I would recommend you take note of Baldur's advice HERE, then bear in mind that Agoda is not UK based and thus not ABTA.

Then consider that if you can find a hotel you then have to get a flight to suit, which you can rely on keeping to the dates you have booked. The last few years there are been many last minute changes to flight schedules

Overall I would recommend a package holiday, Bulgaria can be a place where it can be too expensive to go on the cheap.

Peter

I was planning to book my accomodation with Agoda and my flight with Whizz Air.

So are you saying flights are regulary dropped completley by the airline company? By a whole week or 2?
And that they will not refund your money?

That seems a bit harsh if an airline company would do that to their customers. Also packaged holidays are expensive and I plan on staying there for a few months, meaning that a one way ticket would be suitable. A one way ticket is around £100 at the moment. Obviously it will increase during season.

Nothing on HERE would give me a great deal of confidence in Wizz Air.

I like the bit about how in December 2009 Wizz Air was rated the European airline most likely to next go bust, according to a firm of bookmakers.

Caveat emptor, as they say.

Peter

Read my Posting above "Gatwick to Varna flights" This is the National Airline cutting back. and changing times. Tonyt

- So whats the best way to go from London to Sunny Beach?
- Is the anyway I can get accomodation and a flight there without it being ridiculously expensive?
- How likely is it that my accomodation deal will collapse?
- And my flight?
- What is the reason for this?

Nobody can guarantee accomodation, only last year in the resort of Albena, some Hotels did not open till 1st July, some only for 7 weeks. Reading reports in Bulgarian papers, 70% of Hotels on Black Sea Coast will struggle to open, so many for sale, due to the non-payents to banks of Loans and of course massive overbuild. Flight prices have gone up and up, Three years ago we had from Gatwick 12 flights per week into Varna thus serving all resorts North of Varna, now there is only 4, so the companies left have raised their prices. Tonyt

Thanks mate.

I think I might leave it and go somewhere else this summer. Because Bulgaria is still developing I could go in a few years once they sort out the economy. Seems cheap as its Levs, but the flights there make it even more expensive than other options. Also they probably overcharge anyway as they know what tourists are willing to pay.

A bit like the situation in the UK I assume? Lending loans out to people who can't pay it back so the bankers get a big bonus? Is that the reason for the economic mess in Bulgaria?

Ive sent you a private message re hotel. Check easyjet, they fly into Sofia, the capital. There is a train or bus to the coast, but it does take about 5hours journey time.

Hi MeBigMan

Lending loans out to people who can't pay it back so the bankers get a big bonus? Is that the reason for the economic mess in Bulgaria?

Put very simplistically - it's one of the many reasons and was not just bankers' greed but also the greed of others.

From the early part of this decade, Bulgaria was seen as a sort of real estate version of the Californian gold rush - lots of Western Europeans (predominantly UK & Irish nationals at one stage) saw big profits to be made by purchasing Bulgarian properties at what appeared to be very low prices (without knowing that they were paying much more than the real market prices).

Bulgarian developers, real estate companies and even individuals responded to this demand by rubbing their hands together in glee (in anticipation of big profits from these 'rich' but gullible purchasers & tourists) and building, building, building and then building even more.

This led to a 21st Century equivalent of the 'South Seas Bubble', with many developers and purchasers overextending their credit to build more & more properties. Inevitably, this created an oversupply of properties and, when buyer interest waned (accelerated by the global financial situation), the bubble inevitably burst.

Baldur

That's a very good assessment of the situation, Baldur.

Peter

Hey HMJ,

I didn't receive your message

I checked the flights from London to Sofia and they were as cheap as £40. But to get from Sofia to Sunny Beach by Bus/taxi can cost as much as £150. And I couldn't find any website for trains going from Sofia airport.

Thanks

meBigman. http://www.bdz.bg will give you timetable of trains from Sofia Central. Tonyt

Thanks so much guys!
You're all so helpful, one last question though. Does anyone know the nearest train station to Sunny Beach?

BURGAS Tonyt

MeBigMan wrote:

....But to get from Sofia to Sunny Beach by Bus/taxi can cost as much as £150. And I couldn't find any website for trains going from Sofia airport.

You won't get a train to Sunny Beach, the nearest station is Burgas (around 40km away) - so you'd need a taxi/bus from the station.

The BDZ timetables, to which Tonyt linked above, are currently only valid for travel up to 15/02/2010.

Baldur

I see.
That way it works out a bit cheaper and its realiable. Unlike all these flights being cancelled. Only thing is accomodation is gonna be a problem as none is guarranteed. Think I'll travel to Malia, Greece instead this summer.