Bulgaria Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in Bulgaria
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Hi Luckyrolls,

You will find UK brands in Sunny Beach but beware that many of those which you'll see on street stands may well be fakes - I'd suggest sticking to mini markets/supermarkets, where you are less likely to be 'sold a pup'.

Can't help on prices, as I tend to use local brands, like West (2.70 Leva) or Victory (3.40 Leva), when in Bulgaria.

There are certainly local menthol cigarettes available.

Remember that you can legally only bring 200 cigarettes per adult from Bulgaria into the UK - HMRC Information:
Tobacco restrictions for four Member States

The UK is maintaining limits on the amount of cigarettes and some tobacco products that travellers are able to bring in to the UK for own use from four Member States, without paying UK duty.

The limits are:

* Estonia - 200 cigarettes or 250g of smoking tobacco.
* Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania - 200 cigarettes.

Anyone who is carrying more than the limits should pay UK duty on those goods by entering the Customs red channel or by using the red point telephone. If travellers enter the Customs blue channel with more than the limits, then all of their tobacco may be seized.
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hi,

im just back from sunny beach and yes you can buy marlboro superkings silk cut etc in the supermarkets they are all around 39 lev for 200, we brought back a few extra and had no problems ;)
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Hi, its my 4th time to Sunny Beach and I smoke menthol cigarettes, unfortunately I tend to take them with me. I have tried the local ones but dont like them and dont buy off the street sellers. Some of our company smoke Lamberts and they tend to buy the victory brand and bring them back to the UK
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can anyone tell me if you get golden virginia in sunnybeach?
and how much it costs?

thanks x
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Hi Jackie

You can get Golden Virginia in the big supermarket at the main strip just before the beach and also in the tobacco shop in the street of art. It cost 9 leva a packet last week.

Liz
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Stick to the supermarkets as Baldur says...

I recently brought half a dozen sleeves back through from sunny beach (bought in the tobacco shop on sunny beach near mania) and they were all snides, green smoke, cigs packed in upside down and tasted foul...

On the plus side they were only 18 quid a sleeve
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we brought back a few extra and had no problems


That's a matter of luck, they could seize the lot in Bulgaria never mind the UK.

Peter
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yes peter, you are right!!!!!!!!

but hey isnt all life about a little luck
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Hi Lucky,

yes you can get british brands and as sarah says they are all about 39 lev but stick to somewhere reliable like anna & ivo's tobacco shop at the Mercury hotel never had any problems and they are always the genuine article.
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Remember though, If you are stopped at the airport and you are over your limit. They have the power to arrest you, and they take it very serious too.
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Hi If you are in England and want cigarettes from Bulgaria could drown out. prices are much lower than England as Marlboro costs 30
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I'm not quite sure what you mean by drown out. Yes ciggies are very cheap in Bulgaria. While you're there you can smoke as many as you can very cheaply. Just don't try and bring more than your allowance home. If you're caught they are very severe with you.
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rondetto wrote:
I'm not quite sure what you mean by drown out. Yes ciggies are very cheap in Bulgaria. While you're there you can smoke as many as you can very cheaply. Just don't try and bring more than your allowance home. If you're caught they are very severe with you.

There is no 'allowance', as of 1st January this year.

Previously importation of cigarettes from Bulgaria to the UK was restricted to 200 cigarettes.

The only caveat given by HMRC is that individuals carrying more than 3,200 cigarettes are liable to questioning.
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That's interesting, I wasn't aware they had joined the EEC until you said. That makes a huge difference as their taxes are still a lot lower than in the UK.
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rondetto wrote:
That's interesting, I wasn't aware they had joined the EEC until you said. That makes a huge difference as their taxes are still a lot lower than in the UK.

Bulgaria became a member of the EU on 1st January 2007, along with Romania.

However, because the excise duty level on cigarettes was well below that required by the EU, other member states were permitted to place limits on the importation of tax-paid cigarettes from Bulgaria until 31st December 2009 (at the latest).

Excise levels have now risen dramatically, by Bulgarian standards, meaning that a pack of 20 cigarettes, e.g. West Red, which cost 1.60 Leva in 2007, rose to 2.50 Leva in 2008, then rose to 3.30 Leva in 2009 and again to 4.40 Leva this year - leading to many 'fake' and 'bez banderol' (without excise label) cigarettes being sold via black market sources.
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They had loads of "fake" ciggies when I was there 5 years ago. But they were so cheap then.
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rondetto wrote:
They had loads of "fake" ciggies when I was there 5 years ago. But they were so cheap then.

I'm not talking about the resorts, where they have always been available for 'gullible tourists', they are now being touted in real Bulgarian villages, towns and cities because the excise duty increases have been so high.

Many local bars/shops in smaller villages have stopped selling cigarettes, as they can't afford the 1,000 Leva licence fee which has been introduced for retailers this year.

In Western European terms, cigarettes are still cheap in Bulgaria; 4.40 Leva is around £2 at today's exchange rate.
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