Hi VQ,

100 Stotinki = 1 Lev.

(in exactly the same way as 100 pence = £1 or 100 Euro cents = 1 Euro).

Baldur

how many lev in £1?

Ifyou say roughly 3 Leva to £1 you won't be far off - the rate changes daily so as a rough estimate 15 Leva divided by 3 would be £5, 21 Leva would be £7 and so on.

The actual bank exchange rate is 2.844 today, so 15 Leva would be £5.27 and 21 Leva would be £7.38 so, as you can see, dividing by 3 is close enough - within a few pence.

Baldur

here is a print from the current HOLIDAYTRUTHS cheat sheet


BGN GBP BGN GBP BGN GBP
1 = 0.35 10 = 3.47 100 = 35
2 = 0.69 15 = 5.21 200 = 69
3 = 1.04 20 = 6.95 300 = 104
4 = 1.39 25 = 8.68 400 = 139
5 = 1.74 30 = 10.42 500 = 174
6 = 2.08 35 = 12.16 600 = 208
7 = 2.43 40 = 13.89 700 = 243
8 = 2.78 45 = 15.63 800 = 278
9 = 3.13 50 = 17.37 900 = 313
55 = 19.10 1000 = 347
60 = 20.84 5000 = 1737
65 = 22.58
70 = 24.31
75 = 26.05
Interbank rate
Bulgarian Lev (BGN)
British Pound (GBP)
Sunday, June 18, 2006
85 = 29.52
90 = 31.26
95 = 32.99
get your HT cheet sheet from holiday truths cheat sheet

Yes, but the Holidaytruths cheat sheet is based on the Interbank rate, and today shows 2.86 leva to the £1.

Checking tourist rates on the Internet, the best I can find is 2.57 leva to the £1.

Why?

Because the Interbank rate is based on transactions of more than US$ 1 million - not exactly tourist pocket money.

The best exchange rate will be what you can get in Banks and hotel receptions in the resorts, which I anticipate will be higher than 2.57 to the £1, and probably more like 2.75 + or - a few stotinkies.

Peter

ha but if you go to the cheat sheet page you can {if you know it} put in todays tourest rate and print off another sheet.. i put that up as an example to someone needing help
wizard

Why not take as a basis the daily exchange rates of Bulgarian National Bank? You can see them at the bottom of the webpage.

Hi Dara,

Most banks will offer a couple of points off the BNB rate, e.g. BNB Rate currently is 2.86401 against Sterling, whereas Raiffeisen are offering 2.844 and Postbank's rate is 2.8434.

Hotel exchange bureaux and the likes of the 'Crown Exchange' will generally offer significantly less than the banks.

So although the BNB rate is a starting point - it's about as much use as the Interbank Rate for the average tourist [unless, as I do, you use a Nationwide Building Society Flex Account Debit Card to withdraw Leva from ATMs in Bulgaria, when you receive the Interbank Rate and there are no additional charges ].

Baldur

Oh, good point. I just am unsure now what to do with the money exchange. I'll just go to Raiffeisen and exchange there or something?

Hi Dara,

As you're in Germany, I assume that you are using the Euro? If so, there is much less fluctuation in the rate, as the Euro is 'pegged' to the Lev via the old Deutschmark, so you should receive a fairly consistent 1.95/1.96 Leva to the Euro.

Baldur

<Edit: Postbank's rate is actually slightly better than Raiffeisen's against the Euro at the moment, 1.952 as opposed to 1.950.

Actually I just checked and the exchange rates vary a lot! So yes, apperantly one should be extra careful when exchanging either pounds or euros. I generally just withdraw money from an ATM and dont spend a lot when I am in Sofia so dont care that much. But this summer will be different as I will be leaving a lot of money home.
Thanks Baldur! Seems like the closer this holiday comes the more questions pop up! May be coz I so want it to be absolutely perfect...

Hi, I have just come back and the going rate in resorts both Bank and Hotels (Albena) 2.72. In Varna I got 2.845 and the same in Dobrich. A little advice, photocopy your passport write on your Hotel and Resort and banks will accept this, saves carrying your passport at all whilst on Holiday. Tonyt.