Due to many reasons Bulgarian trains are not fast averaging no more than 30 - 36 miles per hour. In  main destinations across the country some of them drag a special baggage cart (coach)  just behind the engine – very nice feature, when you are touring by bike.

When you travel by the train, you have to buy a ticket for you – I^st and II^nd class boxes are available – there are 6/8 seats in the II^nd class box and 6 ones in the I^st class box respectively. The ticket price for I^st class seat is maybe 30% more expensive comparing with the one for a seat in the II^nd class. An additional very small charge is necessary to book a seat number on your ticket (you can see the seat number just above the heads of the girls in the photo). In some destinations it is really necessary. Buying a ticket, it is necessary to mention you need your seat to be in a box where smoking is forbidden. Wagons with beds are available too - sometimes in the end of our trip we use it. It is possible to book train tickets a month before your traveling.  Two way tickets are almost 40% inexpensive, but in case of a bike tour I have never used that possibility.  

Well, the longest distance  Sofia - Varna  (350 miles) by the train for example costs in the moment  no more than 9 EURO - II^nd class, and 12 EURO for the I^st class box.

             Maya, Ann and Laura (from left to right) and Steve are sitting in a II^nd class box. (I do not why, but it seems all they are happy).

            (The following description is a history). The bicycle (luggage) charge is doing apart of passenger ticket and it is done in another office (having often a limitation of its working time) in the same train station. The staff dealing with the luggage behaves differently; when you deal with that staff, sometime it is connected with some rows, because the staff does not know the rules for luggage transportation in the case with bikes perfectly, or knows the rules very well. Both possibilities are not nice for bicyclists – the rules often put little traps here (as in each set of rules), meanwhile the main purpose of each legislation.

            Of first, the bicycle charging procedure has to start no more than hour, but no less than 45 minutes before the train departure. An exception is if the train departure is at 23 o'clock and office work time ends at 21 o'clock for example. You must have in mind that the working time of these offices is not the same at each train station.

  Me, Maya and Birger are loading the bikes on the cart↑

  Me  –  attaching bikes to the cart wall frames   →

         After, you must declare you will load and unload your bike on the coach yourselves (you can see we do it on the photo). In such a case your luggage (bike) need not an insurance - it will reduce the charge.          

         Often the staff simulates that does not know this rule. Sometime I avoid to argue with them (having in mind the most important step which follows) and I declare that my bike is at least 20 years old and costs no more than 45 levas (approx. $ 30) at the moment. For such a case, the insurance is zero.

         There is a stupid but important rule: "Everything must be removed from the bike!" – which is really very inconvenient in cases you have panniers attached by bolts to the bike frame. Here several fibs will work. You can promise them you will remove everything from the bike just before loading on the coach - it will be easily for you to reach the departure platform, usually faraway from this office. [The staff in the cart is another and if they are not tired, they always are curious about your trip (no many people like you in Bulgaria; if they are tired - nobody will pay you any attention),  and after several jokes you attach bikes to the cart frame (as you can see on the photo) by bungee cords. Nobody in the cart will constrain you to remove the panniers from the bike, and nothing will be stolen]. 

          Then the bike charging procedure can continue. Because usually the luggage charging staff is a little lazy, they will want to charge all the bikes together by one ticket; you must ask tickets for each bike apart (it is more inexpensive: the relationship weight / price / distance is in no direct proportion) and after a sigh, they will give you a form per bike (too much filling in forms now !) - you must fill in the form with the necessary data (names, passport N, initial train station, final train station and on and on and underline "load and unload by myself").  Now do not be surprised!:  the bicycle in BG weights 20 kilos always! and any dispute concerning it is absolutely thoughtless, no matter the kind of the bike - it is an iron rule, more, a base principle I could say!, and no any exceptions !!!, so they will charge the bike having in mind this 20 kilos. But the luggage on the bike  will be not charged, never mind it may be 40 - 50 kilos .

            In the end they will seal a green stamp (having a number on it) on the bike frame: DO NOT PERMIT them to do it! - long time after it your gaze will be only there because not easy to unseal the stamp after several hours ... so,  do it yourselves on an appropriate place - for example sealing the ticket itself side to side around the brake cable. Then they will give you a document you must bring and show it to the cart Chairmen. The train station luggage personnel will give him another half of the same document. The cart Chairman will compare both half in the cart and the traveling can start. So, now you can go and sit in a box in a certain chair - car, relax and enjoy the sceneries ………………….. Just before to take off the train, you will take back your bicycle after signing the second half of document and the cart Chairmen will permit you to take your bikes.  Already you are free to progress your bike trip!

            And what a wonder it follows after !!! -  you will not see it, but the cart Chairman will brakes all the rules and he will tear all that documents, not easy to explain why, but it will save much time to both you and the cart Chairman by avoiding of several additional tedious luggage handle procedures. 

Well, never mind my jokes, our trains are inexpensive and very comfortable to enlarge tour possibilities, and we use them very often in our tours. I even prefer it rather than van supporting tour. It makes the tour much more exciting, remarkable and inexpensive.

BUT ALL THAT IS A HISTORY !!! - now you only have to buy a ticket for your bike - 1 EURO - never mind the distance and destination and you may take the bike in the train. No more formal procedures !!!!!!!!! .... I believe, that the scandals I did last 30 years with the train station personal changed the stupid rules and procedures I describer above :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Here I want to mention, we have one very special train – a narrow - gauge line train (760 mm - approx. 2,5 feet) from Septemvri town to Dobriniste – approx. 120 km long. The line is beginning from the Thracian field and is climbing in Rodopi mountain along river gorges, many tunnels, turns – all that in very very scenery places. Never mind this area is so nice to be bicycled, we always prefer to travel certain distance by it. Sometime, when I see the train staff is friendly, I arrange some of bicyclists to travel in the engine, which is really absolutely forbidden, but we love to break rules, we enjoy it very much!

The trains meet at the highest train station in the Balkans – “Avramovo” –1267 meters (approx. 3700 feet over sea level).

Inside the engine -  me, Susan and Stratton – soon will have 45 minute descending in a beautiful wood. Tony enjoyed the same traveling summer 2002 as well.

Soon we will be in the tunnel–more than 30 tunnels along this line; a sign restricting the train speed to 6m/h can be seen in.

Turn after turn – we are climbing gradually up and up making a full serpentine.

Steve is enjoying of the scenery;

But girls.....too much hills previous day obviously …..

The life will be not exciting without problems !!!!!

Do you see the modern train in the left? Yes, the country run very fast towards the modern times and we do have already such modern trains (made by Siemens) since 2006 servicing short distances (between bigger towns).  And do you see the label on the right??? showing what you may take with you in the train??? DO NOT BELIEVE IT !!! They will not permit you to take your bike in the train!!! So, I begin again a war with the BG Train Company. And I am sure will win in the end, maybe after 30 years, but I will. As a beginning I weary Siemens after I will inform EU Committee for Human Rights ... please give me some more ideas ...