Roads & Traffic police

Most Bulgarians turn into psychopaths as soon as they get behind the wheel of a car, although given the state of the road network one can hardly blame them. Cow-sized potholes, suicidal pedestrians and drunken cyclists riding on the wrong side of the road – and with hazards like these you need to swerve around like a stunt driver in order to stay in one piece.
Streets in central Sofia can be clogged with traffic. Road signage is haphazard and street names are almost exclusively in Cyrillic, so you need to research your route on a map before you set off. Finding a place to park can be a nightmare. Several so-called blue-zone parking areas are run by private companies. Parking vouchers (expect to pay around 2Lv/hour) are sold on the spot by parking attendants.
In order to drive on Bulgarian roads outside Sofia you’ll need to purchase a vignette which must be displayed in the windscreen. You can get these from border crossings, all post offices and OMV and Shell gas stations. For a car or SUV vignettes cost 10Lv for one week, 25Lv for one month, and 67Lv for a year.
Speed limits are 120km/hr on main highways, 90km/hr on minor roads and 50km/hr in urban areas. Talking on a mobile phone while driving is strictly forbidden, as is driving under the influence of more than 0.5/1000 of alcohol. Foreigners are well advised to obey the rules of the road even if they see locals behaving otherwise: the police rarely speak English and are unlikely to show any lenience.
Police checks on major highways are common, especially when entering or leaving Sofia at the weekend. Policemen are allowed to charge on-the-spot fines but you are not obliged to pay unless they produce a receipt.