How to Get to the Rose Festival in Kazanlak

So you’re planning to visit the rose festival and are a foreigner wondering what transport to use to get there? Fear no more, in this post I will list the possible ways you can get to the festival and the pros and cons of each as well as some advice and tips on travelling in Bulgaria. Before you embark on travelling through Bulgaria, we advise you to get an Internet plan for your smartphone so you can easily check your schedule and directions. Bon voyage!

Reaching the Rose Festival by Train

If you chose this option, the Bulgarian National Railways (БДЖ/BDZ) are the way to go. Click here to visit the English version of their website and check the daily schedule for trains.

This is the route from the Kazanlak city centre to the train station:

Pros of travelling by train in Bulgaria

Travelling by train in Bulgaria is quite an adventure. I might even say, it has a certain charm to it. You will get to see Bulgaria’s landscapes and the colourful variety of people who travel with trains.

And it is cheap, really cheap. That is why I’d advise you to get a first class ticket.

Cons

Most of the trains in Bulgaria are not new and modern as not many Bulgarians use trains and the railways are finding it hard to renovate their facilities.

Another thing to have in mind is that the signs, labels and time schedules at the stations may be only in Bulgarian or simply – not there, especially for the stations in smaller towns and villages. To add to that, you might find it hard to find someone who speaks English in order to help you. If you seek some assistance, try asking younger people, that would increase your chances. Make notes of the trains, stops and schedule of your trip so you can more easily navigate through the railway network.

If you plan to use the railway, try to get the ones which don’t change on intermediary stations as you might find it hard to orientate (due to the reasons explained in the paragraph above) or you might miss your next train because the one you were on was late. You might find yourself in a situation where there are no more trains leaving to your next destination this day and you’d have to find other means of transportation.




And finally, apart from hitchhiking, walking and cycling, train transportation is your slowest option.

Before you continue, make sure to read our thorough guide to this year’s Rose Festival

Taking a bus to Kazanlak

The bus station in Kazanlak is a minute walk north-east from the train station:

Pros of travelling by bus in Bulgaria

Travelling by bus is similar to travelling by train. It is a bit faster, a bit more comfortable and in most cases, the bus stations are better organized, with buses leaving more often as well as the location of the bus station is usually in close proximity to the city centre. Also, there is a better choice of companies which provide bus transport as the sector is private.

And what are the cons, you might ask

For me, travelling by bus is like flipping a coin, you can either get an air-conditioned and comfortable bus with a TV or a bus as old as you where the air-conditioning is simply opening the windows. And during the end of May and early June, it is quite hot in Bulgaria (the temperature can reach up to 25-35 degrees Celsius).

Compared to a few years back, the prices of bus tickets have risen quite a lot and in some cases, these prices may be equal or greater than the gas you pay for travelling by car.

Getting to Kazanlak by Car

In this case, you might be using your own car or rent one. In both cases, make sure you meet driving regulations and requirements in Bulgaria. The Rose Valley is approximately 2 to 3-hour drive from all the major cities which have an airport (Sofia, Varna and Burgas, Plovdiv is 1.5 hours drive away).

Pros

If you travel by car you can visit every event and location in the rose valley easily. Anywhere you go you can find a free parking spot in 5-minute proximity to the place you want to visit. Even if you choose to use paid parking, the rates are relatively cheap.

If you choose to rent a car, make sure you choose a licensed and reputable rent-a-car agency which would provide you with all the needed documentation. Often times, the airlines have their own rent-a-car service where you can get and return a car straight from the airport.

There are plenty of gas stations around the country and most of them have a small grocery shop and cafe where you can take a short break from all the travelling.

Cons

The roads in Bulgaria are getting better in terms of having proper signs, labels and marking yet there is room for improvement. Be careful of the occasional holes on the road, the highways and inter-city roads are mostly good, but inner city street roads may have Mars-terrain type of holes every now and then, so keep an eye on the road.

It hurts me to say it, but you should park your car in well-lit, high populated areas. I personally haven’t had any experience with car thieves but having a car with foreign registration might make you an extra lucrative target. Also, don’t leave any expensive items on a visible spot in your car, put a scarf on your phone or camera or leave them in the glove compartment.

Choosing a Taxi

This one goes for both choosing to travel by taxi from one city to another as well as using a taxi to travel in, say, the city of Kazanlak. If you find yourself in a situation where you get in a taxi and the driver doesn’t understand you, try to show them the address you want to get to on your phone or written on a piece of paper.

Which taxi agency to use?

We suggest using an agency with fixed rates. If you are in the capital or other major cities in Bulgaria, look for a taxi provider online, those with established websites are the ones you can trust. Do not use those taxis which await you in front of airports, train or bus stations as they would surely try to rip you off big time!

Usually, a taxi trip in Sofia will cost you 5-20 levs (2.5-10 euro) depending on the distance.

When it comes to calling a taxi in Kazanlak, I personally use those two: 0431 6143 and 0431 6146 (have in mind the international phone code for Bulgaria is +359). As to other cities, you can ask a Bulgarian friend of yours or google local taxis in the city you are in, the ones that provide a free call back or online booking are the ones you want to use.

Taxi in Kazanlak usually cost 1.5-2.5 levs, depending on the distance.

Pros

Similar to travelling by car, a taxi would get you anywhere. When travelling from point A to point B in a city, a taxi ride is usually cheap. For example, in Kazanlak, you can get to any point in the city area for around 2 levs (1 euro).

Cons

In smaller cities, the chance of finding a taxi dispatcher who speaks English or another foreign language is small, so if you can, ask a Bulgarian friend of yours to call a taxi for you. I would not recommend using a taxi to travel from one city to another as that would be quite expensive. If you still choose to do that, try to bargain and reach a relatively good price and of course, make sure the taxi is part of a reputable, legitimate taxi agency.

Other transport options to Kazanlak

A few other options I can think of are walking and cycling. If you’re walking (hiking), you might want to go through the southern side of Stara Planina (the mountain that cuts Bulgaria in half). In this way, you will go through the whole Rose Valley and see its beauty.

If you’re cycling, you can either go through the sub-mountain highway which goes from Sofia to Burgas, the Shipka road which goes from Gabrovo to Kazanlak, Hain Boaz which goes from Veliko Tarnovo to Kazanlak and finally, from Stara Zagora to Kazanlak which is the road coming from the south side of the Rose Valley.

I hope this article was of help to you, if you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment on the Facebook page of the website.

How to get to Kazanlak from Sofia by car?

Below you can see a map of the most used car roads from Sofia to Kazanlak, if you prefer a slower and more picturesque route, I would recommend going through the road below Stara Planina. If you prefer to get faster to Kazanlak and would also want to stop by the beautiful Plovdiv, choose to go through the highway from Sofia to Plovdiv and then go towards Kalofer and then east towards Kazanlak.

Now that you know how to get to Kazanlak and the Rose Valley, you might want to find a place to stay. Especially during the Rose Festival in May-June, there are more than 100,000 tourists who come to the valley during this time and hotels and accommodations are very hard to find in the last minute.

Plan your stay ahead, use the booking form below to find the right place:

Booking.com

Thank you and if you found this guide useful, feel free to share it with friends who might want to visit the Rose Festival in Kazanlak!