This is the second half of my land journey getting to my new destination. My fingers got the better of me and the initial post was just too long. I want to provide a detailed account because information was so difficult for me to find online prior to this trip. I rode on the Bulgarian bus today heading for the resort town of Nessebar.
At the Bus Station
After arriving in Burgas by train, I was now at the Burgas bus station. This part of the trip was tricky, I couldn’t find any concrete bus information before leaving Plovdiv, so I was relying on help here. I entered the small terminal, and asked at a ticket booth where to get the bus to Nessebar. I was pointed at and told ‘information’. Turning around I searched for anything that looked like an information booth. I saw a lady speaking to someone near the front door through a little window, so I went there.
Information Ladies
Inside were two women. When it was my turn, I asked if I could buy a ticket for Nessebar. I was answered rudely and loudly through a speaker system of which I understood not a word. I then asked where the bus left from, maybe I could walk there and get a ticket on the bus. Again, I was barked at through the speaker. I said I didn’t understand what they were saying. One woman came out of the booth and abruptly pointed to this sign.
Feeling terrible and deflated, I took a picture of the sign and left. I walked out towards where the buses pulled in and found one place that had the word Nessebar. Trouble was, there are two buses towards that direction, but I needed a specific one.
Oh well, the sign told me the next bus should be at 13:30, so I waited there with other people. At 13:45 a bus pulled in. Some people pushed to get their luggage underneath the bus into a small compartment. I didn’t know if that was mandatory but when I got there, it was full. So, I pulled my bags up onto the bus and sat in the first seat I found which was one of the last available.
Bus Journey
Thankful to have a seat for this hour-long journey, I pulled out my phone to try and follow along on google maps, to hopefully disembark at the correct stop.
A ticket lady came through the bus and collected money. It cost 8 LEV for me. The bus was tidy, it had been swept but the windows were so dirty I couldn’t see much from them. As the bus progressed towards Sunny Beach, its destination, it stopped frequently to pick people up. It became so full it was suffocating and I began to worry how I would get off through all these people and with my luggage.
Alas, google maps blue dot, saved the day. When it started to get near to my stop, I stood up as did a few other people. I got off the bus unscathed, plugged in my Airbnb flat address, and proceeded to walk there.
After 5 minutes walk and another 25 waiting for my host to arrive, I was let into my flat. Here I sit, typing this, so incredibly relieved to finally be here at my next destination.
I’m in Nessebar!!
