Youth in Action – Bulgaria Exchange Second Meeting

Definite travel plans - outbound Meet at Newcastle Central Station (in the taxi pick up area) at 12:30. We will then catch a coach at 01:15, arriving in London at 07:30 We will get some breakfast, and then spend the morning looking around a museum or art gallery that has a cloakroom to leave bags. I will make a list and we can decide on the coach. We take the tube to Heathrow for a 17:25 flight. We land in Sofia at 22:25, where we will have a minibus to the hostel.

Definite travel plans - inbound Public bus from hostel to Sofia Airport, catching a 13:30 flight. We land in Heathrow at 14:50, where we will take a tube into London. Due to inconvenient coach times, we have to wait until 23:15 for the return coach. We will go somewhere else and have dinner before catching this. We get back to Newcastle at 05:40 the following day, 12 th August.

The Art Hostel We have a whole floor of 8 bed dorms to ourselves, plus a spare dorm on another floor. The hostel is very close to the city centre, in walking distance of Nevski Square (large cathedral in centre). There is a large garden, with a hostel bar. There is an art gallery inside the building. There is free wifi throughout. Recommended as one of the top 10 hostels in Europe by The Guardian.

Some videos Sofia: Varna:

Money Bring what you want to spend! Also, bring UK cash for London. We will pay for basics – admission tickets, travel, meals etc. Anything else, such as drinks through the day, snacks and souvenirs, are not included. Bulgaria is quite a cheap country – typical prices for sake of comparison are: 30p for a bottle of water (0.8 leva) £4.50 for a good evening meal (15 leva) 40p for locally made bottle of beer (1 lev)

UK Leg 17th-25 th August We really need people for this! Mixture of camping and dormitories in Gibside. Making a media project for ITV, lots of volunteering in different places. Big music festival (6,000 people) is on at Gibside at the time and we are involved. Missing some days is okay. Who can come? Does anyone have spare tents?

Final questions Does everyone have passports? 3 people – do you have travel insurance? Can everyone get into the city centre for the coach times? Any other questions?

Next meeting 1 st or 2 nd August, in college or somewhere else. Need everyone there – just quickly to confirm details.

Thank you!