Before my first trip to Bulgaria, I was scouring the internet to help me pack. I’ve now visited three times. Today is the second day of our month –long stay. This year, I will be attending an intensive language seminar in Veliko Tarnovo. I had the chance while studying at Boston College to audit Bulgarian I & II. Here I’d like to share what I would have liked to know before traveling. For the most part, we stay in a relatively big city, Kazanlak, so if we need to buy something it’s not a far walk to the store.

• Clothing: it’s typical like most of Europe to give clothing a few wears before washing. Most homes have washing machines, but dryers are uncommon. Packing a few versatile pieces that are easily laundered is the best idea. While black is always a classic, most young people wear jeans or pants with printed tees (written in English). The women tend to take it up a few notches: they do not leave the house in sweats or scrubby clothing. The summer is hot, but by August nights are cool.
• Shoes: You will walk. A lot. I wear flip-flops or sandals all summer, and I can easily walk 3-4 miles in them. This is much harder in the older towns like Plovdiv or Veilko Tarnovo where the streets are still largely cobblestone. Sofia and bigger cities for the most part are easy to navigate. If you’re a woman going at a night, you will stick out without cute shoes, wedges or heels. For the first time I saw a few Bulgarian women wearing Keds-like shoes. I’ve packed sneakers, but never worn them.
• Toiletries: While most items can be purchased, I have never seen shave gel or cream for women. The tampons that are available are the O.B. kind without the applicator. They are typically sold in pharmacies and can be quite expensive. In my opinion, the room in my suitcase is worth packing my own. Tampax makes a compact/pocket version. Also, as a side note, most of the toilet paper there is scented and printed because many homes do not flush their paper but they throw it in a little bin next to the toilet. If you’re sensitive down there be on the look out for the rolls without pretty flowers. I shamelessly grabbed a roll from the Frankfurt airport. Showers in homes are entire rooms without bathtubs. Most hotels have stall-type showers now.
• Electricity: you will need an adapter. We grab several and couple small power strips for electronics. Most people have Wi-Fi. Phones and computers are a couple of years behind there. If you have the newest generation, do not expect to find compatible items even in bigger towns.
• Coffee: Yes, I am insane. This trip I brought a four cup Cusinart autodrip pot with a few days of coffee. I also brought little cream cups from Germany. Bulgarians drink expresso, and I’ve heard American coffee called “the sultan’s foot water.” Say what they may, I can’t do without it. The pot burned out after 5 uses. Only then did my husband tell me we should have bought an auto-drip pot here because of the voltage. You need to go to a bigger store if you want half-n-half or cream. The closest thing they have on hand is smetyana which isn’t really homogenized and when dumped into not so-hot expresso, the result is, well, a little clumpy.
• Kids: OH! Diapers are expensive which is why most Bulgarian babies are potty trained around one year old. They are sold in kids stores along with formula and specialty items. This year we bought a European double stroller (Obaby) since it is smaller than American ones but sturdy. I bought it used off of Craigslist. The years before we used an umbrella stroller and an Ergo. I am so much happier with the heavy duty stroller. The undercarriage storage, rain cover, and nice wheels are great when you have a lot of walking to do. Plastic bags in the store are an extra charge, so here you may want to pack reusable and Ziplocs for storage and diaper bags for poopy diapers.

Bulgarians are by and large kind, helpful and friendly. They will try their best to help you. Learn a few key phrases, and they will appreciate the effort. Enjoy your trip.