VillageGirl
American expat in Bulgaria
Forum posts
35
Contacts
7
About me
American
Lives in Plovdiv
Registration: 31 January 2015
Plovdiv Real Estate by lukejngodley
Hi everyone, I have been reading through the threads on this forum and have found it extremely helpful. Myself and my wife who is a European citizen are looking at moving to Plovdiv. Looking for a reliable estate agent or the possibly purhasing a ...
Hi Luke, My husband and I live in a village near Plovdiv. I have sent you a message with our recommendation. VillageGirl Read More
Locating Aircraft Crash Location by sagedm
I am seeking help from anyone near Sofia in finding the location that my father's B-24 crashed during World War II. The best information that I have indicates that the crash occurred in the mountains between Sofia and Pirot.
I have sent you a pm :) Read More
looking for DIY store by dtmills40
Hello all, I am looking to see if there is a DIY store or a Builders merchants in or near Lyulyakovo/ General Toshevo? Many thanks in advance Dave
Hello, David, and welcome to Bulgaria! I do not live in the General Toshevo area, but I see that there is a DIY store in Dobrich called Mr. Bricolage. It's a chain store in BG. You can Google for the location, etc. VillageGirl Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Welcome to Bulgaria! Here are some links to private, English language schools in Sofia: https://www.bssofia.bg/ https://www.aas-sofia.org/index.cfm https://www.acs.bg/ http://aeasofia.com/ By the way, I got these links from from this ... Read More
Selling Assistance - Job offer? by JaneAndJason
We have lived here for a year. We were planning on staying 5 however a change of circumstances has meant we have to go back to Australia. We are now in the situation where we have a fully furnished house but we cannot take it with us, mostly ikea ...
My husband knows lots of people in Sofia and area. I will pm you. Read More
Selling Assistance - Job offer? by JaneAndJason
We have lived here for a year. We were planning on staying 5 however a change of circumstances has meant we have to go back to Australia. We are now in the situation where we have a fully furnished house but we cannot take it with us, mostly ikea ...
Hello Jane & Jason If you tell me what part of the country you live in, I may be able to recommend someone who can help you. VillageGirl Read More
American, Retired, looking to settle in Sofia, BG by GinnyHench
Hello all - I just joined this group, and am following the leader in introducing myself :) I am starting the process for a long-term visa, I'm female, currently living in Hawai`i for the last 25 years. I'm staying in Sofia with friends right ...
i have sent you a personal message. :) Read More
American, Retired, looking to settle in Sofia, BG by GinnyHench
Hello all - I just joined this group, and am following the leader in introducing myself :) I am starting the process for a long-term visa, I'm female, currently living in Hawai`i for the last 25 years. I'm staying in Sofia with friends right ...
Hello Ginny, When I first moved to Sofia I joined a club https://iwc-sofia.org/ . It proved to be a good support group, which helped ease my integration into life here. You are welcome to message me; I am also a retired American. Read More
SHOUT OUT FROM HASKOVO by Sharon Melissa
Hello My name is Sharon and I moved to Haskovo two years ago. Any expats nearby?
Hi Sharon! We live close to Plovdiv. I will PM you. VillageGirl Read More
Travel from Sofia to Plovdiv
Hi Jon, At that time of day I would recommend taking the bus. You can ride the metro from the airport to Serdika Station and then change lines (towards Obelya) which takes you to the central train station (the bus station is next to it). There is a ... Read More
Thinking of moving to Bulgaria, Please help make sense of the process? by davidsoup
Hi, We're a family with two young children. We're mostly dual citizens US and Israel (and German). We're currently residing in a Chicago suburb. Arrived back here in Dec after spending a year in Israel. So we've been moving lots ...
My husband is a vegetarian and we grow our own veg and have fruit trees (apple, cherry, plum, pear). The saying here in the Trakyia Valley is, "If you stick it in the ground, it will grow." Organic products are available. We know ... Read More
Thinking of moving to Bulgaria, Please help make sense of the process? by davidsoup
Hi, We're a family with two young children. We're mostly dual citizens US and Israel (and German). We're currently residing in a Chicago suburb. Arrived back here in Dec after spending a year in Israel. So we've been moving lots ...
If one of the adults is a German citizen, he or she can come here and establish immediate residency. And so long as he or she can prove that they can support the other spouse, they can subsequently bring the spouse and children with them. Nothing ... Read More
Stay in a monastery in Bulgaria.
Hello Magsy13, Here is a link that may give you the information you are looking for: http://www.bulgariamonasteries.com It is in Bulgarian and English. Regards, VillageGirl Read More
Are there any other South African members on the site? by Jpad
Hi All My wife and I (Rita and Jean-Pierre) are not yet living full time in Bulgaria. We bought a house in Gostilitsa (central Bulgaria) at the end of 2011. We live permanently in South Africa but have been coming for three months at a time, ...
Hi Jan, Although not from SA, my British-born husband lived for years in East Africa (Kenya). We are in a village close to Plovdiv. PM me if you would like to meet up in Plovdiv sometime. VillageGirl Read More
Municipality tax?
Hello Steve, I can direct you if you bought the property without forming a company. Take your notary act to the municipal building located in the county seat of your "obshtina." You can pay your tax there. I don't know what the ... Read More
A train from Sofia................... by stepool1970
Hello forum members, I would appreciate some advice please, I would like to try the train system out for a change rather than drive, as we all know driving is a wee bit hazardous at times, so can anyone assist me on the actual train station name, ...
Hello Steve, I assume that you are flying to Bulgaria. There is now a Metro (subway) station at the Sofia airport. It will take you directly to Centralna Gara, the main train station. By the way, the large white canopy has been removed from the ... Read More
Receiving Social Security from USA by EuroAdventure
Hi everybody! We are planning to move to Bulgaria. My husband already retired. Question to Americans retiree: how you are transferring and receiving your Social Security? We appreciate your help.
The fees vary greatly from bank to bank, as do the exchange rates that they will give you. Every bank has a different fee setup, so you may be able to find a bank where monthly transfers are economical. One way to avoid many of the fees is to make ... Read More
Receiving Social Security from USA by EuroAdventure
Hi everybody! We are planning to move to Bulgaria. My husband already retired. Question to Americans retiree: how you are transferring and receiving your Social Security? We appreciate your help.
Hello, I am an American who has been living in Bulgaria for 10 years now. Several years ago I applied (online) for my SS retirement benefit. My monthly benefit is deposited into my US bank account and I use my ATM card here to access my money. I ... Read More
Relocating to Sofia - Need practical infos about safety etc by Loca86
Hello everybody, my name Is Maria, I am Italian and I have just received a job offer from a gaming company located in Sofia. Before accepting ( the offer is pretty good) I do have some concerns and I hope you can help me with that. 1) First of ...
Hello Maria, I lived in Sofia for about 5 years. Based on my experience, I believe you should not worry about safety. Use wisdom and common sense, as with any location. I used to walk 4 blocks from the bus stop to my apartment at night and felt ... Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here 2nd quarter of 2015 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hello Jenfy, If I can find a way to contact you by pm, I can send you a link to an English-speaking builder who may be close to your area in Karnobat. Perhaps one of the mods can assist :) VillageGirl Read More
living in Bulgaria
Hi Max, Welcome to the forum. I am from the US; my husband and I have been living here for nearly 10 years. You should be able to satisfy your desire to garden, snow and water-ski in Bulgaria. It is a small country (about the size of North ... Read More
Meet-ups for Senior Ex-pats
I am posting a link to the website for the International Women's Club Sofia. Your mother may enjoy attending the activities, where she will meet other women from all around the world. http://iwc-sofia.org/ Best regards, VillageGirl Read More
Retirement in Bulgaria by Pw
Thinking about retiring somewhere warm with a low cost of living? Bulgaria would be a good place to start, well so it seems according to the press. So what is the big attraction for retirement in Bulgaria? A very low cost of living is a major ...
Thanks for the suggestion, Steve. Shinina, why don't you try adding me as a contact and then see if you can pm me. VillageGirl Read More
Retirement in Bulgaria by Pw
Thinking about retiring somewhere warm with a low cost of living? Bulgaria would be a good place to start, well so it seems according to the press. So what is the big attraction for retirement in Bulgaria? A very low cost of living is a major ...
Hi Shinia, Perhaps one of the Mods can jump in and assist here. I have tried to add you as a contact, but not sure if have been successful. VillageGirl Read More
Relationship's by shininaflorence369
I have had a chat with a friend in the UK who's mother married a Bulgarian man, in her opinion she feels the people can be arrogant. I will make my own opinion on that, but for the people living in Bulgaria, has this been your experience. Shinina
I wouldn't call it arrogance. Our neighbors in the village are always showing us the "correct" way to do things--whether it's planting the potatoes or pruning our trees. I look at it more as trying to be helpful. I also found that ... Read More
Retirement in Bulgaria by Pw
Thinking about retiring somewhere warm with a low cost of living? Bulgaria would be a good place to start, well so it seems according to the press. So what is the big attraction for retirement in Bulgaria? A very low cost of living is a major ...
Hi Shinina, My husband and I live is a tiny village that is close to Plovdiv (Bulgaria's 2nd largest city). I do not work--apart from looking after the house and helping in our garden. Ask your questions, you are also welcome to pm me whenever ... Read More
Retirement in Bulgaria by Pw
Thinking about retiring somewhere warm with a low cost of living? Bulgaria would be a good place to start, well so it seems according to the press. So what is the big attraction for retirement in Bulgaria? A very low cost of living is a major ...
Hello Shinina and welcome to the forum. As for your question about being "accepted" here as a brown-skinned person: the darker your skin is, the better. You do not want to be mistaken for a Turk or a Gypsy, because a vast number of ... Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here - 1st quarter of 2015 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hi Lawrence, Small world--if it's the house I'm thinking of, it has been sold and we know the buyer. Anyway, will be in touch. Is that the McDonald's on the walking street? As you may be aware, at the moment the weather is MUCH ... Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here - 1st quarter of 2015 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hello Ju Bey, We are about 30 kilometers north of the city. I cannot use the personal message feature on the forum yet, as I do not have enough posts. If you are able, pm me and we can make arrangements to meet. Regards, VillageGirl Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here - 1st quarter of 2015 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Thank you for the direction, Stumpy. I will try to post as much as I can :) Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here - 1st quarter of 2015 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hi Lawrence, Cannot manage to pm you, yet. Let me know when you arrive in Plovdiv. We will be happy to meet you in the city. In the meantime, I will try to figure out how to navigate the pm feature on the site. VillageGirl Read More
Are You Looking For A Hairdresser In Sofia? by ChantelleShand
Hello Everyone... Finally I have found work in a beautiful salon in the centre of Sofia it's called SVM-Studio. I will start at the beginning of February and as I don't know much Bulgarian I'm hoping to get a some of you lovely lot to ...
Hi Chantelle, I know where the salon is. Thanks! VillageGirl Read More
Are You Looking For A Hairdresser In Sofia? by ChantelleShand
Hello Everyone... Finally I have found work in a beautiful salon in the centre of Sofia it's called SVM-Studio. I will start at the beginning of February and as I don't know much Bulgarian I'm hoping to get a some of you lovely lot to ...
Hi Chantelle, Welcome to Bulgaria. I hope you will have a very positive experience here. I see two locations in Sofia for SVM-Studio. Please PM me with the details--and specify which location you will be working in. Best regards, VillageGirl Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here - 1st quarter of 2015 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hi Lawrence, Welcome to Bulgaria (when you get here). My husband lived in Chicago years ago. We live near Plovdiv and would be happy to meet you sometime. VillageGirl Read More
New members of the Bulgaria forum, introduce yourself here - 1st quarter of 2015 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Bulgaria forum? Dont know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hello, I am VillageGirl. Been living in Bulgaria for nearly 10 years; the first five in Sofia, now in a village near Plovdiv, Hope to make some acquaintances on forum and give/get information and advice about living here. Read More