Bulgaria Discussion Forum

Discussions regarding holidays in Bulgaria
worried
14 Posts
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Bev, please dont worry.

Passport - as long as there are 3 months left on his passport after you return to UK you will have no problems.

You most certainly can change money here - but you get a better exchange rate over there. Please read the sticky re currency and it will help you make up your mind. We now take a Nationwide flex debit card because there are NO charges and you get a better exchange rate.

Hope this helps to put your mind at rest.

Patka
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We got quite a good exchange rate at Travelex up at the airport. You book it online with a credit card and you get it at the exchange rate at the time of booking so if you are not travelling for a while watch the exchange rate.

also we use a flex card from the Nationwide any where we have been.

Tom
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I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to order money using a credit card, you will be paying credit card charges from day one.

Patka
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No we were not taken on as we just paid the bill when it came in at no extra charge it can be done with either credit/debit card.
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It must an unusual credit card, because the ones I've had charge interest from the day you draw cash out, to the day you pay the bill.

Debit cards are different, but even they often have charges on foreign transactions. The Nationwide Flexi is superb, no charges and the highest exchange rate available

I do NOT recommend using a credit card unless you are 100% sure about the level of charges.

Peter
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Hi Tom,

Please will you share with us the name of your credit card company that doesn't charge for purchases of currency

Then we can all invest the money obtained and invest it elsewhere, earn interest on it, and the credit card company gets nothing.

Patka
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hi Tom
we have used travelex online purely for a great airmiles deal they were giving at the time, and the exchange rate was good. But it does cost. We paid £26 of a cash handling fee for £1300 ( ie 2%) and we also did not get the interest free period you get with normal transactions. I think this is standard but you probably would not have realised this was happening unless you read the small print. I have to be honest and own up to the fact that I did not read my statement with the first transaction properly and missed the handling fee.
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Hi Bev26,

someone told me i cant take change money here first before entering bulgaria, is that true?


No, it's NOT true - see HERE, under the heading "Regarding the export and import of levs and foreign currency cash.......".

As others have said, you will receive a better rate of exchange in Bulgarian banks than you will receive in the UK - Nationwide's Flex Account Debit Card offers an even better rate of exchange when you use it to withdraw Leva from ATMs (up to 400 Leva per day)

Baldur
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we were charged 2% on our credit card last year when we booked online with travelex,but friends were not charged with their debit cards :roll:
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Only use banks or your hotel to change your money,My brother-in-law was conned by changing money in the street.
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If your that worried about your childs passport why don't you renew it now?You can renew up to 9 months in advance of your old one expiring.Ive just renewed my sons posted it on mon 5th march recieved it yesterday.they dated it until november.£45 was a stinger though and only for 5 years. :roll:
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thank you everyone, we have a nationwide flex so will be taking that, dont know who told us that we cant take levs into the country, someone from my partners work! thanks again.
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Hi Bev

Dont go after them to shout about them saying you could not get lev outside Bulgaria that used to be the case in the bad old communist days, when the lev was considered a soft currency
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