Cheap car hire Bulgaria - Other Health Information

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Other Health Information

OTHER HEALTH INFORMATION: Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax: 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via their Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions, which differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Bulgaria is provided for general reference only, and it may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Safety of Public Transportation: Good
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance: Fair
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Availability of Roadside Assistance: Fair

The Bulgarian road system is largely underdeveloped. There are few sections of limited-access divided highway. Some roads are in poor repair and full of potholes. Rockslides and landslides may be encountered on roads in mountainous areas. Livestock and animal-drawn carts present road hazards throughout the country, especially during the agricultural season. Travel conditions deteriorate during the winter as roads become icy and potholes proliferate. The U.S. Embassy in Sofia advises against driving at night because road conditions are more dangerous in the dark. Some roads lack pavement markings and lights, and motorists often drive with dim or missing headlights.

Driving in Bulgaria is extremely dangerous. Aggressive driving habits, the lack of safe infrastructure, and a mixture of late model and old model cars on the country's highways contribute to a high fatality rate for road accidents.

Heavy truck traffic along the two-lane routes from the Greek border at Kulata to Sofia and from the Turkish border at Kapitan Andreevo to Plovdiv creates numerous hazards. Motorists should expect long delays at border crossings. A U.S. state driver's license is valid in Bulgaria only when used in conjunction with an International Driving Permit. For information on how to obtain a permit, please see http://travel.state.gov/road-safety.html#permits.

Furthermore, persons operating vehicles with foreign license plates frequently complain of being stopped by police and being fined on the spot for offenses that they have not committed.

Buses, trams, and trolleys are inexpensive, but they are often crowded and of widely varying quality. Passengers on the busiest lines have reported pick-pocketing, purse slashing, and pinching.

The use of seat belts is mandatory in Bulgaria for all passengers, except pregnant women. Children under 10 years of age may ride in the front seat only if seated in a child car seat. In practice, these rules are often not followed. Speed limits are 50 KM/H in the cities/towns, 90 KM/H out of town and 130 KM/H on the highways. For motorcycles, speed limits are 50 KM/H in the cities/towns, 80 KM/H out of town and 100 KM/H on the highways. Motorcyclists must drive with helmets and with lights on at all times. At crossings that are not regulated, the driver who is on the right has the right-of-way, but this rule, too, is frequently ignored. Drivers may be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood level as low as 0.05 percent. Right turns on red lights are not permitted unless specifically authorized. The penalties for drivers involved in an accident resulting in injury or death range from a 25 U.S. Dollar fine up to imprisonment for life.

The most generally encountered local traffic custom is a driver flashing high beams, which usually means that a traffic police post is ahead.

Motorists should avoid confrontations with aggressive drivers in Bulgaria. Drivers of late-model sedans (BMW, Mercedes, Audi) are known to speed and drive dangerously. Motorists should exercise caution and not engage in altercations with the drivers of such vehicles because some are armed organized crime figures.

In case of emergency, drivers should contact the police at telephone number 166 and/or the Roadside Assistance at telephone number 146. For an ambulance, please call 150.

For additional general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, please see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov/road-safety.html. For specific information concerning Bulgarian driving permits, vehicle inspection, road tax, and mandatory insurance, please contact the Bulgarian Embassy via the Internet at http://www.bulgaria-embassy.org.