Car rental in Ruse

Ruse is an ancient port city on the banks of the Danube. Tourists often stay here for a day when traveling around Bulgaria or heading to Bucharest, Romania. We tell you what to do in Ruse and how to make the best plan for your trip by car.

It is convenient to move around the city without a car: many of Ruse’s streets are pedestrian, so walking through the historical quarters is easy and pleasant. The main attractions are concentrated in the center, and if the hotel is located on the outskirts, you can take a taxi.

Average rental prices in Ruse by car class

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

*Prices are valid for November 2024. Check the available cars in the city and review the offers from rental offices.

What do you need to rent?

To rent in Bulgaria you will need a regular European valid driver’s license (VD) with an unexpired expiration date (an IDP is not required), a foreign passport and a Visa/MasterCard bank card for making a deposit.

Minimum age is 23 years old and a minimum of 3 years of driving experience. For drivers under 23 years of age – extra. costs 6 euros per day and double deposit.

It is better to make a reservation in Ruse 7 days in advance to get good discounts from the rental company.

How to choose a rental car?

Determine where you will be traveling: around Ruse, to another city on the highway or cross-country in the mountains, how many passengers will be in the car.

Car rental companies in Ruse

Cities near Ruse

Ruse is rarely a tourist’s only destination. It is much more often chosen as an intermediate point on a long route.

The car will allow you to go:

• to Veliko Tarnovo (107 km along the E85 highway);
• to the warm coast of Varna (193 km on the E70 and A2 roads);
• to Romanian Bucharest (88 km north across the Danube Bridge).

The options listed assume that the traveler gets to Ruse by train or bus. Another option is to rent a car in Sofia, Plovdiv or another Bulgarian city that has a functioning airport. In this case, the car will help to get to the hotel quickly, and if there are a lot of passengers – and also save a little money on traveling around the country. You can turn in your car after renting it upon arrival.

Useful information

Information	Data
Population of Ruse	160 356 (2021)
Square	127 km²
IATA code (airport)	VAR
Nearest airport	198 km
Airport information desk	+359 52 573 323
Language	Bulgarian.
Currency	BGN – lv. (Bulgarian Lev)
Country code	+359
Police/ambulance phone number	112 (for free)
Direction of movement	right-handed
Speed ​​limit outside the city	90 km/h (56 mph)
Speed ​​limit within the city	50 km/h (31 mph)
Permissible blood alcohol level	0.05‰ ppm
Availability of access to the sea	No

Weather during the year

Spring in the city is enjoying comfortable weather: As early as April, you can walk the local streets in a light jacket. It’s a hot summer: In July the air warms up to +26°C, often reaching a maximum of 30 – 32°C. However, Ruse is a rather green city, so it will be quite comfortable to walk in the shade of trees.

Average temperature by month:

Jan.	Feb.	March	Apr.	May	June	July	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
0	+2	+8	+14	+20	+23	+26	+25	+20	+14	+8	+2

November is the last month that lends itself to long walks. December brings with it a rainy and windy winter that lasts until mid-March.

The only advantage of winter travel is the low prices. Car rental in Rousse will be half the price in winter than in summer. A similar rule applies to hotels: prices are dropping by at least half and half. The exception is Christmas vacation. It is better to book a rental car or a hotel room 3 – 4 months before the New Year holidays, as the demand during this period significantly exceeds the supply.

Parking zones in the city

Most of the central streets of Ruse are included in the blue zone, which designates paid parking from 08:00 to 18:00. 1 hour of parking costs 1 lev. The maximum time for which parking is allowed in one location is 3 hours.

Free space can be found in the residential neighborhoods southeast of Blvd. Tsar-Osvoboditel and Boulevard. General Skobelev. Watch for signs: On many streets, stopping is either prohibited or only allowed for customers and employees of local businesses.

Ruse attractions

The first settlement on the site dates back to the 1st century BC. э. However, the city was repeatedly destroyed, so that from ancient times only the ruins of the fortress of Sexaginta Prista have survived. It is from this point that it is convenient to start sightseeing in the city.

Old building

There are few major historical monuments in Ruse. You can walk along Princes Street to St. Paul’s Catholic Cathedral, and a little to the east is one of the most unusual Orthodox churches, the Church of the Holy Trinity. The main part of the structure is hidden underground. The Turks, who ruled the city in the XVII century, forbade the construction of Orthodox churches on the ground, so for the construction of the temple had to use ancient Roman catacombs.

Museum of transportation

Ruse boasts substantial museum collections. The Historical Museum displays jewelry, coins, fossils and other items found during excavations. The Museum of Transport on Bratja Obretenovi Street is a small but extremely curious exposition of steam locomotives and riverboats. Visitors are offered to see the interiors of ancient royal railroad cars and are even given a ride on a hand-drawn train.

Rusen scrap

By car, you can reach the natural monument of Rusenski scrap, which is a UNESCO heritage site. In the X – XIV centuries, monks who were looking for a place away from the hustle and bustle of the world settled here. Medieval frescoes and statues have been preserved in small churches hollowed out right into the rocks. The unusual place is located near the village of Ivanovo, 20 km south of Ruse.