Tips & Takeaways for Renting a Car in Bulgaria:
decide if you NEED a car or can get around walking and using public transport. Sofia is not a big city and is well-connected;
shop around and check reviews on multiple sites, also check the broker reviews (if you go through one);
we found the drivers to be considerate and relaxed (unlike Turkiye) still make sure you are confident driving, especially if it's the 'wrong side of the road' to your home country;
make sure you are insured. Whether that's through the hire car company or your external travel insurance (or both!);
understand your maximum liability if you have an accident (this may be above and beyond your deposit);
take a slow video moving around the car before you leave. Make sure you include inside the car and the odometer;
take photos of any obvious damage even if the company advises they have done so already;
avoid paying with a credit card (if you can) we always pay with a debit card;
make sure you have your license, passport and international driving permit. We needed all three when we collected the car.
Rentint a car in Bulgaria was something we discussed but weren't sure if we really needed one so we waited until we arrived in Sofia (the capital city). We had two weeks booked in town then 4 weeks still to book. While Sofia was a lovely, quiet and family-friendly city we decided that we needed to get out to the countryside and into the mountains to go climbing and for that, we really needed to rent a car. We did look at other options including public transport however there were no trains out to many of the smaller towns, including Karlukovo and Teteven which we wanted to visit.
When renting a car in Bulgaria we started searching online while in Sofia and messaging as many companies as we could find on WhatsApp asking for their cheapest price for a long-term rental. The responses varied greatly, some didn't respond at all, some responded with a link to their website and some were 'sold out', or had no 'cheap' cars as it was heading into summer in Europe and therefore high season.
We had good communication with a company called EasyRent Bulgaria. They were by far the cheapest with cars in the low 20's euro per day. Of the other companies I looked into, I couldn't find anything for less than 30 euro per day, and some of those were excluding insurance.
We liked that they were active and responsive on WhatsApp and had their full insurance included in the price. We went with the cheapest option which was a Renault Clio and the price for 31 days (month of June 2024) was 791 euro or $1,285 AUD. They would not offer any additional discount for having the car for one month. This also included a child seat which was an additional 60 euro. We tried to have this included in the price as we have been able to in other countries but they declined.
We paid with debit card which we had to request in advance. Some companies will only take credit card (especially if you go through a broker). Some people prefer to pay with a credit card as there may be some additional insurance coverage however we avoid it as once the company has a copy of your card we have heard horror stories of charges being billed once the car is returned for damage that may or may not have happened, fines that can't be proven, among other things. We always say avoid the argument and just pay with a debit card (which we make sure never has much money on it) that way if they want to charge you for something additionally they have to come to you first.
My opinion on travel insurance included with your credit card is you shouldn't be relying on it.
My personal opinion on travel card insurance included with your credit card is you shouldn't be relying on it as it is often limited and has many fine print caveats. If you have full comprehensive travel insurance with a provider outside of your credit card this should include hire car excess cover. Make sure you check the amount covered, some will only cover an excess of $2,000, if your hire car company excess is $5,000 (not uncommon) you will be out of pocket $3,000 plus whatever your travel insurance excess is to make a claim!
Make sure you have your passport, driver's license and international driving permit. Some places we have needed it and some we haven't, always make sure you get it - it's easy and relatively inexpensive ($49) to do in Australia and it's valid for 12 months. Link to the RAC site we used here: https://rac.com.au/travel-touring/international-driving-permit
Even if the hire car company doesn't need it, it's likely that your travel insurance will and the last thing you need is getting your claim denied because you didn't read the fine print.
Initially the rental was starting in a few days but by the time we went back and forth negotiating it was the day before collection that it was finalised. They sent a link for full payment to my email but I asked if I could just pay tomorrow morning when we collected the car. They weren't happy about it but accepted it in the end. It just didn't feel right to pay the full amount when we had only communicated over WhatsApp and not in person. I was getting scammy vibes and was a bit nervous. I asked if we could just pay the deposit but they advised that was separate and would be paid when we collected the car (that was an additional 200 euro) or $331.
We collected the car in the morning from the airport and the whole process was really simple and straightforward. We arrived at the airport which was quiet and walked straight up to the desk, they took Jacob's ID documents (passport, Australian driver's license and international driving permit), and we paid the full amount. This ended up being charged in Bulgarian Leva (local currency) and the AUD amount was slightly higher than we were quoted (+$46). I have queried this and am still awaiting a response, I had it worked out to be $1,285 and we were charged $1,331 ($47 per day). Not the end of the world but would still like an explanation.
We then also paid the deposit of 200 euro ($331) he gave us the key and told us to wait in basement 4 while they brought a child seat. Honestly there were probably less than 20 words spoken it was kind of strange - no explanation on parking or rules or driving, nothing!
We then took a video of inside and around the car which is something that we always do.
We waited for the child seat to be dropped off and we installed it ourselves. We then took a video of around and inside the car - this is something that we always do and it's nice to know you have it as a backup if you are pinned for any damage that may not have been you. We noticed some small things, a crack in the window, some chips in the paint, some normal scratches on doors, etc. There was no damage report or anything given to us, just the car! Then off we went! We were in and out of the airport in under an hour.
The car was much nicer than others that we have driven overseas, it did however cost more than we are used to (we always go for the cheapest we can find). Even though it is a 'small car' it easily fitted our backpacks and day pack in the boot and there was enough room in the back for the child seat and Kaia's backpack on the floor, as well as the cot.
Parking in Sofia is a bit complicated, for us anyway, there are blue and green zones and in the few days we stayed before hiring a car we constantly saw cars being towed. We hadn't figured the parking out yet so we quickly grabbed our bags from the house and ran!
The next accommodation we booked was in Teteven, a small mountain town about a 2-hour drive from Sofia. About half an hour into the drive on the main road the speed limit goes from 50km to 140km. When we put our foot down a check injection warning came on the dash and the power of the car was limited. We continued driving slowly to Teteven and it eventually went off. We contacted the company via WhatsApp and they advised us the car was fine to continue to drive.
The next day we went to drive to a climbing spot and the same warning came on. Then the check engine light and again the power was restricted. We notified them again and they again said it was fine to keep driving! Slightly annoyed that it was difficult to overtake trucks with the restricted power and kind of nervous we may break down but we just let it go and kept driving.
Because Teteven is predominantly a winter destination with plenty of snow and skiing, the roads are quite torn up from snow chains on cars and there are plenty of potholes. So far we have lost 2 hubcaps which we initially thought were stolen (they are ziptied on) but now we think it may be due to the terrain of the roads. We haven't notified the company yet just in case we lose anymore and will see what happens.
We are now one week into our rental and other than the above, so far so good! I will update again if anything changes or happens, and again when we return the car to see if it is as smooth of a process and our deposit is returned.
Til next time,
R
Kommentare