For information
I went into a First Choice travel agency in the UK this afternoon, just to get a few lev to have in my pocket when I arrived.
Got 2.07 to the £. Not too bad, I guess

my mother and father in law got back last night, on Sunny Beach it was 2.17 lev to the pound yesterday

The rate in 'real' Bulgarian high street banks has been around 2.25 or more since I arrived here at the end of June.

Baldur

is bulgaria going to start using the euro in 2010 went in 2007 and loved it thought about going next year but not sure if going to start using the euro or not

There are no indications that Bulgaria will be able to join the Euro in 2010, with 2012 a possible date, but realistically 2015 being more like it.

See HERE and HERE

Peter

(edited to copy, not to alter 09/08/2009)

When we arrived at the end of June, we were getting 2.30lev in the String exchange in Sv Vlas. It was slightly lower in Sunny Beach. Rate fell to 2.24 during the 3 weeks we were there. String exchange was always about 0.10 higher than Crown though. I got 2.28 and 2.27 with Nationwide Flex card throughout my stay.

got back from sunny beach on saturday and the rate was 2.22 at the exchange place at the shopping mall ( opposite junona hotel )

I noticed that there are at least 3 companies who run currency exchange booths dotted along the beach promenade at Sunny Beach. The Thompson rep recommended using the Crown exchanges and over several transactions I found then honest and gave exactly what their published rate said.
But once I needed some lev quickly and changed £20 at another booth and was royally ripped off, being given a rate of 1.75 lev to the pound even though the booth advertising said 2.15. I ranted away at the young man in the booth but by this time had passed over my sterling and finally got my glasses out to read the confirmation slip. I was also intimidated by the arrival of some sort of 'heavy' at my back to listen in on the row. Over the course of the next two days I noticed as I walked by the same booth at least two major rows going on, one with a Russian couple that almost came to blows, and another with a German lady and her daughter who had called in the police . In both instances a 'minder' had arrived to try and intimidate.
I cannot give you a name of the crooks company as the booth seemed to have nothing on it except the word change written in red letters. Please stick to the Crown exchanges as they are everywhere and were honest with me every time. You cant miss them as the Crown sign is clear. As a precaution, always ask about exactly what you are going to get before you pass the money over.

Thanks for telling us. We have warnings about using other then Crown Exchanges in a number of places on this forum, but they are not easy to find.

Perhaps one of the Mods would consider making this a locked sticky, please? I think it would be of great assistance and stand out.

Peter

Hi Lester
What you report is not unusual in Bulgaria, thats why all the regulars advise where to change money. I suspect that the rate you saw advertised stated 'WE SELL'. Over many years I have seen people ripped off at these booths and have come to blows! You were in fact one the the lucky ones...you only changed £20. When we there in July, I saw a couple who had just changed £200 and ended up with a 5lev note and the rest were useless old Yugoslavian notes!
ONLY use hotels, Crown exchanges or for a higher rate the banks or STRING exchange, opposite the Diamond Hotel.

can anybody tell me the exchange rate in sunny beach at the moment.......ami better to buy my levs here or wait tilli get there?

It's better to buy your leva there, suggest you read through this thread for best advice re where to change your money safely.

Patka

I believe that the Abbey have either introduced a new fee or recently started to apply it to more transactions than previously. I'm talking about the £1.25 Overseas Transaction Fee.

I made a couple of recent bookings when based in the UK for flights starting in Spain. The fare obviously calculated in €'s but converted by the airline to GBP before requesting payment from the Abbey, paid with my Abbey Electron online and found these extra charges now being applied.

Has anyone else noticed they have been getting these £1.25 charges since around June time that they previously didn't?

If I had made a purchase direct with a spanish company and paid in €'s with my Electron card I could see the sense in paying this charge but I booked it in the UK, with a UK based company and had the GBP cost before the payment from the Abbey was requested.

Most travel companies levy an extra charge when paying by card. Are you sure its the bank and not the people you booked with???

Just back from Sunny Beach where the exchange rate was 2.18 in the banks on the main strand. Went to Nessebar and got an exchange rate of 2.23 but have always found that the rate is higher in Nessebar so if exchanging GBP would be worth the 1 lev on the bus and you could have a day there as well !

i am going bulgaria- ozbor beach resort 21st september, got my tickets today

and now have to change money into levs

what do you guys recommend.

the rate with first choice is 1.99 they told me today, the rate at the post office is 2.03 something

can anyone help?
should i change money over here or in bulgaria?

i only wanna change about £300 or so.

Change your money in Bulgaria you will get a much better rate there. I was there a few weeks ago and got 2.22 in the banks. If exchanging in the booths in the resort only use Crown as others rip you off. NEVER exchange money with the con men in the streets, they will give you fake money !

To underline, once again, the benefits of using a Nationwide Flex account Debit Card, below are the rates of exchange which I have received when withdrawing Leva from Bulgarian ATMs:

Period covered: 30/06/09 to 07/08/08
Number of withdrawals: 10
Lowest rate received: 2.256
Highest rate received: 2.309
Average rate received: 2.2866

All withdrawals were made early in my stay - I have not had to make a withdrawal since 7th August, still having more than enough cash to last me until I leave Bulgaria tomorrow.

Baldur

The Euro has improved a bit over the past day, fingers crossed for improvements before Monday further. I will be using my Nationwide card again.