Accommodation

Travel to Bulgaria

• By air to Plovdiv Airport:  Plovdiv airport has direct flights to London (Gatwick and Stansted), Amsterdam, Izmir, Frankfurt (Hahn), Florence, and Moscow. Ryan Air has a bus to Plovdiv after its flights. It stops at Plovdiv South Bus Station. From there get a taxi to the hotel. Alternatively, you can get directly a taxi from the airport to the hotel. It will be no more than 15 Euro. You may have to pay in Bulgarian currency, though.
  Here are phone numbers of some taxi companies.
  
  
• By air to Sofia: Sofia airport has direct flights to many European cities. Plovdiv is 150km (90 miles) from Sofia and there are several connections daily by bus and train.
  
  
• By bus or train: The city has a bus station serving Eurolines and a train station serving international trains. Both are at walking distance to the city center. You may have to take a taxi to the hotel.
  
  
• By car: Plovdiv is on auto-route E80 - - Lisbon - Valladolid - Burgos - San Sebastian - Toulouse - Nice - Genoa - Rome - Pescara - Dubrovnik - Podgorica - Pristina - Nis - Sofia - Plovdiv - Istanbul.
  
  

  Travel to Plovdiv from Sofia

  The best way to reach Plovdiv is by bus from the Central Bus Station. There are buses at 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:15, 16:00, 16:30, 17:15, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 20:30. Not all buses run every day. Please check with the Central Bus Station web site. The trip takes about 2-2:30 hours and the ticket is 14 BGN (about 7 Euro or USD 8) one way.
  
  The Central Bus Station is reachable by metro (subway). Sofia Airport is the last stop of the metro. Follow the signs on the floor to reach the metro station or ask at the information desk. The ticket costs 1.60 BGN. It can be purchased at the metro station. For a suitcase/bag you may need to purchase an extra ticket. Please check at the ticket box office for your specific bag. From the airport, you have to change the metro line at Station Serdica. The Bus Station is at stop "Central Railway Station."
  
  From the Bus Station in Plovdiv get a taxi to your hotel. It would cost no more than 5-10 BGN.
  
  The payments should be made cash in local currency - see Currency Exchange below.
  
  For IWCIA participants arriving on the 18th who contacted us, we ordered vans leaving from Sofia Airport going directly to Hotel Seven Hills. These participants have been contacted by e-mail with additional directions.
  
  If you miss the van or are arriving on another date, you can get a taxi from Sofia Airport to Plovdiv. In front of Arrivals there is a box office of OK Taxi. You have to book through them. The cost is 185 BGN (approx. 95 Euro or USD 100) and it will take you to your hotel in Plovdiv directly. Another option is the company Choice. They have shared transfers to Plovdiv for 30 BGN, but you may have to wait. These transfers may be paid by credit card - check with the offices.
  
  

  Currency Exchange

  The conference will cover all lunches and dinners on June 19th, 20th, and 21st. The breakfasts are usually included in the room rate. Hotels could usually be paid by credit card. Thus, you may not need big amounts of local currency.
  
  The best way of exchange is either withdrawing from an ATM (bankomat) with a debit card or exchanging cash in a bank. There is a bank office with ATM at Sofia Airport in Arrivals area. There is also an exchange office next to it, but usually the exchange rate is not good. When exchanging money please check whether you will be charged a commission (standard fee for each exchange transaction); prefer an exchange office without a commission. If you plan to withdraw money, please check in advance with your bank whether it will charge you.

  Stay Safe and be Comfortable

  Sofia and Plovdiv tourist areas are generally very safe.
  
  The major danger comes from the cars. Be very careful when crossing streets even on "zebra" pedestrian crossings. On green traffic light, cars can make turns and be a danger for the pedestrians. Always cross the streets very carefully, preferably with locals. The conference will be held in the Old Town area where there are very few cars and they drive slowly due to the cobblestone pavement.
  
  There are some semi-legal taxis that charge the passengers a lot. Always check the rates at the front shield - they have to be in the range of 0.70 - 0.90 BNG.
  
  There may be pickpockets in some places. Make sure your valuables are in a safe place.
  
  When you withdraw money from an ATM (bankomat), prefer ATMs inside banks. There are cases of scammers that install skimming devices and cameras on the ATMs to steal card information.
  
  The Old Town is on three hills. The elevation is not high, but the authentic pavement is preserved and it is cobblestone. Having comfortable shoes is important. High heels will not be appropriate for walking.
  
  The tap water in Plovdiv is drinkable. Nonetheless, we provided for the conference participants staying at Seven Hills Hotel bottled water in their rooms. There will be bottled water during the coffee breaks and lunches as well.
  
  During the tour of the Old Town on Tuesday and the trip to Bachkovo Monastery on Wednesday we will spend prolonged time outdoors. You may need a sun screen and a sun hat.