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{{Infobox Country|country = Bulgaria|map = <map lat='42.5' lng='25.5' zoom='6' view='0' float='right' country='Bulgaria' />|language = Bulgarian|capital = [[Sofia]]|pop = 7,322,856|currency = Lev (BGN)|hitch = {{very good}}}}'''Bulgaria''' is a country in [[Eastern Europe]] bordering [[Romania]], [[Serbia]], [[North Macedonia]], [[Greece]] and [[Turkey]], a member of the [[European Union]] but not yet the Schengen zone. It's a good country for hitchhikers since this was a common way of travelling traveling in socialist times when few people had cars. There are hardly any roads where hitchhiking would be prohibited. Except for a few stretches of true motorway, it is possible to thumb directly on the road and stop passing cars.

The script Hitching is Cyrillic and it might be a good idea slightly easier from the east to be able to read it the west or vice versa because the motorway [[Sofia]]-[[Plovdiv]] is a little bit, for city part of the main route from Western and street signs Central Europe to [[Turkey]]. Hitchhiking between the north and such.south is somewhat slower

Hitching is slightly easier Quite a few drivers who would pick up hitchhikers are those who used to hitchhike themselves back in the South because socialist regime days. They will often feel nostalgic about the highway Sofia - Plovdiv is a part of time they spent on the main road from Europe , and will be happy to Istanbulshare their adventure stories with you, or let you tell them about your trip(s). There are many TIR drivers regularly taking Hitchhiking is highly popular in the summer and is so common along the road seaside that are often willing to have some companyyou can find yourself competing with other hitchhikers. Do not be surprised if some of them - driving from Western Europe to Turkey for instance asks you to put your shoes off when you get Hitchhiking is also practiced and known in Bulgarian mountainous areas, especially around the cabin and/Rhodope Mountains (''Rodopi'', or shows you a photo of their family''Rodopa'') where there are very few cars but the ones that drive by usually stop.

The other most frequent stereotypical drier that would take a hitchhiker is somebody There are usually many truck drivers on this road who used are willing to hitchhike themselves have some company. Do not be surprised if some of them – driving long distances between Western Europe and [[Turkey]] – ask you to take off your shoes when they were young back you are in the socialist regime daysa driver's cabin, or show you photos of their family, etc. They will often feel nostalgic about the time they spent Note that in summer, on days when the road temperature goes above 35 ℃, trucks must remain at a parking place between 1300 and will be happy 2100 (to share their adventures with youavoid damaging the asphalt). So, or let in July and August it is best to start hitchhiking early in the morning if you tell them about your trip. However there are many other people willing want to give you a ridedepend on truck traffic.

Hitchhiking is particularly popular in the summer, and is so common along the seaside that you can find yourself competing with other hitchhikers. This makes it easier as well [[File:Bulgaria-donkey- drivers expect ithitch.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[User:Guaka|guaka]] and his donkey hitching towards [[Istanbul]]]]== Cities ==* [[Balchik]]* [[Burgas]]* [[Hisarya]]* [[Madara]]* [[Pavlikeni]]* [[Plovdiv]]* [[Ruse]]* [[Sevlievo]]* [[Sofia]]* [[Varna]]* [[Veliko Tarnovo]]

==Safety==[[File:Dangerzone.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Danger!]]As friendly as they can be, Bulgarian drivers tend not to care too much about usually don't consider small violations of existing road regulations and speed limitsin Bulgaria a big deal. Be careful and avoid standing in areas with a yellow triangle sign, with a filled black circle in the middle - these indicate places with increased concentration of road accidents and are a part of a governmental campaign of the government to improve travel driving safety.

* High-way Motorway - магистрала [ma-gee-stra-la]

==Reading or writing signs in Cyrillic==

==License plates==You can use the cars´ Car license plates to can help you to figure out where a the driver might be headingto.The registration code consists of two letters, followed by four digits and then two more letters. The first two letters indicate the region where the car is registered. By recent lawregulations, the letters have been limited only to those that the are found both within Cyrillic and Latin alphabet have in common, so - this should make it easier for foreignerswho have troubles of reading and understanding Cyrillic. <table border="0"><tr><td>* A [[Burgas]]* B [[Varna]]* BH [[Vidin]]* BP [[Vratza]]* BT [[Veliko Tarnovo]]* C, CA [[Sofia]] (city)* CC [[Silistra]]* CH [[Sliven]]* CM [[Smolyan]]* CO [[Sofia]] (province)* CT [[Stara Zagora]]* E [[Blagoevgrad]]* EB [[Gabrovo]]* EH [[Pleven]]</td><td>* H [[Shumen]]* K [[Kardzhali]]* KH [[Kyustendil]]* M [[Montana (Bulgaria)|Montana]]* OB [[Lovech]]* P [[Ruse]]* PA [[Pazardzhik]]* PB [[Plovdiv]]* PK [[Pernik]]* PP [[Razgrad]]* T [[Targovishte]]* TX [[Dobrich]]* X [[Haskovo]]* Y [[Yambol]]</td></tr></table> It should also be noted that this is not reading Cyrillica 100% reliable method to get to know everything about the destination of the car, etc. It is common, for example, that cars registered in Sofia belong to people living in Burgas (or elsewhere). Also many drivers from [[Romania]] have Bulgarian licence plates as it's cheaper to register a car in Bulgaria. == External links ==* [http://stopbg.com/ The site of BG hitch-hikers] (forum, tips, etc.) 

Some examples{{Template:Europe/countries}}* B - Varna* C, CO, CA - Sofia* OB - Lovetch* PA - Pazardzhik* PB - Plovdiv[[wikipedia:Bulgaria]]

==Cities=={{IsIn|Balkans}}* [[Sofia]], the capital* [[Varna]], largest city on the seaside.* [[Plovdivtrash:Bulgaria]], largest city in South Bulgaria.

[[Categorybg:EuropeБългария]][[de:Bulgarien]][[es:Bulgaria]][[fr:Bulgarie]][[pl:Bułgaria]][[tr:Bulgaristan]][[ru:Болгария]]