Car Rental Bulgaria
Bulgaria has not only comfortable beaches, but also a lot of protected places and historical sights.
Excursion trips are not cheap, and public transportation does not always go on the right routes, so renting a car in Bulgaria often becomes a salvation for active tourists.
Average rental prices during the year
The cost of renting a car depends on the season of the year, class and brand of the car and the duration of the rental. Compare the average market prices current as of “2024” year. In brackets is the price in local currency – Bulgarian lev (BGN). As a rule, 1 EUR equals 2 BGN.
Car classes | Price per day | Deposit amount |
|---|---|---|
compact cars | from 6 EUR (12 BGN) | from 150 euros |
small cars | from 18 EUR (36 BGN) | from 150 euros |
standard | from 20 EUR (40 BGN) | from 200 euros |
minivan | from 26 EUR (52 BGN) | from 300 euros |
SUVs | from 35 EUR (70 BGN) | from 800 euros |
luxury | from 60 EUR (120 BGN) | from 1500 euros |
Also, the cost of renting a car varies depending on the terms and conditions of the particular renter.
What is included in the rent price?
- MTPL insurance;
- standard insurance that limits the driver’s liability in case of an accident (CDW, TP and other types of insurance);
- unlimited mileage;
- vignette – a document allowing you to drive on the country’s toll roads;
- VAT 20%;
- car delivery to the airport or hotel (if necessary).
When renting a car, the client leaves a guarantee amount (deposit), which is withheld from the client in full or in part in case of damage to the car (if the damage is not included in the insurance risks). To determine the price of a specific car for the dates you are interested in, use the selection widget below on the page. Services at extra charge: equipment for transportation of children, additional risk insurances. Deposit for the rented car is paid separately.
Top rental companies in Bulgaria
- Top Rent-a-Car - Bulgaria's national rental company. The best prices and once the best conditions.
- Localrent - Broker of car rentals in local rental companies. Low prices, low deposits: from 0 to 300 euros.
- Discover Cars - World Travel Awards award-winning car rental comparison site. Customers can search, compare and rent a car worldwide. Competitive prices at over 10,000 locations worldwide.
- BikesBooking - Online booking service for motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and bicycles worldwide.
- EconomyBookings - International booking service for economical car rental. Large selection of cars, more than 20000 rental points, 150 countries of the world.
- Rentalcars - The world leader in online car booking. Rentalcars is part of the American company Priceline, which also includes Booking.com.
- GetrentaCar - Marketplace for renting vehicles from local owners at the best prices. Competitive cost, best price guarantee, tender system. Support 24/7 in 20 languages. Only 15% prepayment.
There are several local car rental companies, representatives of large international rental services and private renters. The latter are ordinary people who have several cars and want to make money.
What to consider when choosing transportation?
Before you rent a car, pay attention to some peculiarities of the country.
- In popular tourist cities there are a lot of narrow and winding streets, so you should not choose an oversized car if you plan to mainly move around the city;
- in rental companies cars with automatic transmission are not happy with the choice and they are more quickly dismantled, but “mechanics” are cheaper;
- Bulgaria is rich in serpentines and ascents, so it is better not to rent a vehicle with engine volume less than 1.4-1.6 liters, otherwise entering the hills and moving along the roads will be problematic and long.
Rental car park
Rental companies offer tourists the following categories and brands of cars for rent in Bulgaria. All cars are equipped with airbags and ABS/ESP system and air conditioning. To get additional equipment (USB-port, Wi-Fi, navigator, snow chains, child seat), specify the requirements in the car order form.
Familiarize yourself with the prices and terms of rental, it is better to make an online application for a particular car in advance.
Methods of paying rent
- bank transfer;
- debit/credit card payment;
- transfer via PayPal;
- cash payment.
When booking, the client has the right to make a partial prepayment – up to 15% of the final cost of the service. The rest of the amount is transferred to the representative of the hirer upon delivery of the vehicle. The deposit is reserved on a Visa or MasterCard card issued in the name of the client. If the deposit is paid in cash (which is not always welcomed by rental companies), its amount is doubled.
Discounts and promotions for rent
In search of your own benefit when renting a car in Bulgaria, keep in mind the rules:
- use the services of large car rental companies that generate the best rental offers;
- go to Bulgaria in winter if you plan to save money on car rental – prices are several times lower outside the tourist season;
- don’t forget to contact those companies with which you have already cooperated – regular customers get a cumulative discount.
Deposit when renting a car – is it necessary or not?
To get a passenger car for rent you need to have a bank card, on which the deposit amount will be blocked (from 102 euros depending on the class of transport). It is difficult to rent a car without a deposit, as it is a security for the financial responsibility of the driver in case of unforeseen circumstances. If an insured event occurs and the insurance does not cover all losses, the remaining damages are paid at the expense of the client.
Car insurance
The cost of the services of the renter includes compulsory insurance of civil liability of the client (OSAGO), designed to compensate the losses of the company in case of an insured event. However, such a policy does not protect against damage to important parts of the car (bottom, wheels, windshield), so the lessors recommend purchasing additional insurance services. But, if you are an experienced driver and count on skills, then additional insurance you do not need, you have the right to refuse.
- Civil auto insurance;
- SuperKasko (covers damage to wheels, underbody).
Travel outside the city
Bulgaria attracts tourists not only by its mild climate, but also by its favorable location – it is convenient to visit popular resort countries from the state. In order to be free to travel, take care of getting a green card – an extended insurance that allows you to travel outside the city and country.
Also do not forget about a vignette on the windshield of your car, thanks to which you will not have to spend money on toll roads in Bulgaria.
How to book a car?
You can use the rental service in several ways:
- call the hotline of the reservation service or the hirer;
- send an online application on the website of the rental company;
- visit the office of the lessor.
Attention! If you book a car for rent in advance, ask the hirer about the conditions of changing or canceling the reservation.
Changing or canceling a reservation
As a rule, it is possible to make changes to the car reservation or cancel the reservation at least 24 hours before the beginning of the rental period. The funds will be returned to the client’s card within 3-30 days.
Car rental terms and conditions
What is important to take a motorist planning to apply to a car rental service in Bulgaria? All companies have some requirements for drivers, but we have highlighted a few general rules and conditions.
List of required documents
- driver’s license;
- passport;
- debit or credit card to pay the deposit and rent (in case of cash payment – the deposit amount will be doubled).
The country is a party to the Vienna Convention, which recognizes driving licenses of any country that is a member of the convention.
Requirements for drivers and driver’s license
Rental offices are strict about potential renters, so they have requirements for customers:
- driver’s age – from 23 years old;
- driving experience – from 3 years;
- availability of a passport and I.V., on which the name and surname are written in Latin letters;
- bank card for deposit reservation.
The service of renting a passenger car may be refused. The requirements for the driver are dictated not by the hirer himself, but by the insurance company, which is partially financially responsible for the car. Therefore, if these requirements are not met, the rental service will be denied.
Country information
Option | Data |
|---|---|
Population of Bulgaria | 6,385,500 persons for 2023 |
The area | 111,000 km² |
The language | Bulgarian |
Currency | BGN - lv (Bulgarian Lion). |
Country code | +359 |
Phone number to call the police / ambulance | 112 (free) |
Movement direction | right-hand side |
Speed limit in urban areas | 90 km/h. |
Speed limit within the city limits | 50 km/h. |
Acceptable blood alcohol level | 0.5 ‰ ppm |
Registration of car rental in the company’s office
Let’s describe the process of renting a car at the office of TopRentaCar in Bulgaria:
- At the appointed time? If you have already booked your car online, come to the company’s office with the specified package of documents and the necessary amount of money to pay for the hirer’s services.
- Give your passport and driver’s license to the lessor to fill out the paperwork. Read the Russian version of the rental agreement.
Discuss with the hirer all the terms and conditions of the service. - Find out what kind of gasoline and at what gas stations you should fill up, how to use the air conditioner, what damages are covered by insurance, where the additional equipment is located, etc.
- Put down a deposit for the car, pay the rental fee and sign the contract.
- Additional insurances are not compulsory, so you are free to refuse if you are confident.
Getting a rental car
From the office, the manager will follow you to the vehicle to brief you on the nuances of use and to sign the acceptance certificate. When you receive the vehicle, you should inspect it for breakages and damage:
- The car rental employee will walk around the car and record the damage on a special form.
- Go around the car 2-3 times yourself, carefully inspecting it.
- Make sure that all damages, chips and scuffs are recorded on the certificate scheme.
- Pay special attention to the condition of windows, doors, bumper, headlights, wheels.
- Sit in the cabin and make sure that the dashboard gauges are in good working order, check the steering, turn on the air conditioner, lock and unlock the door locks.
- Check the car’s equipment, make sure it has a first aid kit, spare tire, jack, emergency sign and vest.
Carefully inspect the car before signing the certificate, it is possible that the manager will not notice the damage and will not mark the information about it in the form.
Demand from the hirer to fix all noticed defects in the acceptance report. When you return the car, you will be able to claim for all the defects not noted.
Returning the car
- It is necessary to check the fuel level in the tank and make sure that the volume corresponds to the terms of the contract with the hirer, usually exactly the same as when you received the car.
- Inspect the car for new scratches, dents and other problems.
- Compare any defects with the damage listed on the vehicle handover report when the car was rented out.
Fines for traffic violations
About 70% of fines in Bulgaria are issued for violation of parking rules. But this does not mean that the rest of the traffic rules do not need to be paid attention to. The amounts of fines for common offenses:
- driving in a public transportation lane – 25.5 euros;
- failure to comply with the speed limit – from 10 euros plus deprivation of the right to drive;
- driving with headlights off – 10.2 euros;
- unfastened seat belts – 25.5 euros;
- improper parking – from 10 euros;
- talking on the phone without the “hands free” system – 25.5 euros;
- driving under the influence of alcohol – from 250 euros plus deprivation of license.
The fine must be paid by bank transfer immediately after the report on the offense has been drawn up. The police officer has the right to collect the driver’s license and then send it to your home country by post after you have paid the fine.
How to make a deposit refund
The deposit is returned to the client after inspection and checking the technical condition of the car. As a rule, the deposit is blocked on the renter’s bank card, so the unblocking of funds takes place with the participation of the bank and lasts from 1 to 20 days.
If the client rented a car and paid in cash, he/she will be able to return the money at the moment of returning the vehicle.
