Essentials to live in Bulgaria

If coming from the UK or anywhere else and a tea drinker bring tea bags. Can't get a decent tea bag anywhere!

I don't know your definition of decent tea, but there are specialty shops in all of the major cities that have a large selection of looseleaf tea and teabags, plenty of herbal choices or actual teas. Granted, I am not a tea snob, but with that much choice I am guessing there is something good.

Well I'm not a tea snob, I just like a tea that I can taste, Tetley, Yorkshire or even Tesco or Sainsburys. Not many places in Europe where you can get a decent tea from the normal shops. We don't have a speciality shop near that I have found but in any case I can't see the point in paying speciality prices for a tea bag when they can come from the UK on visits back or family coming here. And if they bring tea bags and Marmite they can stay. 

Electronics is a really big one, usually they are at least 50% more here and that is if they are even available. Also shoes, I noticed that Nike, Adidas, Puma and so on are about 20-40% more here than in the US. But overall cell phones, laptops, iPads, those deff should be brought with. Alot of my friends also say that the quality of goods shoes, clothing, cosmetics) here is worse than western countries, no personal experience on that since I still get all my stuff from the US but something to take into consideration.

It will be interesting to see what is the price difference .... even there's some chance these brands to be cheaper in BG  than in UK.

I'm talking about price diff between here and the US, have no clue about the UK but if you have a specific item I can check. Just as an example, the laptop I brought with me 3 years ago is selling at Technopolis for what I paid back then and that model wasn't even available till very recently.

no wonder, just add transport costs, + tax, + VAT (20%), and there you have at least 30 % more

but EU is a different story ... and you're right about quality!

no VAT if shipped with declared value under €40

yes, but then shipping costs are huge compared to value


actually, even if your tea costs more, the customs here will not check the price, cos this is a low value commodity in Bulgaria, hence low risk

I don't think anyone was talking about shipping tea, that would be silly lol. More so of what you should bring with you if coming over. What I was referring to was getting big items purchased and shipped from the US, when you order $1000+ worth of stuff it's worth it even if you take the shipping cost into consideration.

Well Ianinbg this is not true. Both Kaufland and Billa stock teabags of Ahmad Tea, London as well as their loose tea. Iwould strongly recommend it. It is excellent.

I have never been able to find nail brushes in BG and always ask visiting friends to bring some from the UK. Also getting insect repellents containing DEET has proven impossible and I now order via the internet.

I am pretty sure I have seen nail brushes in Lily and Elitis, if you want to check them out.

Well I've tried them all at some point and never found any as good as English tea bags so as I can get a fairly regular supply I don't waste the effort on them any more. If the day comes when I can't get English tea bags I will try again or just drink coffee. There really is nothing that I miss from the UK so it's no problem.

I have only one thing to say...... Gravy bring your Bisto with you... You can find it but it's not easy....

unless your like ianinbg as he misses nothing and makes his with mud from the garden 😄

Had my daughter bring over from UK,,Big box of 2min Porridge Oats,,yummy,,,,,can,t find them in BG,boo hoo

Don't take anything from the continent when it comes to food ...Even Bg tea is better and much healthier than the so called "British" tea, sprayed with lots of pesticides in India

I don't know the name in English but you can also make your own tea if you like... "Murcalskit chai".....  it looks like this   http://mursalskitea.com/en/

It makes me more excited to see that the only main problem about what to take to bg is TEA clearly I have nothing to worry about lol!!!

Tea english tea is expensive chedder cheese apart from that apart from that just your favourite things

colinc wrote:

Tea english tea is expensive chedder cheese apart from that apart from that just your favourite things

If you are looking for good cheeses there is a shop in Sofia inside "Halite" ( everyone in Sofia will know where it is) they sell very good and "exotic" cheese, stuff I had never even seen before. Also at the same place (Halite) there is a "loose" tea place and same thing, rare and exotic teas sold there.

I even saw stilton there 😁

If you have children, it may be easier/more convenient for you to shop in the big department stores you're used to. In BG there are a few department/chain stores but a lot of children's and baby items are sold in small, more expensive stores, and it's less convenient to find exactly what you're looking for. I brought a ton of my children's clothes with me. Just don't be offended if Bulgarians ask you why your child is wearing something a certain way

No i have been coming to bulgeria for 7 years and living here full time for 1 and 1 buy a years supply of tea bags at a time, sophia has everything in the villages not so much just wonderful people and rakia!!

Lea & Perrins and Marmite are the only things I've not found a BG equivalent of

Do not bring anything that is bigger then a backpack. We have everything you need here! The only things you need are your documents on paper and a flash drive with copies of your paperwork just in case.
If you think of bringing anything else? Maybe your pictures and memories that can fill one suitcase. Everything else is replacable and some not even needed!
I know from personal experience that it can get very expensive to pack everything from your house and move it!
I hope this saves you time, energy and money!

I plan on moving in a couple years , and do not plan on taking things that are not hard goods like teabags or my special food . I will learn to live with what is there, you are staring  a new life and can not be bound these things. Someday what are you going to do if you cannot get these things , you need to live off the local supplys

I have to admit that I was completely sad when Bulgaria stopped selling coke light (and switched to only selling coke zero instead). When my parents visited I had them bring me a few cans of diet coke... but after a year, I no longer miss it.

it's poison anyway

Very true. And I more or less live a healthier life here, unable to get my poison of choice

If you want to live a halthier life you should probably retire in Tibet! Nowadays all possible "poisons" can be bought in Bulgaria .... just some of these take more time to deliver.

On the other hand, the vegetables grown in Bulgaria a re tastier and healthier ... if bough from farmers markets. Same applies for meat, milk, fruit, etc.
Water is definately better and pure enough to drink and the air ... especially in the mountain areas ) .... never been to Tibet, so I cannot compare.

Hi Beezone.
Whilst it is not Lea & Perrins you can get, in Kaufland, Heinz Wocestershire Sauce. I use it and have failed to notice a great difference.
Marmite I used to get in our local English Shop but the owner died and I have not found another source.

I'm sat here laughing in genuine respect for your common sense!  And further more I'll take your advice for all but the tea because I only drink herbal so BG tea is fine.  I'll ask family to bring their own teabags when they come. 

On the subject of mosquitos - when I lived in Greece we had little plugin units that held a pastille and worked as a mosquito/midge repellant.  For outside I used to apply a Greek brand that had honey in it.  I'll try and remember the name.  I had to stop using DEET because I was using it on my skin, daily, for years.  I notice that Ikea has mosie nets starting from £6, it's just a shame it doesn't stop the buzzing.