safe. We arrive in Lukovit and stop to see the "Zlatna Panega" park...
Our next stop is Pleven
where we planned to do our first charging of the electric car... We choose a fast charging station - when we arrived in Pleven the battery charge was about 50%... We charge up to 80% in about 40 minutes and continue to Shumen...
We arrive in Shumen after 220 km. distance from Pleven
the car behaves perfectly, the mileage that is set in advance and you see all the time on the interactive display in front of you is accurate, you can be completely calm about it. According to the plan, we have chosen to spend the night in a guest house Bulgarian girl, so we arrive in Dibić, around 7:30 in the evening. This is a unique place that we recommend you visit - you can learn our impressions of the place from this article / read the article here /.
See also: Journey through the Bulgarian capitals from 681 to this day…
Find great places and recommended businesses in our catalog…
After walking around the center of Shumen, we headed to the next stop – the fortress Ovech to Provadia. The walk takes about 40-50 minutes and presents a unique view of the city and its surroundings. There is a rather interesting climb up a metal spiral staircase, and you can also cross the marvelous wooden bridge, which has become an arena for photo shoots for any self-respecting Bulgarian influencer 😉
From Ovech we go to Varna, but we stop straight in Balchik. 🙂 We decided to take a transit, as we want to have more time to explore the little jewel of the Northern Black Sea coast... The kilometers with the Peugeot are passed with pleasure, and the weather is so pleasant autumn that we stop at many turns to take pictures and enjoy the wonderful autumn road picture…
We arrive in Balchik around 5 pm, eat the most delicious fresh safrid we have ever eaten and walk around the small streets and promenade at sunset. We stayed in the small and unassuming Motel Relax, who won us over with the delicious cuisine of their small restaurant and the good location - it is located 200 meters from the Palace in Balchik.
See also: 5 unique places to explore along the northern Black Sea coast
Find great places to stay nearby and book easily here:
On the next morning
we go to see the Botanical Garden and the Balchik Palace. Here again, the information provided on the internet to date is inaccurate - the entrance to see the sights is BGN 22 per person / it was explained to us that there is no way to pay for only one location - either you have to pay for both entrances or you cannot enter, for example only in the Palace... The place is truly magical, especially the palace and its gardens - incredible beauty and history that everyone should see...
On to our next refueling stop – city of Dobrich… We run into a problem there – for some reason our charging card provided to us by our friends at Top Rent-a-car doesn't work at the charging station – we've tried several times but it keeps giving an error. That's how we download the VsichkoTok app, charge an amount from a credit card and start charging the car...
See also: What to see in Silistra and its surroundings
We pass through the beautiful Danube town of Silistra, where we stop for a short rest and a walk. We did not manage to visit the "Srebarna" reserve or the fortress "Mejidi Tabiya" – we are saving them for our next visit to this beautiful part of Bulgaria, there will definitely be one...
Check out the car rental options and book easily and comfortably here:
We arrive in "little Vienna" / the city is often called that ruse/ about 6 o'clock in the evening and we hurry to settle in and explore the famous Danube city for its architecture. Here we chose to stay in a great apartment, located only about 200-300 meters from the city center and 100 meters from the riverside promenade... Prista guest rooms impressed us with its cozy atmosphere, cleanliness and mobility. Ruse is an exceptional city, possessing a unique charm and many opportunities for cultural tourism...
See also: Ruse - what to see in the beautiful Danube city called "little Vienna"
The next morning it turns out that the one charging station that is close to us is unavailable /due to street repairs - however, this is not noted anywhere on the Internet/ and to charge at the next one close to us, we need to have a 2nd application and also to charge it through a credit card... We do the necessary and after charging, we say goodbye and see you again in Ruse and head to the next destination we have chosen to visit - Veliko Tarnovo...
The Belene Bridge
it jumped out at us on the way to Veliko Tarnovo as if out of sight until we felt it and we passed it, but naturally we turned the car around at the first possible section and returned, where we took our favorite drone photos of this trip of this architectural masterpiece built by the great master Kolyo Boy... the bridge is incredibly beautiful, it's worth stopping and enjoying the tranquility if you're traveling through this part of Bulgaria...
We arrive in Veliko Tarnovo about 2 o'clock in the afternoon and look for a parking place around the old town, but this turns out to be an extremely difficult task, even on a weekday... In the end, we stop at the Grand Hotel Yantra, where for BGN 7 per hour we pack and load electric car during this period... We drink coffee with a view of Yantra and the Asenevtsi monument, after which we head to the hotel we booked - HOTEL LUKI. The hotel is very cozy and clean, offers a stunning view of Tsarevets. Literally the whole hill is at your feet, an outstanding view from the balcony…
See also: Veliko Tarnovo - the city of kings
Of course, after resting, we went for a walk through the streets of the old town - it is a unique beauty in autumn! Needless to say, Veliko Tarnovo cannot be explored in 1 day either – you will need at least a few days to immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of The old capital of Bulgaria…
Find great accommodation in Veliko Tarnovo here…
The next day we stop to fill the battery of the electric car, but again for another day we have troubles with the charging stations... This time we chose to charge at the McDonald's Hyper Charger in the city, but it turned out that some "well-wisher" had hacked the QR code from the station , that it is actually impossible to find out exactly which next application we need... We decide to go to Kaufland with the charging stations there, we have no problem...
We return the car to the Sofia office - after a short inspection by an employee to determine the general condition of the car, we leave charged with energy and positive emotions from this great trip. We recommend anyone who loves to travel to rent this unique car from Top Rent A Car and go the same way - you will experience 5 unforgettable days - that's guaranteed 😉
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost per KWh of energy at a charging station?
Currently, the price varies from 0.88 cents to 1.10 depending on the city and the type of charging station.
How many kilometers do you go on a full charge?
A lot depends on the type of car and the way you drive. In our case, with the Peugeot E208 GT, about 340 km are driven. with one full battery charge.
Is getting around with an electric car affordable and convenient?
We traveled about 1500 km. for 5 days and we did not encounter any particular obstacles when recharging. Nowhere have we waited in line in front of other electric cars, everything is quick and easy...
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
A lot depends on the type of station – on the fast ones it charges from 20% to 80% in about 1 hour. If you charge from the mains at home it will take up to 20 hours...
Is getting around with an electric car really that much cheaper than with a fuel-powered car?
A lot depends on what stations you will charge at, whether you will charge at home, what your car is like, and what your driving style is. It is certainly cheaper to get around with an electric car, under certain circumstances, it can be many times cheaper...
Do I enjoy any privileges if I drive an electric car?
In many municipalities and settlements, parking an electric car in blue and green zones is free, in many places in Bulgaria this type of car is exempt from taxes. There are also free charging stations in many places in Bulgaria...
How do I find out where there are charging stations and if they are available?
Download the VsichkoTok app - it's the most up-to-date and reliable source.
