Where to stay in Bulgaria
Varna and Burgas, about 132 km apart by road, each have an airport: Varna for the north of the coast, Burgas for the south. Each town sets its own parking rules and its own tourist tax, so the base shapes the bill as well as the drive.
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How the areas differ
Varna is the city of the north, with the Sea Garden above its beach, life all year and the airport about 9 km away. Golden Sands, about 17 km north of the centre, is a resort of beach hotels behind a long sandy beach.
Burgas is the city of the south, with its own Sea Garden and pier and the airport about 12 km away. North of it, old Nessebar fills a small peninsula with guesthouses and small hotels, and Sunny Beach, about 6 km away, is the resort of big beach hotels. South of Burgas, Sozopol has an old town of stone and timber houses on its own peninsula, about 34 km from the city.
The two cities work in any month; the resorts are built for summer beach holidays. The old towns of Nessebar and Sozopol suit couples who want to walk out of the door into the lanes.
Staying with a rental car
Bulgaria drives on the right. For the airports, the e-vignette and parking in the coastal towns, GetCar's guide Driving on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast: Burgas and Varna Airports, Parking and the Vignette covers the road side. Motorways and main roads outside towns need an e-vignette: since 1 August 2026 a car pays EUR 5.30 a day, EUR 10 a week or EUR 19.90 a month.
Varna and Burgas charge by zone. In Varna the Blue zone costs EUR 0.51 an hour for up to 3 hours between 09:00 and 20:00, and the Green zone the same for up to 5 hours on weekdays. Burgas charges EUR 1 an hour in its Blue zone on working days from 09:00 to 19:00 and in a summer Green zone every day from 11:00 to 20:00, May to September. In both cities SMS payment works only on Bulgarian networks, so use the machines or the apps: Mpark in Varna, PayPark or Urbo in Burgas.
Old Nessebar controls access to its peninsula, and hosts inside register arriving guests in advance. The municipal car parks cost EUR 1.50 an hour for up to 5 hours or EUR 7.50 for 5 to 24 hours, and street zones EUR 1 an hour for up to 3 hours, every day from June to September and on weekdays the rest of the year. Sozopol's old town is entered through a barrier with number-plate cameras and 30 free minutes; its latest official prices are from summer 2025, in leva.
For Golden Sands no official parking source turned up, so ask the hotel. At both airports the first 10 minutes of parking are free.
What the tourist tax and registration rules mean for a guest
Bulgaria's tourist tax is a municipal tax on each overnight stay, and every council sets its own rate. The host pays it to the municipality and must show it separately on the bill. In Varna, which includes Golden Sands, it runs from EUR 0.26 a night at 1 and 2 stars and in registered guest rooms and apartments to EUR 0.72 at 5 stars. In Nesebar, which includes Sunny Beach, it is EUR 0.33 up to 3 stars, EUR 0.38 at 4 and EUR 0.61 at 5. In Burgas it is EUR 0.51 in the city for 1 and 2 star hotels, for family hotels and guest houses up to 3 stars and for guest rooms and apartments, EUR 0.77 for 3-star hotels and EUR 1.02 at 4 and 5 stars; the lower categories in the villages of the municipality pay EUR 0.26. Sozopol's rate could not be verified.
Since 1 October 2019 every host, including private owners of guest rooms and guest apartments, reports guests to the Ministry of Tourism's Unified Tourism Information System. The register records the name as in the identity document, date of birth, citizenship and the document number, so expect to show a passport or ID card on arrival.
Bulgaria has been in the Schengen area since 1 January 2025 and uses the EU Entry/Exit System. It has used the euro since 1 January 2026; lev cash circulated alongside it until 31 January 2026, and prices no longer have to be shown in both currencies since 8 August 2026.
When to book what
Book the airport and the base together: Varna for Golden Sands and the north, Burgas for Nessebar, Sunny Beach and Sozopol. A summer booking in Burgas or Nessebar meets the summer parking charges, the Burgas Green zone and the daily Nessebar street zones.
Buy the e-vignette for the days on motorways and main roads, or ask the rental company whether the car already has one.
Which area for which trip
A city with life all year and the north coast within reach: Varna.
A summer resort week in the north: Golden Sands.
A city base for the south: Burgas.
An old town on a peninsula, or a resort next to it: Nessebar and Sunny Beach.
A quieter old town with beaches: Sozopol.
Questions
Is it better to stay in Varna or Burgas?
Varna for Golden Sands and the north, with the airport about 9 km away. Burgas for Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Sozopol and the south, with the airport about 12 km away. Both are cities with life all year.
Where can a rental car park in old Nessebar?
Outside the old town, which has access control. The municipal car parks cost EUR 1.50 an hour for up to 5 hours or EUR 7.50 for 5 to 24 hours.
Can parking in Varna or Burgas be paid with a foreign phone?
Not by SMS, which works only on Bulgarian networks. Use a machine or an app: Mpark in Varna, PayPark or Urbo in Burgas.
How much is the tourist tax in Sunny Beach?
Sunny Beach is in Nesebar municipality: EUR 0.33 a night up to 3 stars and in registered guest rooms and apartments, EUR 0.38 at 4 stars and EUR 0.61 at 5 stars.
Is a vignette needed to drive on the Bulgarian coast?
For motorways and main roads outside towns, yes. Since 1 August 2026 a car pays EUR 5.30 a day, EUR 10 a week or EUR 19.90 a month.