Route 80 Camping, Bozhurishte, near Sofia in Bulgaria

Malcolm Hill
September 2014

See also the List of 63 Campsites in Bulgaria 

We met Malcolm several times during the winter of 2007/8. He was staying in his Volkswagen camper at Camping Thines, near Finikounda in Messinia, the southwest corner of the Greek Peloponnese. We were staying nearby at Camping Finikes. He had travelled down from the Baltic Republics via Romania, among other adventures.

We kept in touch and met again on the south coast of Sicily during the winter of 2013-14. He was still travelling in the VW and his latest project had been following the Roman frontier - the Limes - throughout Europe.

Here is his account of a stay at Route 80 Camping, a motel, restaurant and campsite 10 miles from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Route 80 (the E80) is an A class West-to-East European Route running from Lisbon in Portugal to Gurbulak on Turkey's border with Iran. 6102 km (or 3,792 miles) long, it connects 10 countries: at its eastern end it connects with Asian Highway AH1 which runs all the way to Japan.

Now there's an idea for a great journey! 

While staying at Route 80 Camping, Malcolm wrote:

Dear Barry and Margaret,

Here is an addition to the Bulgarian campsite lists, a place where I am staying at the moment: Motel Route 80 Camping.

I discovered this place on the way into Sofia from Niš in Serbia and am surprised it has not been mentioned in any other lists I've seen, as it is prominently sited on the north side of the main Istanbul/Belgrade road about ten miles to the north-west of Sofia. It is actually a combination restaurant, motel and campsite, the restaurant catering to the local “biker” clientele with a lot of biker and rock group music paraphernalia decorating the interior. They hold what are perhaps rather wild parties here at times, weekends mostly I suppose, judging by the website photographs – but don't let that put staid, respectable old folks like us off; it was as quiet as the grave when I stayed for a couple of days (except for the heavy road traffic that is).

There is space at the back of the lot behind two six-a-side footy courts (free floodlit evening sporting entertainment) for about ten motorhomes, all with English style electrical hookups. I am being charged €10 (yes, they take euros) a night including electric. The ablution facilities are as minimal and grubbily functional as the average Balkan and Eastern European ones we come to expect but I was allowed to shower in one of the motel units, which was first class. They also have free WiFi, the connection being excellent. I tried the restaurant food the first evening; nothing special but cheap.

Getting into Sofia by public transport requires initiative. I was given a lift by one of the site's friendly factotums who dropped me off at a Metro (underground) station from where it was easy getting into the centre. Returning, I came back to the same station and then bussed out to the campsite along the main road, it taking two buses, plus some walking, to complete the trip. There is a bus stop opposite the campsite where I understood one may flag down small local private bus service vehicles that go to the bus depot in the nearest town, about four miles towards Sofia, and then one can take a regular bus into the city or to the Metro station. Total transport cost for the day – Ł2!

All the best,

Malcolm

Thank you Malcolm! We can add that the Motel/Camping was still open when we passed it in June 2019.
The co-ordinates are N42.784 E23.1672