Driving to Bulgaria? What does it cost? We’ve done it three times now and every time I say never again! We’ve had many questions about the cost and how effective it was to drive in comparison to flying. This post explores the different routes we’ve taken over the last 5 years and how much it has cost.
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How Do I Keep Tabs On Payments?
I pay for everything on the Revolut card so I can see the payments going out instantly.
Revolut is our top international card to use. It’s simple to use, it’s topped up within the app, I can see everything I spend in real time, I get notifications when a payment has gone out and I can add multiple currencies. For us, it’s a win-win, I have ultimate control over the card and not the bank! They also give us free cash withdrawals overseas.
Travelling Through Serbia
There is a newly built motorway that enables you to travel from Hungary to Bulgaria through Serbia (thus eliminating Romania) BUT and this is a big, however, Serbia is not in the EU….
Some people have told me that if you travel through a non-EU country with an EU pet passport that this voids the EU passport. This is not true and I can find no official vet to confirm this however I have heard horror stories of bribery & corruption at the Serbian border involving a pet and some people have told me that British vets will not sign the Serbian health certificate because it isn’t a DEFRA form…
DISCLAIMER: All third-hand stories have not been verified!
DISCLAIMER: We have travelled through Serbia four times with our dog and three cats, border officials have seen them and we’ve not been questioned or asked for further documentation.
Driving To Bulgaria, 2022 From/To Liverpool
We drove a BMX X5 (2013 plate) with a roof box, 2 children and 3 cats & due to the cost of living and petrol we really made sure to stick to 70mph/111kmh.
- Petrol in Liverpool £110
- M6 Toll £7.10
- Eurotunnel £231 (this included 3 cats). £165 not including the cats. (£22 per cat)
- Petrol in Belgium £103.63
- Petrol in Germany £84.97
- Austria vignette £7.10
- Petrol in Austria £90.93
- Hungary vignette £12.40
- Petrol in Hungary £85.22
- Petrol in Romania £85.54
- Vidin bridge £5.08
- Bulgaria vignette £12.98
- Total = £835.95 (no cats = £769.95)
On the way back we had an incredibly laden car, plus the roof box, 2 kids and 3 cats!
- Petrol in Bulgaria £120
- Vidin bridge £5.23
- Petrol in Romania £99.78
- Hungary vignette £13.62
- Slovakia vignette £8.53
- Czech vignette 10.77
- Petrol in Czech Republic £99.24
- Petrol in Germany £50
- Ferry from Hook of Holland to Felixstowe £393.50 (including £22 per cat)
- M6 toll £7.50
- Petrol near Birmingham £130
- Total = £938.17 (no cats = £872.17)
Driving To Bulgaria, 2019 From Norwich
We drove a 2002 Lexus RX300, 4×4 with two adults, three kids, 3 cats, a high-sided trailer and a roof box. We estimated that we weighed approximately 3.5 tonnes! It had a 75-litre fuel tank and for motorway driving, we didn’t really watch our speed but couldn’t go very fast.
Because of the trailer, the crossing fee was more than we usually pay. This was the car and trailer for reference.
- £2.50 Dartford crossing
- £68 petrol in the UK
- Eurotunnel – £371
- Petrol in Belgium €80.58 /£ 71.67
- Toilet in Belgium: €0.70 / £ 0.63
- Petrol in Germany: €100.01 / £ 89.08
- Petrol in Germany: €77.73 / £ 69.58
- Austrian Petrol & Vignette: €108.50 /£99.27
- Petrol in Austrian: €92.16 / £ 82.50
- Hungary e-Vignette: 3500 / £9.10
- Hungarian Toll: 22308 / £ 59.88
- Serbian Petrol: 8732.86 / £ 66.94
Grand Total £989.58
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2018 From Surrey via Liechtenstein
I chose to have a holiday through Liechtenstein, this is not a direct route at all.
- Eurotunnel – £102
- Petrol in the UK – £93.73
- French Peage – €6.10.
- French Peage 3.60.
- French peage 22.80€
- Petrol in France – €95.01
- Swiss Vignette – CHF 40
- Petrol in Switzerland – CHF 108.75
- Austrian vignette – €26.20
- German Toll – €0.70
- Petrol in Germany – €89.09
- Hungarian Vignette – 2975 / €10 – 10 days
- Petrol in Hungary – 20,740
- Petrol in Romania- 349.20
- Vidin bridge – €6
- 54 lev – vignette 3 months
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Hotels I’ve Used En Route
Sometimes I sleep in the car, if you do this, I definitely recommend this luxuriously padded eye mask. You’ll need it!
Most other times, I use the interactive map below and just search for local, cheap accommodation en route. Some of these include:
Use this map to search for somewhere to stay
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