Even though there’s plenty to see in Bulgaria itself, the central location of this Balkan country allows you to easily divert to another place. Rent a car from Sofia and you’re able to explore Serbia, Romania or even Greece. Distances are relatively short. Rent your car with Savoy Rent a Car and request a border crossing for 39EUR. We will make sure your insurance is in check and you can hit the road, on your way to the border.

It’s most certainly possible for you to visit some places in Bulgaria with your rental car and then cross the border – meaning you will see some of Bulgaria as well. In fact, there’s plenty to see on the way. In this post, we will expand on the option of traveling to Greece. A stunning country that shares its northern border partly with Bulgaria. Greece is, for obvious reasons, a popular travel destination for Bulgarians. It’s relatively close – in 182 kilometres from the Savoy Rent a Car office, you’re at the Greek border. Even though there’s still passport control, the check is fast and with the documents we’ll have arranged for you, crossing to this mediterranean country is a breeze. You now have access to explore the whole area of Northern Greece. Or, if time allows you to go farther, why not explore Central Greece or even Western Greece? There’s literally tons of places for you to see. If you come outside high season, you won’t even need hotel reservations. Follow your senses, drive on and find a place to sleep wherever suits you. Near the beach or in a small mountain village, near the Meteora monastery or the Olympia mountain? It’s all possible. Greece is very accessible from Bulgaria, especially by rental car and traveling from Sofia. The road to the border is of a good quality with almost a third being highway. Then, the Greek roads are in an excellent state as well. There are toll roads but these are quite affordable. Besides, the roads are quiet outside the high season, when there’s not a lot of holiday traffic.

Kyustendil	Blagoevgrad	Dupnitsa Rila Park

You’ll most likely have to think hard when designing your itinerary – that’s why we’re able to help you! We’ll advise you on where to go and have your rental car ready in Sofia. You can cross the border to Greece by rental car and have a care-free vacation. First, let’s expand on what’s to see in Bulgaria on the way to the border. It would be a pity to drive past the many sights on the way abroad, after all. First, take the highway southwest from Sofia. The direction is Kulata. Get off at Pernik and drive past the Pchelina lake. Then, visit the little town Zemen and its Zemen monastery. An authentic, quiet place that only few foreign travelers visit. Make sure to hike through the Zemenski Prolom eco trail as well. It’s a trail through a steep canyon, along the Strimon river. A stunning, rocky scenery. You can walk quite far and even have a picknick at one of the tables put in place for visitors. Do make sure to wear long-sleeved pants because ticks could be present in the tall grass. This is a risk for the spring and summer months.

After visiting quaint Zemen, continue south towards Kyustendil. It has a nice center with a large square and the excellent Strimon Spa Hotel. You can also visit just to use the spa center. Then, hop back in your rental car and head east. Stop by in Nevestino village, where you find the impressive Kadin Bridge, built in 1470. Read here (http://kustendil.com/en/landmarks/view/3/45/Kadin-Bridge-%E2%80%93-village-of-Nevestino) about the legend of the bridge. Then, you could visit Dupnitsa, another pleasant town where you can have a stroll through the Rila Park. Not the national park, the city park that’s also called Rila. Modern and with some good playgrounds for kids. Just beautiful. Now we’re there, the Rila Mountains are quite close. You could drive in for a bit or visit the Rila monastery, one of Bulgaria’s most iconic sights. Blagoevgrad is another cool city to visit. A lively student town where you find some good restaurants, shops and nightlife. Blagoevgrad is continuously ranked as one of Bulgaria’s most liveable cities, it’s a young place that attracts many families as a good place to live. You can see these families strolling through the city park, along the Bistritsa river. Essentially, the park continues right into the Rila Mountains.
 

Zemen Monastery	Panagia Monastery	Kerkini Lake

Right south of Blagoevgrad is the Kresna gorge. The gorge was formed by the Struma river over many thousands of years. In 1913, this was the place where the gruesome Battle of the Kresna gorge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kresna_Gorge) took place. It was fought between the Greeks and Bulgarians, during the Second Balkan War.  At the beginning of the gorge, there’s a place where you can do rafting (http://www.adventurenetbg.com/sports.php?lang=en&sid=3&tab=pro&pid=11). If you pay close attention, after passing through the Kresna gorge, you’ll see another mountain chain arise on your left. These are the Pirin Mountains, definitely some of the most stunning places in Bulgaria. The mountains are quite steep but you could make some excellent hikes. One of the bases is Sandanski – there are plenty of good spa hotels and guesthouses. Right south of Sandanski, you’ll be on the Greek border.

After a good stretch of highway through Greece, you’ll pass Thessaloniki. This is the country’s second largest city, after Athens. Thessaloniki is a surprisingly large yet relatively unknown city. It has a vibrant nightlife and is packed with culture – as well as with ancient sites. Thessaloniki has been inhabited for 3.000 years, continuously. You’ll find relics of Byzantine, Roman, Ottoman, Jewish and obviously Greek heritage. The Byzantine walls surrounding the center are still standing and so is the White Tower, the city’s landmark. It functions as a museum as well (http://www.inthessaloniki.com/en/white-tower-museum). By visiting, you’ll get a good impression on the geography and the historical and present life in the city of Thessaloniki. Take a walk along Nikis Avenue on the waterfront and enjoy a strong Greek coffee. It’s time to take your rental car again – why not visit one of the many beaches Greece counts?

Greece

If you take a look at the map, you’ll see the region of Halkidiki southeast of Thessaloniki. The region consists of three peninsulas. Actually, the region is one peninsula but you’ll see three strips of land reaching far into the Aegean Sea. These three strips, from west to east, are called Kassandra, Sithonia, and Agion Oros. The strips are quite mountainous, yet the roads are good and along the coast mostly straight. Each of the three strips are very popular for tourism, ever since the 1950’s when the people of Thessaloniki visited the quiet villages. Then Germans, Austrians and now people from many Balkan nations like to spend their money in the beach resorts. And rightly so, the beaches are perfectly clean, the restaurants are good and there’s a wide choice in accommodation. Choose one that suits your needs, with your rented car you can drive around as you please. Likewise, in low season, you will have no problem finding a good place to sleep.

In the morning, leave your rental car for a bit and walk along the beach. Even though Greece is close and easy to reach by car, it’s good to take a walk, look at the waves crashing on the beach and have a good Greek coffee at a cafe that is just opening up. In many places, you buy a drink and get a sunbed to enjoy it on. Greece is tourist-friendly, its people are, the infrastructure is – you just feel welcome as a guest. Why not enjoy an excellent breakfast, such as tiganites (Greek pancakes, possibly with huney and walnuts)? Have some fresh orange juice with it, or why not another coffee, and you’re good to go. There’s so many beaches in the Halkidiki region that you can just drive around and stumble upon them. In fact, there’s no need to do any research at all, you drive and will pass some quiet places. Make sure to bring water shoes, as most beaches are sandy, there are stones in the sea. These are difficult and painful to walk on with bare feet.

Greek Coast

If you’ve eventually had enough of the Greek coast, which is hard to imagine, you can make your trip back. Inland, there’s plenty to see as well. On your way back to Bulgaria, you’ll again have to pass Thessaloniki. You might pass by the Monastery Panagia Theoskepastos Sohos – a seemingly newly built monastery with some hospitable nuns and monks. Then right near the border with Macedonia and Bulgaria is Lake Kerkini, which is a popular destination for fishermen and birdwatchers. This is an important migratory route for birds on their way to the Aegean Sea. The lake is quite large – in fact it’s an artificial reservoir that was created in 1932. There’s some good local restaurants around the lake, where you can have a Greek salad and why not a glass of wine. After that, it’s time to go back to Bulgaria, or to enjoy far more of what Greece has to offer. The options are endless. So, let us know your interest, we will prepare your rental car in Sofia and you’re free to go where you wish! Safe travels.

Read more fantastic stories about Bulgaria: https://www.leondeleeuw.net/travel-bulgaria

by Leon de Leeuw Website: https://www.leondeleeuw.net/ Youtube: Visit