Is bulgaria safe

[buggybelle]

I'm thinking of buying a holiday property in bulgaria but need to know it's a safe place for us & family with small children to visit. It looks a lovely place but need to be certain I'm doing the right thing before I go any further . any thoughts would be very welcome.

[Ethel]

How much time have you spent in Bulgaria?

The Sofia Echo makes mention of Bulgarian children (mainly gypsy children) being sold into prostitution, gangland murders, flood damage, heroin trafficking, two hour wait for ambulance...

Just like home, really.

http://www.sofiaecho.com/news/news/catid_66

The best way to know if it will be the right thing for you is to spend a lot of time there, getting to know the politics, the rules, regulations, red tape - it will all affect you as a property owner, unlike the holiday maker.

[Shadow Man]

On the coast, particularly around Varna, it is as safe as anywhere.

Go in to some of the villages and even though they look pretty, they can be full of feral children.

Have you seen the film Hostel?? Well they are like The Bubblegum Children (Although they were Brataslavan)

The towns are just like England. Some very nice and incresingly affluent areas, some run down with hookers, drugs and street kids.

The infrastructure is not up to UK standards and the old bill are more likely corrupt.

But it is a growing economy and if you invest right, in the right area, you will make a killing when all the EU business is sorted out.

Overall, if you go coastal it is no different to Greece or Turkey.

[CushtyFred]

I've been told all Bulgarians are criminals. I would advise to stay away.

[flipflop104]

I think Bulgaria is a lovely place to visit on holiday. I've just bought an apartment in Borovets (ski resort) and am hoping to start using it this season.

[mrs_overall]

Bulgaria is top of my list of places never to visit again. The place is full of feral kids, surly locals (admittedly the younger generation working in shops/restaurants were ok but the over 40's were vile), and woe betide anyone coming into contact with the Russians on holiday there. I had things snatched out of my hands in shops, I saw a small German tourist (age about 5) trying to buy an icecream and he was pushed to the ground in the queue by a Russian woman who also wanted to buy an icecream. Half way through the holiday the hotel pool was boarded over and half the hotel became out of bounds as there was a Russian mafia wedding taking place. Talking to some of the younger (more amenable) locals, they told us corruption is rife.