Cost
A week-long tour for two to Bulgaria on the Sunny Beach will cost an average of 638 euros: airfare, insurance, accommodation in a three-star hotel, meals - breakfast only.
Transport
There are plenty of means of transport in the country: a ride on an affordable scheduled bus to St. Vlas or Nessebar will cost 0.25 euros, and a trip to Varna - 3 euros. A five-minute ride on the little train from the hotel to the center costs about 0.75 euros, and a taxi driver will charge 3-5 euros for the same distance, depending on the time of day.
Car rental will cost an average of 40-45 euros plus gasoline (0.8 euros per liter). By the way, you can rent a bicycle (8 euros per hour) or a cycle rickshaw - a four-wheeled bicycle designed for two or four passengers who are obliged to pedal (4 euros per hour).
Total: expenses for public transport and rental of other means of transportation with an active lifestyle will range from 20 to 30 euros. Renting a car for a couple of days will cost almost 100 euros.
Beach
The swimming season on the Black Sea coast begins at the end of May. The beaches are sandy, the entrance to the sea is gentle, the water is warm and clean. True, there are also minor annoyances in the form of an unexpected encounter with a jellyfish. Keep in mind that umbrellas and sun loungers on the beach are paid - 2.5 euros per day. In addition, you cannot take hotel towels to the beach, so we recommend bringing a beach towel from home or buying it at any beach kiosk. Entertainment on the beach is active and not so cheap. Banana boat riding - 4 euros for 10 minutes; other entertainment in the form of a jet ski or bicycle cost more - 10-15 euros for the same time. Surfing will cost 15 euros per hour. For full-fledged diving, it is too shallow here.
Total: using the beach amenities and the daily struggle with the water element will amount to approximately 100-120 euros for two.
Evening life
A peaceful beach day can be ended with a visit to one of the entertainment venues. A cocktail in a night bar will cost 2.5 euros, a gin and tonic - 0.5 euros. Entrance to a disco costs 1-1.5 euros. A promenade along the night embankment, effectively illuminated by night lights, to the sounds of music and the shouts of restaurant barkers, is a free pleasure.
Total: about 20 euros for two will be enough for a couple of family evening outings.
Excursions: Nessebar and Varna
Ancient Nessebar with its colorful houses and ancient temples is described in every guidebook, and visiting it is considered a mandatory item of the cultural program in Bulgaria. Located not far from Sunny Beach, Nessebar has more than 40 small churches, its narrow streets are densely packed with souvenir shops and inexpensive cafes, and the cobblestones are worn down by hundreds of thousands of tourist feet. There is something to see here, although many tourists are put off by the crush that prevails on its narrow streets.
If you decide to go to Varna, you will unexpectedly get great pleasure from the two-hour drive along the mountain serpentine. Outside the bus window, a series of pictures will change - the everyday life of a small country, neat vineyards, tiny villages, dense gardens and dazzling glimpses of the sea. In Varna, you will most likely be drawn to stroll through the Seaside Park and leisurely examine the Cathedral.
Restaurants
Appetite during the day largely depends on the quality of breakfast. In the best case, the hotel will offer guests, in addition to standard cereals, milk and eggs, also sausages, vegetables and fruits, a selection of local cheeses and sausages, as well as pastries.
The rest of the meals are, as they say, to taste. Lunch or dinner in the restaurants of Sunny Beach for two with wine will cost about 11-12 euros. A large portion of soup costs about 1.2 euros, the invariable Shopska salad - about the same, a huge dish of grilled meat will be 3-4 euros, melba (an assortment of ice cream, fruits and cookies) - 2.5 euros, a cup of espresso - 0.5 euros, a glass of decent local wine - 0.8 euros.
Noticeably cheaper for eaters is a portion of shawarma - 2 euros, pancakes - 0.5-1 euros, or stuffed potatoes - 2 euros. A family visit to a coffee shop - a cup of coffee and two pastries each - will cost 3 euros. It is also worth trying fresh Bulgarian fruits - 0.5-1 euros per kilogram. At least in memory of those millions of cans of apples, plums and peaches with which tiny Bulgaria managed to bombard the vast expanses of the USSR.
Total: about 190-200 euros for two.
Other expenses
Safes. Probably for good reason, caring managers and experienced tourists recommend keeping money in the safe at the reception. Its rental will cost 1.5-2 euros per day.
Tips. For these expenses you will need 3-4 euros for the maid for the entire stay, 0.5-1 euro for the porter.
Phone. A phone card (call from the hotel) will cost 3 euros for two minutes. And a more comfortable call from the air-conditioned post office is 2-3 times cheaper - 1.2 euros for two minutes.
Total: 18-20 euros.
Summing up
A married couple without exorbitant demands, with a healthy appetite and interest in a country new to them, will easily fit into the sum of 390-460 euros in Bulgaria. Together with the cost of the tour (see above) - about 1,000 euros.