Veliko Turnovo Travel Forum

I am planning to travel through Bulgaria in the beginning of October and hope to spend some time in Veliko Turnovo before heading to Plovdiv. What options are there for traveling between these two cities?

Also, are there any hostels you would highly recommend or which are inferior. Thanks!

Cheers,
DC Duxbury

You can travel either by train or by bus.

There is only one direct train during daylight hours, taking about 5 hours - a nice journey through the Mountains. Check www.bahn.de or www.bdz.bg for times - currently it leaves at 08.49. There is also a direct train at night but it's not really far enough for a proper overnight journey.

Bus might be a little faster, but not much. Also a nice journey over the Shipka pass. When I was last there, there were only a couple of direct buses per day. Don't know if there is any online timetable, but you can check when you arrive.

You will find all the train info you need on www.bdz.bg English/Bulgarian
The best train to take would be the 8:50am train and it will take you a bit over 5 hours. The bus time is comperable. I used to make the trip a lot by bus......and it would take about 4.5 hours. I believe there is a bus that leaves at 11am........but it leaves from the bus station at the edge of town not the one in the center. Your hostel should be able to help you out with travel logistics. Actually VT is the most tourist friendly town in Bulgaria...a fair amount of people speak english. I believe there is a hikers hostel in VT.......and I am not sure if it is open yet......but there should be a new Hostel Mostel in VT. If it is in fact open...I would recomend that one. The Hostel Mostel in Sofia is hands down the best hostel in the city. In Plovdiv I would recomend the Hikers Hostel in Old town. Great location fair price, great staff. good luck
Trevor

Hi, I cant say anything about VT, but in Plovdiv there is number of newly opened places B&B and i doubt they will be full at any day of the year.

Bookmark

OK

It's now LATE Oct but for other readers who might wonder about this...

First, there is NO WAY to get in or out of here on a Train- you have to go to Gorno Oryakovitz (about 20 minutes away by car) to catch a train to Plov' or anywhere else for that matter) UNLESS you walk down to the tracks and jump on one when on one is looking- but I don't know if these lead anywhere (there is no station here in VT and it might not be a passenger line, but simply a factory spur, haven't looked at the maps on this one).

There are

1) Big busses (like greyhound; German-owned bus lines, GRUP or something)
2) Little busses (like big vans with seats inside)
3) Taxis
4) Taxis
5) and more busses. Oh and Taxi's. But Taxis are expensive for journeying anywhere but, say to catch the train at Gorno Oryakovitz (no more than 8-9 levas).

I RECOMMEND, for convenince and cost, the local big busses. You can catch them just DOWN from the main center (1 block); say "HOTEL ETARRRR" to a cab driver if you're not near the center, or to a local and they will point the way). The busses leave outside; 1st floor is two bus companies (they're almost identical and share office space) The busses are big, comfortable (like LCD Tv's in half of them), cost no more than a lev or two than the uncomfortable smaller busses (the smaller ones don't do well on the bumpy roads- you FLY off your seat costantly and they swerve all over- can you say "carsick with no stops" 10 0times fast?)....AND they travel regularly all OVER Bulgaria.

NO rental cars either- though I saw one opening up (they're putting up the counters and phone lines in yesterday) the other day.

The hotels are all the same usually- My recommendation is HOTEL ANHEA. It's modern, cheap and the staff is wonderful, and the proprietor's daughter, who is there 24/7 speaks fluent english (She is the tall one). The two big hotels are only ok, and I don't like the youth hostel here- though it's ok. you only pay a bit more for your own room and nice beds and all that in HOTEL ANHEA. It is one block up from the center on the main road, left side (uphill side) across from Ego Pizza. The rooms are all modernized; heating and air conditioners, with solid walls and double-pane windows that open and seal tight and -surprisingly- block the noise so well you don't ever hear the street below (which is busy all the time).

...
OH, there ARE trains (I was wrong) but they are VERY inconveneint, dirty and only come by like once or twice a day, and even the locals frown at the train conditions... take the bus if you can.

I've been here for some time and had no IDEA there was a train station here, the locals don't even MENTION it and almost NEVER use it. It is THAT bad according to them. LOL!!!

The busses leave all the time and are similarly priced and more conveneint and comfortable x100!!!!!

Many thanks J&R! Copied and pasted!