Bulgaria has become a popular travel destination in recent years. While it offers five star international hotels and world class restaurants, it also offers private homes for vacation rentals.

If you decide to take a vacation to Bulgaria because of all the wonderful things the country has to offer, consider renting a private home for your stay. While hotels can be nice, living in an actual home will give you a much better opportunity to experience the country as the natives do. You’ll have a home base from which you can hike into the countryside, walk to town, or even visit with the people you meet.

You may never have thought of vacationing in Bulgaria, but you should consider it. Bulgaria has every kind of recreational activity from swimming to skiing, and boasts an impressive array of natural landscapes, including beaches, mountains, caves, and clean rivers. Bulgaria also is home to healing spas, churches, friendly little towns, and good food.

You could rent an urban apartment or a beach house depending on your particular destination. Spending a few weeks in Bulgaria living among Bulgarians will maximize your enjoyment of this country and help you learn the language or improve your language skills. Bulgarians are a friendly people, with an extensive cultural history that is not nearly as well known as that of more popular vacation destinations.

Private home rentals in Bulgaria exist in all price ranges. From rustic farmhouses to luxurious villas, you are sure to find the perfect rental for your vacation. Private homes usually come with a number of features that will add to your comfort on vacation, such as central heating, satellite television, kitchen, laundry facilities, and entertainment options like DVD players. After a long day of sightseeing, returning home to an actual home is very comforting. Additionally, it makes you feel more like you belong there than if you were staying at a hotel. You might not be in the midst of all the popular tourist destinations, but you will be learning about the Bulgaria that Bulgarians themselves know.

Here are some of the many great travel destinations in Bulgaria.

Bansko is an old mountain village in the Pirins. It features storybook features like cobbled streets, old homes, and stone walls. Bansko is a great place both summer and winter, with excellent skiing and snowboarding in winter and excellent hiking in the summer. Bansko is a real mountain village that will give you a real feeling of what it is like to live there. There are also other small villages around Bansko, and it is home to a jazz festival every august.

Sozopol is a sea town that features traditional architecture and is also home to archeological sites.

Nessebar is a pretty town on the Black Sea coast. It is located a few hours train trip from Varna.

Nessebar is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites.

Residents of the U.S., Canada, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand are not required to have a visa to enter Bulgaria. All foreigners, however, must register with local authorities within the first three days. Often, your travel agent will have taken care of this, and sometimes hotels will handle the paperwork, but you should double check.

If you are renting a private home, you will have to go to the police station yourself and fill out the forms. Otherwise you risk a fine of over $1,000 in U.S. dollars. Make sure that there is an entry stamp in your passport to avoid problems when it is time to leave Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is becoming a more popular tourist destination in Eastern Europe because of all the cultural and natural features it offers. While beach resorts in Bulgaria are the most popular, winter ski resorts are also becoming popular winter vacation destinations. All this plus spas, hiking, and a rich history make Bulgaria a wonderful place to visit. And renting a private house, apartment, or villa is one of the best ways to make the most of your stay.