7 independent reviews for Bulgaria holiday by train, self guided
Reviews for Bulgaria holiday by train, self guided
Helen Wilkes review 16 Oct 2025
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hard to choose specific parts as it was all memorable. We particularly enjoyed Plovdiv and Bansko. Everything went as planned - all trains were more or less on time. Hotels were all very good. The scenery in Bulgaria is stunning. Well worth a visit.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be aware that the trains are quite old and stepping down to the low platforms can be quite challenging. Don’t bring large, heavy luggage! Anna warned us about this beforehand.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, definitely - the hotels we stayed in were mostly small local hotels. Using trains that were filled with local people must also benefit the community.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent! From start to finish, Anna has been exceptionally helpful, providing us with a detailed itinerary, train tickets, transfer vouchers and hotel details. She was also available throughout had we needed her. We highly recommend this company.Tamsin Defriez review 10 Aug 2025
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Plovdiv is a gem of a city - packed with layers of history, wonderful food, and a fun, creative vibe2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Enjoy the trains which are a chance to see the beautiful country, and also chat with Bulgarians while you travel3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes as we were staying in local hotels or homestays and traveling by train4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A really wonderful holiday for our family of older teenagers and young adults. There was something for everyone, and just the right balance of history, activity, and culture.Stephanie Sundle review 12 Aug 2025
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We visited some nice places eg Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, but nowhere that stands out as particularly memorable or exciting. We were given recommendations to visit potentially memorable spots but due to bad planning within the itinerary provided, we couldn't take advantage of these. For example, Vratsa nature park and Bansko town centre (we arrived too late to visit on both occasions) and the roses in Kazanlak(we were there out of season).2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
We would not advise anyone to travel by train in Bulgaria. Trains are old, badly maintained, slow, dirty, uncomfortable and certainly not the best way to see the country. Stations and trains often have no signage (rendering the detailed instructions provided unhelpful on the ground). We had to rely on the help of locals to get on and off the right train at the right place, and trains are completely lacking in safety considerations. For example, we often had to walk across rail tracks to reach trains, and travelled on moving trains with outside doors held open with string. All in all a very stressful experience. Most Bulgarians we met said they would only travel by train if there were no other options and considered us 'brave' to be doing it.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
There was a reduced environmental impact insofar as we travelled by train. There were some benefits to locals when we stayed in their hotels , and through normal holiday spending. No conservation benefits.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Some poor planning ,(see Q1 above). Additionally, we spent most of the last 2 days of the holiday, apart from a visit to Rila Monastery, in a small inn where there was nothing to see or do without a car. The holiday overall was poor value for money, given that train travel is very cheap in Bulgaria, and the hotels varied in standard.Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for sharing your concerns with us, and we are sorry that despite all our efforts, the trip did not meet your expectations. We sincerely believe that all the issues mentioned in this review could have been resolved while you were here if we had been informed in a timely manner, in accordance with the terms of the contract you signed. We are always available if our guests need our help, and we use all feedback to improve the quality of our tours.
Trains in Bulgaria are not new, and not like those in other parts of Europe, as seen in photos on the internet. The trip is advertised as a slow train journey and has that Balkan flavour that travellers appreciate for its authenticity. We choose this mode of travel also as it reduces the carbon which is important to us. We will take on your feedback to the travel dossier and review this in line with your feedback. For this holiday, we mainly choose 3-star hotels and guesthouses that are owned by local people and have very good reviews which is in line with our philosophy as a responsible company. They offer an authentic stay and support the local community.
Helen Jackson review 14 Oct 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most memorable part was our visit to the Zagreus Winery just outside Plovdiv. Not only did we get to taste wine, but we blended our own wine which we bottled, corked and sealed and brought home.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
In some of the more remote areas, English was not widely spoken, or spoken at all and it would be wise to become familiar with Google Translate beforehand. Also WhatsApp is not as popular as it is in the UK and Viber is more common. Very few hotels/guest houses have a plug in the basin bathroom and a travel plug is useful. If using the trains, beware the steps up to them are steep, particularly with luggage and the overhead racks are so high, it's impossible to lift your luggage up. Also many smaller hotels do not have a lift and rooms can be up several flights of stairs with no one to help. If you're going to the beach, be aware that many hotels, restaurants and facilities close down around mid October.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We used smaller independent guest houses which hopefully benefit the community and also some public transport.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
This was an interesting holiday taking in a range of activities including hiking, wine tasting, city sight seeing, and Black Sea beaches. Eating and drinking out was wide ranging, and exceptionally good value compared to London.Janet Galloway review 6 Jul 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Travelling on the trains meant meeting ordinary Bulgarians, not just those involved with the tourist industry. We met some really helpful people, especially when trains were delayed. Attending an opera in Plovdiv’s Roman amphitheatre was also very memorable.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This holiday is not for anyone with mobility difficulties – the trains are a steep climb to get in (as in many countries) and many of the hotels and guest houses do not have lifts or ground floor rooms. Take a rucksack rather than a wheelie bag, partly for the trains and hotel stairs but also Plovdiv old town has unsurfaced roads which are not neat cobblestones. The taxis for getting to/from the station were either not familiar with the streets in the old town or unwilling to go there. The suggested itinerary would be better as a 3 week trip than 2 weeks as the timing of the travel means that you don’t always get a good chance to look around towns, and no chance to walk in the surrounding areas. Request late check out is booked at hotels where travel to the next town is long after check out time – it’s usually too late to do that when you arrive! Hotel Studio in Veliko Turnovo has a great laundry service. Travel timings are not confirmed until you collect the tickets. The transfer back from Rila Monastery is at 3pm which means no time in Sofia, and because of engineering work there is no direct train from Kazanlak to Plovdiv, so the scheduled arrival time in Plovdiv is 8pm, but delays meant we didn’t arrive until 9pm. In this case good directions in both English and Bulgarian would have helped us get to the hotel quickly, although maybe not to the door. Google maps and a translator app on a mobile phone are a great standby for finding your way round.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes – travelling by rail, mostly electric trains, within Bulgaria reduces the environmental impact compared with renting a car. Local people benefitted particularly when we stayed in the guest houses as in both cases we were the only people staying.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very good –it could have been excellent if there had not been discrepancies between the English trip dossier and the Bulgarian Cyrillic vouchers and train tickets. Train tickets were easy to sort out, and the timetables enclosed for each train very helpful. Confusion about where we were staying at Rila Monastery had to be sorted out with a call back to the organiser – the advertised trip says stay in the monastery, the trip dossier says the same but the contract and the Cyrillic voucher both said Hotel Tsarev Vuh (2*) which is close to the monastery, and the hotel was where we had a booking. Very disappointing, and although the staff were friendly and helpful the hotel is in a poor state.Tim Morgan review 5 Aug 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Everything was very good. The genuine welcome from every host hotel or guesthouse was excellent. Staying in guesthouses and eating their normal local food. Highlights were Veliko Tarnovo (especially Hotel Gurko), Plovdiv, and the hosts at Boyana Guest House (Vratsa) & Guest House Deshka (Gorno Draglishte) were great fun.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Because the Bulgarian signs are always in cyrillic, not our normal letters, translate before you travel all of the station destinations form the Latin typeface to Cyryllic, and make a note of them. You need to know the translation to see on the departure boards at each station & also the station name when you arrive. Sometimes English / Latin letters are used but not always. Quite a lot of older people do not speak English so make sure you have a phrase book, or a Translator App on mobile phone (this was very useful). Also take the free guided walking tours wherever possible - Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo and Sofia. Smile at the locals and they will appreciate it.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The local people definitely benefited - the small local shops, taxi drivers,- even though we went to many touristy places, much of the time we spent our time and money with people off the beaten track. Train travel will have definitely helped the environment.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very enjoyable. A mixture of places, people and modes of transport.Rodney Mount review 8 Jun 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Both Plovdiv and Rile were interesting and enjoyable and despite communication problems the two homestays were interesting if challenging and the hosts we very friendly and kind.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Keep luggage to a minimum. Bulgarian trains - all rather elderly - are not too easy to board. The latest Rough Guide is a little short on detail compared with earlier editions (5th edition far better and not noticeably out of date).3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Reasonably well organised overall. All hotels acceptable with one exception. Fair value for money I would say. We were the guinea pigs for this tour and Simeon Dimitrov was appreciative of our comments on our re turn to Sofia. He is a very pleasant young man, and most eager to please. Bulgaria's mountains are spectacular, the people most friendly and all the towns we visited had something of interest. The biggest problem is communication even if one can read Cyrillic. It is a tour I would particularly recommend for the elderly, those wishing to avoid self-drive, and of course train buffs.Holiday Reviews
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