Best Place to Exchange Money in Sunny Beach

Where to change money in Sunny Beach

Since 1 January 2026 Bulgaria's currency has been the euro, so the only question is how to get euros at a fair price. We found no exchange office in Sunny Beach that two independent sources vouch for, so we name none; withdrawing with a UK card, or using a bank, is wiser. Fraud police at the Interior Ministry say to deal solely with official bureaux and banks, and to read any rate above the official one as a scam.

• Bank office, Terminal 2 departures hall, Burgas Airport - Near check-in, before security. Open Monday to Friday 09:00-14:00 and 15:00-18:00, closed at weekends. The airport does not say which bank runs it.
• Cash machine, Terminal 2 departures, Burgas Airport - Before security; the airport says it takes most major cards. Your UK card's charges for use abroad apply, so read any fee on the screen before you confirm.

Changing money at the airport

Sunny Beach is reached through Burgas Airport (BOJ). Besides the cash machine and bank office in the Terminal 2 departures hall, the airport lists exchange offices before security and in the baggage hall. It publishes neither rates nor hours, so compare the euros offered with the live rate on your phone first.

The airport's contracted taxi firm works around the clock from a desk inside Terminal 2 and the rank outside. No fares appear on the airport's website, so settle the price with the driver before the journey starts.

ATMs and cards in Sunny Beach

Hotels and bigger shops normally take cards, but the national tourist portal notes that smaller shops and places to eat, drink or go out may want cash, so keep some euros for beach bars and kiosks. Should a terminal or cash machine propose billing you in pounds, decline and take euros; Which? says that choice lets the business set its own, usually poorer, exchange rate. The Foreign Office advises keeping your card in sight and being wary of a request to type your PIN twice.

Lev notes and coins have not been legal tender since 1 February 2026; both currencies circulated only during January. The Bulgarian National Bank still swaps lev for euros at no cost, with no cap and no closing date. Commercial banks did it free only until 30 June 2026, may charge for it now, and are no longer required to exchange lev from 1 January 2027.

Paying for transport in Sunny Beach

Public transport means a change in Burgas. City bus 15 runs between the airport and Bus Station South; Burgasbus lists departures from the station from 05:10 until 23:00 Monday to Saturday, starting at 05:55 on Sundays and holidays. Some evening runs show as 15A and stop at the roundabout outside the airport instead of at the terminal. A single bought on board costs EUR 0.80.

From Bus Station South, two operators run coaches to Sunny Beach through the day, either along the coast via Sarafovo, Pomorie and Nessebar Old Town, or inland via Kableshkovo. Fares are not on the timetable, so ask at the ticket window.

The Foreign Office says taxi drivers in Sunny Beach are regularly reported for robbery and threatening behaviour. Avoid cabs that wait outside hotels or in the busy tourist streets; ask your hotel or tour operator to recommend one, and check the meter or fixed price first.

Good to know

• Tipping is not compulsory; Rough Guides says ten per cent is appreciated, so add it when the service is good.
• Tourists have been overcharged by hundreds of pounds in so-called gentlemen's clubs in several resorts, Sunny Beach among them, sometimes under threat of violence, the Foreign Office reports. Ask for prices before you order.
• Police say real exchange takes place within banks and post offices, never on the pavement outside; refuse offers by phone, text or email too.
• Police warned of counterfeit euros around the changeover, so feel, look at and tilt any large note you are given.