Driving and parking and other Sofia, Bulgaria Tourist Trap Tips

As in each big city (although Sofia is not that big) the traffic in Sofia is very very bad... And I am not talking only about traffic jams, which are normal in the peak hours. When driving in Sofia keep in mind that nobody on the road follows the rules. Be ready for many dirty tricks. If you need to park especially in the center look for paid parking places. Don't just park where all others did as for sure they have just broken another rule.

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At Least Do This: If you need to park in the center of the city try to search for a paid parking place. Paid doesn't always mean "guarded". There are two kinds of parking plots in Sofia center:
1. The so called "Blue Zone" - these are places in the city where you are allowed to park only if you have obtained the so called "Blue parking tickets" (Ask at you hotel where you can buy some. At some Blue zone parkings there are people dressed in signal yellow jackets striding between the cars - these are the people who actually sell the tickets but they are not found everywhere). You can get such a ticket for 0,50 Bulgarian leva (BGN) and it gives you the right to park in the blue zone for 30 mins or you can get one for 1,00 BGN and it is good for an hour. If you would like to park for more than one hour just make sure you use enough tickets. They have to be put under the front screen so the inspectors can see them. Then you have to mark the month/date/time you have parked on all tickets.
2. If you would like to park on a guarded parking plot you can recognize them easily - they always have a barrier at the entrance. However you will have to pay 2,00 - 4,00 BGN per hour.
Alternative: Here is something that I should NOT say. However I know how useful such an info can be so... If you ever get cought by the traffic police keep in mind that they (99% of them the minimum) are very corrupt. Which mean that for a little "tip" they could fail to see your fault instead of causing you undesirable problems. Don't be surprised when they start saying "and now let's see what we can do..."