By Train
Bulgarian State Railways ( BDZh ) can get you to most towns we mention, although trains are very slow by Western standards and delays are common on the longer routes. Intercity ( intersiti ) and express ( ekspresen vlak ) services only operate on the main trunk routes, but on everything except the humblest branch lines you'll find so-called rapid ( barz vlak ) trains. Use these rather than the snail-like patnicheski (; literally "passenger train", but meaning "slow" in this context) services unless you're planning to alight at some particularly insignificant halt. Generally speaking, intercity services are the only ones which carry a buffet car , so if travelling on another type of train, make sure you have enough food and drink to survive the journey. On timetables, the four types of services are indicated by the abbreviations and express services are usually lettered in red. A reservation ( zapazeno myasto ; about 20c in addition to the basic ticket price) is compulsory on intercity and express services, and advisable for all other trains if you're travelling on summer weekends. You might find yourself paying a hefty surcharge if you board a train without one. Though a national timetable ( patevoditel ) is extremely useful for frequent train travellers, the chances of obtaining one are slim, as they're snapped up immediately after publication each May. If you do get hold of a copy, note that trains running on a particular day only are indicated by a number in a circle (for example, 1 = Monday, 2 = Tuesday, and so forth). International services are printed in the Roman alphabet, rather than Cyrillic. Long-distance/overnight trains have a wagon with reasonably priced couchettes ( kushet ;) and/or sleepers ( spalen vagon ). At the time of writing you can travel from Sofia to Varna by sleeper for under US$15, which probably works out cheaper than a night's accommodation. In order to secure a bed on the train, you need to reserve a day or two in advance, and, if possible, at least a week in advance in July or August. Commonly, a single sign halfway down the platform is all that identifies a station ( gara ). If you're sitting at the back, you won't see this until the train starts up again, so try to sit up front. Most stations have a left-luggage office ( garderob ); in the large ones you may need to complete a form before stowing your gear.
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