Sunday Times

Go, Go, Go!

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GETTING THERE

There are no long-haul flights to Plovdiv so you will have to fly via Sofia, the capital. Turkish Airlines

(turkishair­lines.com) offers the quickest and cheapest route from SA to Sofia. Return flights from Joburg via Istanbul start at R7,704 for travel in June.

The Bulgarian capital is two hours by road from Plovdiv. Buses run every hour from Sofia’s central bus station with one-way fares around à6 (R100). WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Evmolpia (hotelevmol­pia.com),

located in the Old Town and festooned with antiques, has bags of character. Free wine and cheese served every evening. Rates from June to October are à79 (R1,280) per night for a deluxe double room (deluxe single room à69/R1,120). If you travel between now and high season, rates are à10 less per night. Pretty good value for Europe in 2019.

MONEY MATTERS

Bulgaria is part of the EU but does not use the euro. While prices may be quoted in euros, the unit of currency is the Bulgarian lev (1 lev = R8,28). The currency is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of à1 to 1,95 lev. Restaurant­s, taxis and shops only accept payment in the local currency.

MORE INFORMATIO­N

To find out more about the Capital of Culture programme, with a theme of togetherne­ss, see

plovdiv201­9.eu. CONTACT

Further details about the city can be found at visitplovd­iv.com.

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