Travel in Bulgaria

Imagine taking nearly three months to meander across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, reveling in the romantic atmosphere of first-class train travel all the while. From your individual suite on board—or a seat in a gleaming bar car—you’d soak in the unique landscapes of each continent that whoosh past your window, making stops to explore historical marvels, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and picturesque cities.

Did you know that there are European countries that don't use the euro? Of the 27 nations that make up the European Union (EU), 20 use the euro as their official currency, in the region known as the Eurozone. While most countries that join the EU are required to adopt the euro as part of their membership, there are seven member states that have yet to adopt the currency.

The rules for most people entering Europe who don't have an EU passport are changing and after several delays, the EU has confirmed when and how they will roll out the two new border controls that will impact travelers arriving into the Schengen area from 2024 onwards.

Arriving in Bansko for the first time, you might feel you've been transported back to a simpler age. Storks nest on telegraph poles, gaggles of head-scarved grandmothers gossip beneath apple trees on street corners and Roma on horse-drawn carts whip their steeds along the road. Above the red rooftops, the marble peaks of south-west Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains march over pine-clad slopes, looming over the town and its ski resort like the outstretched wings of a crouching dragon. 

Europe has delayed yet again its new visa waiver system, which by May 2025 will require travelers from the United States and dozens more countries to get pre-approval to enter most European nations.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have announced that their biggest ever Summer Sun programme is now on sale for 2025 from Bristol Airport, offering a brand-new and exclusive destination, as well as more seats and choice than ever before. The UK’s largest tour operator and leading leisure airline has put 34 sunshine destinations on sale from Bristol Airport, including a brand-new and exclusive route to Kalamata. The addition of this new route, alongside increased capacity to other destinations, makes this Jet2.com and Jet2holidays’ largest ever Summer Sun programme to operate from the airport.

Bulgaria is seeing a near return to normal after the pandemic.

Rivers have long been the lifeblood of civilizations’ past and present, and today, travelers can visit some of the bastions of history and local heritage on a river cruise with AmaWaterways. 

Robert Louis Stevenson once described Edinburgh as leading a “double existence”. He may well have been right — to this day, Scotland’s capital city manages to be simultaneously quaint and decedent, its crooked medieval streets bursting with innovative places to eat and drink. Step beyond its UNESCO-listed old and new towns, however, and there’s even more to discover. Join us below as we explore some of the city’s most exciting wine bars, from humble bottle shop hybrids to Michelin-starred mainstays.

Finland is changing the way it handles border security—specifically by doing away with physical passports.

Minister of Tourism of Jamaica, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has kicked off engagements in Eastern Europe with a marketing blitz to promote destination Jamaica amid the staging of the 19th World Athletics Championships underway in Budapest, Hungary.

On the heels of an impressive ninth consecutive quarter of economic growth for Jamaica’s tourism industry, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has kicked off engagements in Eastern Europe with a marketing blitz to promote destination Jamaica amid the staging of the 19th World Athletics Championships underway in Budapest, Hungary.

“No dining car,” says Vasil, vaping through a cloud that smells of strawberries. A paralegal from Plovdiv, he’s been eavesdropping on my chat with the barman at One More Bar, in Sofia, about the sleeper service to Istanbul, the last leg of a journey that had begun several days earlier at London’s St Pancras station. My shoulders drop: the dining car is the beating heart of a night train. It’s where strangers become friends, food tells a story and the air is thick with soupy aromas and laughter. 

Hyatt just lapped the one-year anniversary of acquiring the all-inclusive resort company Apple Leisure Group in a $2.7 billion deal. The Chicago, Illinois-based hotel group is now looking to expand its hotel presence in European cities that could help feed its all-inclusives, according to comments executives made as they reported its earnings.

Here are some excerpts from Daily Lodging Report from the past week. If you’re not a subscriber, you should be. Get news on hotel deals, development, stocks, and career moves. Sign up here, now.

Russian tourists may be flocking to Turkish resort hotspots like Antalya and Bodrum, but the country looks set to become a critical business travel hub for Russia as growing numbers of corporations relocate there following sanctions imposed by the West.

Standing under the iron ribcage of London’s St Pancras station, it’s impossible not to feel a thrill as Eurostar trains whisk passengers away from the city and under the sea. In just two-and-a-half hours, travellers can step out into the French capital, where one of the greatest railway journeys truly begins. 

A dilapidated hotel originally built in the 1980s as a luxury hideaway for elite members of the Bulgarian Communist Party could soon be transformed into a co-living hub.

India plans to open up to 50 new tourism destinations, promote green tourism, launch a publicity campaign in overseas markets and operationalize 59 new air routes during its presidency of the G20 this year, said Arvind Singh, secretary at the ministry of tourism. “India’s tourism sector is showing one of the strongest recoveries in the Asia Pacific region. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the country registered 6.19 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2022 — a growth of 305 percent as compared to 1.52 million in 2021,” he said while speaking at the G20 Tourism Expo held in the north Indian state of Rajasthan. “We have recommended 59 new routes to the ministry of civil aviation under the regional air connectivity scheme which has been successful. Of this, 51 routes are already operational,” Singh added. The government is pushing green initiatives to promote responsible tourism in the country and authorities plan to ensure small businesses have the resources for green investments and to create local jobs. 

I can’t imagine ever tiring of infinity pools, Michelin-starred restaurants, and staff answering my every whim. But from a business perspective, it seems you truly can get too much of a good thing in ultra-luxury hotels and resorts.In the ultra-luxury segment — think names like Aman, Four Seasons, 1Hotel, One&Only, Park Hyatt, Peninsula, Raffles, The Ritz-Carlton, and Six Senses — it can be a mistake to grow a brand’s footprint too fast or widely. After all, luxury is partly about scarcity.