Bulgaria and Serbia
Zdrasti, Blagodarya, Kade e toaletnata? (Usually in Cyrillic). These phrases will help you get by in Bulgaria. I have provided some Serbian phrases in a link at the end. So here is my advice on South-East Europe, it’s up-and-coming and has many a hidden gem. Sofia – the Bulgarian capital – although I did not get much time to spend there, it is at the top of my bucket list of destinations to return to. The nightlife, culture, food, etc. is brilliant. 

On my most recent trip around Europe, I thought: “Why not go a bit off the beaten track?” – and decided to discover Serbia. Serbia is a beautiful country although it is less developed than its neighbours. On departing the night train from Budapest to Belgrade, sleeping with one eye open is recommended, and the cramped couchette enabled us to make some dubious friends. The train from Belgrade to Sofia proved to be a little more challenging, and not for the faint-hearted. The beautiful countryside and friendly people (some characters I must say) made the train more bearable. When they say 7 hours, multiply it by two. Get food, and get lots of water as you may boil in the furnaces that they call trains.

In Bulgaria, the countryside is beautiful, I’d therefore recommend getting outdoors and maybe climb a mountain. Do your research though – my partner and I ended up climbing for a while.  Three hours later and with three hundred insect bites we ended up at a very warm ski resort (with breath-taking views). We were greeted by a lovely and friendly dog who shared our sandwiches.


Serbia and Bulgaria are both cheap! You can stay at the Raddison in Belgrade for £40/night (it has a spa and breakfast included…ahhh). So in this case I would recommend hotels. There are many interesting places to visit – and lots of really interesting historical facts that I can guarantee will make you think more about this amazing part of the world.

Serbian Phrases: https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/serbian.php 

Getting some fresh air from the heat of the train (we were delirious)


The concrete jungle of Belgrade

Looking out on the long railway journey

The view of Sofia from the top of Vitosha Mountain

Our sandwich-sharing companion



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