I’ve waited on tenterhooks for this day to get closer, but as it’s only four days away, I think it’s about time I share my next frugal trip abroad.
The reason I didn’t share earlier is because I had a trip to Malta back in May that was canceled for reasons out of my control just two days before my flight. Then I booked another flight, which I never even wrote about here — a flight to Bucharest, Romania, in July — and that one was also canceled, again for reasons out of my control, a week and a half before my flight. Fortunately, in both cases I got a full refund for my airfare, but it left me feeling completely burnt out, and I desperately needed a vacation abroad.
I discussed it with my therapist and decided that for my mental health, I needed to find a flight abroad — even if it wasn’t the absolute cheapest — because I really needed the break. One of the cheapest flights I found was to Varna, Bulgaria. I’ve been to Bulgaria before on a trip with my kids six years ago, and I said back then I wanted to come back and do more touring. Now I finally am — just in a different part of the country. Bulgaria is very affordable, and in my experience, the people there are genuinely wonderful.
The base price for my ticket was about $65, but that didn’t include luggage. Since I’ll be preparing my own food instead of eating out, and I’m gluten free, I wanted to bring my own ingredients and cooking supplies so I wouldn’t waste precious touring time shopping for specialty items. So I paid extra — double the base price — to include carry-on luggage. Altogether, my flight cost $145, still very reasonable for international travel.
I’ll be flying into Varna. At first, I lost my credit card before I finalized my plans. Since most car rental companies require a credit card for the security deposit (and usually won’t accept cash or a debit card), I planned the entire trip around using public transportation instead — staying in both Varna and Burgas, with day trips from each city by bus.
Later, I found my credit card and got excited because that meant I could rent a car after all. I started reworking my itinerary around having a rental car, since car rentals are quite cheap in Bulgaria. But when I tried to book one, I discovered that the credit card has to be in the same name as the driver’s license — and my card, which is American, still has my maiden name on it. I called a few rental companies, but they all told me they couldn’t accept it, even if I showed my American passport as proof.
That caused a lot of stress, because the reason I don’t have a local credit card is a leftover complication from my divorce, and I had really been looking forward to the road trip itinerary I’d planned. Thankfully, just as I was finishing writing this post, I found a rental company willing to rent me a car without a credit card — as long as I take their full insurance coverage. It’s a more expensive company, but still manageable. The total for a week will be $295, which isn’t too bad.
I’ll be staying in hostels to keep costs down (and because I think hostels make trips more fun). It’s a great way to meet other travelers and swap stories. The first place I’m staying costs $13.50 per night, and the second one is $18 per night.
I’m really excited for this trip.
Now that it’s so close, it finally feels real — which means it’s time to start getting all the practical things in order: travel health insurance, an eSIM, and making arrangements for the kids and the dog while I’m away.
Can’t wait to share my adventures in Bulgaria — and, of course, how I do it all on the cheap!
Have you ever been to Bulgaria before? Where in Bulgaria have you been?
