Thoughts about Road trip to Bulgaria

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EURO DRIVING FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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On the scrounge for Info :unamused:

I’m driving to Southern Bulgaria with a Landcruiser / Box Trailer.All advice seems to be to go Italy - Brindisi - Greece then across to Turkey and turn Left…My Property is at Harmanli,40Km up from the Turkish border so it makes sense…

Never been to Italy yet,furthest South I’ve headed in a truck was when I tipped Swiss one time,went in through Mulhouse IIRC, google maps suggest this route rather than the Tunnel,then down to Brindisi and ferry to Igoumenitsa.

Any experiences or thoughts on this route ?..stuff to do,stuff to avoid,etc…probably kicking off Wednesday / Thursday this week

Cheers Boys :sunglasses:

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To get to Brindisi I personally would go through Austria to Italy saves going through Milan and the road tax is cheaper.

Speaking to the Turks that tip in our warehouse nearly all of them are running overland through BG,RO,H, and then into Austria.
If they are all coming that way there must be some benefit or savings to be had.
Hope this helps.

P.S. Any updates on your brother Wurzel?

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you can go ancona to igumintsa dont no if its any cheaper but thhts the way i used to go to corfu.i found going through austria to italy was cheapest way. :smiley:

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Yesterday I was talked to some of turks drivers at Dover Customs Centre.

Mostly of Turks drivers go to Austria, Slovenjia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria (E70 - E75 - E80 corriders) - quick & plenty of highway (motorway) but could be expensive (Toll & Tax )

but other routes are Czech Rep, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria - more cheap running but its very long way and its not express route - lots of scenery route (popular route for Iranian lorries)

Other routes - Go to Italy and catch the ferries to Dures (Albania) or Greece
but Turks drivers’s favourite route is Wels (Austria) catch the ROLA train to Trieste (Italy Port) then catch the ferry to Istanbul for two days and half but all drivers will go flying the plane from Slovenjia to Istanbul due no lounge & beds for drivers in the Ferry :smiley:

Also most of the Willi Betz bulgarian drivers go to Austria - Hungary (budapest - Szeged) - Romania (Arad -Timisora - Craiova) - Bulgaria (Vidin - Sofia) or throu the Serbia (Novi Sad - Belgrade - Nis) from Hungary (Szeged)

Ben.

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Ben9:
To get to Brindisi I personally would go through Austria to Italy saves going through Milan and the road tax is cheaper.

Speaking to the Turks that tip in our warehouse nearly all of them are running overland through BG,RO,H, and then into Austria.
If they are all coming that way there must be some benefit or savings to be had.
Hope this helps.?

Thanks for everyones suggestions… :wink:

BG expat website Contributors pretty much don’t seem to rate the roads in Romania,bearing in mind that not all the posters on these sites are Sunday drivers I think there may be something in that,potholes big enough to rip a wheel off,icy and snow fairly late on in the season which was a big factor for me thinking more about the sunnier route :sunglasses:

…plus coming into BG at Rousse is right up the top and I’m right down the bottom… :unamused:

The Turks come up from the Svilengrad crossing then turn right in Harmanli to punch up through for Rousse and on into Russia proper or for Hungary/Poland etc., didnt know that they went that way for Western Europe…I was told that they are ok doing Sofia/the Serb/Slovinia bit because the Serbs aint hacked off at them.

As I understand it,Serbias application to join the EU was vetoed and they now got the Hump with Western Europeans and make things very difficult to transit the place,demanding Green card insurance,entry tariffs,exit tariffs,etc.,etc.,the whole bit.General feeling on these expat sites is to avoid the place at all costs…When the Serb Yahoo’s go shooting for the weekend,they aint after Rabbits or Pheasants… :smiling_imp:

:bulb: Hadn’t thought about the Austria/Italy bit though,rather than Swiss or the Blonc

P.S. Any updates on your brother Wurzel?

Yes Bud,He’s pretty much ok thanks

trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … sc&start=0

275 signed as of this AM…The Petition ends on the 28th Feb 2008

My Brothers appeal was a good news/bad news thing really… Good news was that it didn’t get increased…but nor did it get reduced.He’s just about had a Gutsful of the whole Lawyer situation…hopeless dont even come close to describing it…so He’s pretty much thrown in the towel,resigned to the fact that His Employment opportunities for the next 2 or 3 years are somewhat limited…and is focusing on the likelyhood of a transfer oop North… which will help the travelling costs/time thing for the Family if nort else…

I had this comment from a Prominant Human Rights Lawyer just recently,regarding the French Legal system and My Brothers efforts at trying to get a proper Lawyer to conduct the Appeal case :

It is a real problem that if you want to change from a public defender to a privately funded one, the initial lawyer can insist on being paid for his work which means that no money is left for a new and better lawyer. There seem to be few legal aid funded lawyers, who are committed and willing to properly defend their client. This, in combination with inadequate translation and judges with no understanding for the transport industry plus the French Customs law unfortunately often leads to convictions in cases like your brothers

Says it all,really…

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wurzel99uk:
As I understand it,Serbias application to join the EU was vetoed and they now got the Hump with Western Europeans and make things very difficult to transit the place,demanding Green card insurance,entry tariffs,exit tariffs,etc.,etc.,the whole bit.General feeling on these expat sites is to avoid the place at all costs…When the Serb Yahoo’s go shooting for the weekend,they aint after Rabbits or Pheasants… :smiling_imp:

I seriously doubt the requirement of a green card to be much of a problem, after all it is required everywhere outside the eu. the entry will be about 40 euros (röszke) and I have not been asked something for exiting serbia. there are always loads of greek trucks transiting serbia, if it was as awful as you describe, they would either catch one of the many available ferries or transit bg and ro

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If you are thinking of going to Greece from Italy,you could take the reverse route I used to take on my outward trips on ocassion.From Thessaloniki going directly north brings you to the Bulgy border,is the crossing called Katerini?it’s a long time since I was down that way.From there,Sofia is directly north.

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milodon:

wurzel99uk:
As I understand it,Serbias application to join the EU was vetoed and they now got the Hump with Western Europeans and make things very difficult to transit the place,demanding Green card insurance,entry tariffs,exit tariffs,etc.,etc.,the whole bit.General feeling on these expat sites is to avoid the place at all costs…When the Serb Yahoo’s go shooting for the weekend,they aint after Rabbits or Pheasants… :smiling_imp:

I seriously doubt the requirement of a green card to be much of a problem, after all it is required everywhere outside the eu. the entry will be about 40 euros (röszke) and I have not been asked something for exiting serbia. there are always loads of greek trucks transiting serbia, if it was as awful as you describe, they would either catch one of the many available ferries or transit bg and ro

Yeah Bud,I hear you and agree…Stavros is usually on the money when it comes to a good deal :laughing: …

I was only relaying info from websites with expat postings relating to journeys by road to Bulgaria…as I said before not all of them will be Sunday Drivers so I think the info is valid if skewed a bit,although tonights BBC Web news is listing a story about ‘‘Issues’’ on the BG/Kosovo Border with NATO Lads showing up to help out so that region is still up in the air a bit with regards Safe Passage :cry: …

I’m on for a wild ride any time but looking down the pointy end of a gun is not on my ‘to-do’ list :unamused:

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bestbooties:
If you are thinking of going to Greece from Italy,you could take the reverse route I used to take on my outward trips on ocassion.From Thessaloniki going directly north brings you to the Bulgy border,is the crossing called Katerini?it’s a long time since I was down that way.From there,Sofia is directly north.

Thanks Ian :wink:

So how often did you get an attack of the ‘‘scenic route syndrome’’ ? :laughing: :laughing:

I’m at Harmanli so I was reckoning to track on through to just past Alexandroupoli still on the E90 then hang a left up the E85 or E87 to pick up the E80 at the Border…My place is pretty much 40 odd clicks North of there…Anyone know what the E85 is like ? On ggggggoogle the E87 looks like it could be double track…

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Been there a couple of times but not for 10 years. Roads poor, best not to drive at night for various reasons, police and customs corrupt, lots of theft on the roads, only ever park in guarded TIR parks. You have to have a GB sticker on the front of the vehicle as well as the rear, and you will be constantly pestered by local peasants wanting money to see their bear-on-a-rope do a little dance for you.

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In the days when I was on that route, normal way was, transit Belguim,Holland, Germany, Austria,Romania,Bulgaria.
Since all these countries are now in the EU you should have no problems with Border controls.

Its eleven years since I was last down there, I have heard that roads have improved a great deal in Romania.

Just follow Turks they will keep you straight & ask for advice whenever you need to.

You don!t say when you are going, so a little warning at this time of the year temperatures can be as low as -25 with lots of snow,

Good luck.