Bulgaria Away - 6th June 2009

**JT,New'09** · 13/05/2009, 1:48 PM

Originally Posted by Paddser

We booked in here until we read the reviews, and rebooked for the Sveta. No way im rebooking again. Its central, cheap and gets good enough reviews JT.
It'll be fine.

Yea true, reviews are good ( clean , great location etc)
it will be grand, and seems to be a fair few fans staying there.
Its mad i booked this 8 weeks ago and now its only 3 until we go , weeks are flying by

**Polster** · 13/05/2009, 2:23 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

I have come to realise that stars mean nothing. I was in a 4star in mexico,with 3 different restaurants, pools, 2 bars, lovely rooms bar a weird smell throughout the hotel and then I was in a 4star in morocco which definitely didn't compare in any shape or form, and then another in Europe which couldn't compare either. Stars mean nothing unless 5 star. Its like Math.rand(0,5), a magic random number that they come up with.

What star is a sleeping bag and tent Paul? Cause at the moment we are homeless in Sofia.

**Paddser** · 13/05/2009, 3:36 PM

Found this good guide to Sofia:

http://www.stemcvee.supanet.com/sofia.htm

Irish Bars(and other amenities in Sofia):

http://www.programata.bg/index.php?p=74&l=2&c=1

**eaststand85** · 13/05/2009, 4:00 PM

Originally Posted by Paddser

Found this good guide to Sofia:

http://www.stemcvee.supanet.com/sofia.htm

Irish Bars(and other amenities in Sofia):

http://www.programata.bg/index.php?p=74&l=2&c=1

All sounds very promising Paddser, huge amount of information there to digest. Cheers!

**NeilMcD** · 13/05/2009, 4:29 PM

Originally Posted by JT,New'09

Yea true, reviews are good ( clean , great location etc)
it will be grand, and seems to be a fair few fans staying there.
Its mad i booked this 8 weeks ago and now its only 3 until we go , weeks are flying by

Don't think you can share my bed now if they are that size.

**horney** · 13/05/2009, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Greenforever

Well at �840 I reckon you've been ripped off

Dublin London �30 return

London Sofia �90 return

3 nights raddison�180

Total �300 in 4 star hotel

Match ticket �5

no 440 euro each theres 2 of us not bad most packages start at 585 without taxes

**horney** · 13/05/2009, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

That's more than the packages.

E-bookers is a crap website anyway, and prices should be viewed as a guide only.

packages start at 600 we only paid 420 each and only booked last week

**captkeen** · 14/05/2009, 3:25 AM

Hi Guys,
The holiday Inn has rooms available and Start from 72e including breakfast for a double room.Its only 3 miles outside the city and is 5 star ,looks promising.I think they have a shuttle service to the city centre.They do one to Airport and back. 3000 fans traveling.

**JT,New'09** · 14/05/2009, 8:00 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Don't think you can share my bed now if they are that size.

No probs ill sleep in my own canoe bed , think my boyfriend would prefer that !

**paul_oshea** · 14/05/2009, 8:14 AM

Originally Posted by JT,New'09

No probs ill sleep in my own canoe bed , think my boyfriend would prefer that !

Neil, has a motto JT, what goes on tour stays on tour.

**magnumpi** · 14/05/2009, 8:25 AM

Originally Posted by captkeen

Hi Guys,
The holiday Inn has rooms available and Start from 72e including breakfast for a double room.Its only 3 miles outside the city and is 5 star ,looks promising.I think they have a shuttle service to the city centre.They do one to Airport and back. 3000 fans traveling.

i was looking at this as its cheaper than most, and gets rave reviews, but didn't want to be outside the city centre.

**McCarthys Sofia** · 14/05/2009, 9:17 AM

No need to be paranoid, the city is fine really unless you start acting stupid but I think most of us paddies traveling abroad know the drill.

Fake alcohol normally only appears in strip clubs where they try and maximize their profits and if you complain they will replace it normally.

The beer here is fine and tuborg is brewed here and is widely available on tap and bottle and is a fine clean beer, minimum hangover.
Other popular beers are Shumenso local beer fine as well.

To be honest the food is lacking here but for normal enough food try olives, its on the tram track just behind vitosha bvd on slovekov square.
Also if you want cheap and fast the happy bar and grill is very cheap and is at the end of vitosha bvd.

For fans staying at the raddison the bar there is the most expensive in the city and the quality of the food is not great. You will be paying the same as Ireland there so its up to you whether to eat there for convenience or not, the irish breakfast is not irish. For the most original breakfast in the city try jj murphys same price as home though.

For more upmarket restaurants try Krim restaurant behind the radisson or a good italian is tuscana across from ndk on a sidestreet just off vitosha bvd.

For the discening pi**head kebabs are widely available all over the city for about 1 euro

Thats should have you lot covered for booze, food, directions and currency exchange.

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

hmm fake alcohol, i think im going to be in overdrice paranoia for the 3 days then. Its bad enough with the sh1te pints in Tanland, so dont know what im going to do out there!

**JT,New'09** · 14/05/2009, 9:57 AM

Hey, when do you reckon match tickets will be posted out ? Sent payment form in earlier this week ?
Think tomorrow is the dead line to have your form filled out and payment sent to F.A.I ticket office

**NeilMcD** · 14/05/2009, 11:03 AM

Tickets will probably arrive the week before the game I would reckon. Sure give them a call. Cian and Emma in the ticket office are pretty good. The money has come out of my credit card already as I paid it online. I will have to stay in next few nights to pay for the credit card bill of 15 euro though.

**horney** · 14/05/2009, 11:06 AM

lufthansa have a flight to bulgaria (sofia) any fans on it i wonder

**JT,New'09** · 14/05/2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Tickets will probably arrive the week before the game I would reckon. Sure give them a call. Cian and Emma in the ticket office are pretty good. The money has come out of my credit card already as I paid it online. I will have to stay in next few nights to pay for the credit card bill of 15 euro though.

Ha ha , mad though been charged 3 euro a match ticket !

**aidz1** · 14/05/2009, 12:28 PM

doubt it
match not for another 3 weeks

**Cowboy** · 14/05/2009, 2:25 PM

Man thats funny

To answer your quesion myself and a mate are on the flight via frankfurt on the Thursday

Originally Posted by aidz1

doubt it
match not for another 3 weeks

**pineapple stu** · 14/05/2009, 2:37 PM

Originally Posted by horney

lufthansa have a flight to bulgaria (sofia) any fans on it i wonder

Merged in with the main match travel thread.

**cobra** · 14/05/2009, 2:37 PM

Have just booked a hotel, plonk in the city centre, beside JJ Murphys and about a 2 min walk to this McCarthys pub mentioned on the thread here.
�50 for twin room