Why take the ferry, and not just drive? Especially as the ferry is not exactly a bargain: why take it? The simple answer is time-saving and comfort. The distance on the road between Burgas and Batumi is around 1600km, and Turkey is a country worth visiting. Our average traveling speed is 60km/h which translates into roughly 27h of non-stop driving. We can withstand about 5-6h per day driving in our loud Iveco and thus the journey on the road would take about 5-6 days which is almost double the time required by the ferry. And we’ve still got 20.000km driving ahead of us, so the chance to save a few miles (and days) is pretty compelling. And we plan to visit Turkey more extensively on our way back, taking our time to cross the vast country instead of just gritting our teeth and barreling from one end to the other.
Ticketing
It's easy to make a reservation. I sent an email to booking@portbulgariawest.com with all the essential information and paid via bank transfer. Apparently, one can also pay the ticket in cash at their offices on the day of vessel departure. You can also purchase the tickets at one of their offices.
BURGAS-Booking office location: https://goo.gl/maps/zfCDgSLzaAEh15Lf9
BATUMI-Agent office location: 9 Makatcaria str, Batumi, Georgia: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mDD8jWGgV5Cc66cc9
The cabins onboard are for four people. One cabin slot is included in the vehicle reservation and for any additional passenger you have to pay separately. There is also a possibility to book a private cabin. The cabins come with sheets, towels and a private bathroom (shower and toilet). The whole set-up is definitely tight with four people (as one can expect on a ferry).
Boarding process
Multiple times I received reminders, that we have to check in before 18h on the day of departure. So, of course, we wanted to make sure to not miss the check-in. (edit from Jaimi: as per our "About" page, promptness is a big thing for my German husband. Hee hee)
We arrived at the harbor (enter in google maps: Port Bulgaria West Ferry Services) at 16.30h. The barrier was closed and a very friendly, English speaking security guard came to our help. He asked, do you have a ferry ticket? We said yes and showed the printout of our reservation to him. He said, "This is not a ticket!" A moment of alarm and exclamation, “Oh no, don't tell me that ....” But he calmly informed us that we simply need to go to the PBM office to get the ticket. The PBM office is just next door. So no big deal.
We went from one window to another, and finally got our tickets. The clerk said, "Okay, you can now enter the compound, park your car and start to wait. If you want, you can leave it and go eat something.” I asked how long we have to wait. The response was, “it's better to go on board last because then you are the first to leave in Batumi.” Hmmm ... what did he really tell us?
We entered the compound with our truck and were told to park in lot 1, which is quite far away from the ferry. And we noticed that trucks are already boarding. We parked so that we can be easily seen and found ... between the real big trucks. And then decided to walk into the center of Burgas (approximately 1.5km) for a drink, making sure to be back for the 18h check-in.
We are back. Nothing happens. Eventually someone puts a yellow sticker under the windshield wiper with an unrecognizable meaning. At least, we thought, we are checked-in. And now, we wait. And wait. And continue to wait. From time to time a little blue car shows up and hands out envelopes to other drivers and then they leave for the ferry. Every time this little blue car shows up, our hopes soar .... to no avail. Nothing for us, over and over again. Finally a German couple with a VW pick-up and us are the only 2 vehicles left in the parking lot. At around 2.30am we’re finally told to board the ferry ... after 8.5h of waiting!
One of the fellow travelers reported later that they were told the ferry doesn't leave before midnight anyways. Well, knowing this, we would have had plenty of time for a nice dinner in Burgas before departure. Unfortunately, we only got that tidbit of information after-the-fact.
Life on board
There is not much to do. Don't expect any cruise ship type amenities. Most travelers are truck drivers and due to language barriers it's difficult to have much interaction with them. There were a few tourists on board and it's always interesting to exchange notes. This morning we sat next to an English traveler. He said it's a very boring passage. He is sharing his cabin with three other passengers and cannot converse with them. They apparently mostly sleep or play/watch something on their phones.
The beds and sheets are of decent cleanliness which cannot be said about the floor; bring some easy-to-slide-on shoes. The ferry has one dining room, a smaller smoking room and a 'sundeck'. Three meals per day are served in the dining room which are simple and of acceptable quality (some say soviet style). Bread is served with every meal. The breakfast consists mostly of tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, sausages and yoghurt with cereal. There is a choice of sugary juices, tea and black coffee. Lunch and dinner consists of meat, a vegetable side, and a small salad. For lunch you also get some kind of fresh fruit (for example banana, nectarine or plum). The bar opens for lunch and dinner. Beer, wine (by the bottle), spirits and soft drinks can be purchased.
The dining room has a TV which runs a local Bulgarian program. The smoking room has a TV with a DVD-player attached. I noticed that most of the time, someone connects a device to watch a movie in a language we don't understand. There is also a coffee machine and vending machine, which contain soft drinks, sweet and salty snacks. You need special coins which can be purchased at the reception.
The sundeck is an outdoor space without a pool, no bar and no loungers! Sorry to disappoint you.
An internet pass can be purchased. We didn’t bother, so can’t personally report about the speed and quality of it. I talked to another traveler, who said the connection is very slow, and it comes and goes.
Important to know: there is a possibility during the day to go briefly to your vehicle, in case you forgot something. You have to ask one of the technicians (blue working overalls) and they'll open a gate for you.
Journey and arrival.
Our Black Sea traverse was mostly quiet and we didn't notice anybody getting sea sick. The first day was certainly a bit rocky and we were glad to have medicine against motion sickness. And it definitely could have been much worse, so come prepared! The journey is actually quite long and you spend more or less 3 nights on board. We left very late on Friday night (technically, Saturday morning) and arrived around 10.00am in Batumi on Monday. Breakfast was served slightly earlier on arrival day. Since we got on board so late on Friday night and didn’t sleep much, our Saturday was mostly comprised of napping and eating, with a bit of reading in between. Be prepared with reading stuff and downloaded show shows to watch on your devices.
Upon arrival in Batumi, a period of uncertainty starts. It's not quite clear what's going to happen or when. Everybody is ready and antsy to deboard. Eventually custom officers join the boat and set up office in the smoking room. They clear your passport and vehicle. To complete processing, you need your passport, driver's license, vehicle papers and if you have it, Georgian car insurance (BTW, it was straight forward to buy it on-line at https://tpl.ge/en). And as proclaimed by the ticketing clerk in Batumi, since we boarded the ferry last, we were indeed amongst the first to leave!
While driving out, passports are checked again. Then, you drive off and begin searching for the exit of the harbor area. We didn't see any signs, but eventually (following a sight-seeing tour through the harbor), we noticed custom officers. They checked our vehicle and luggage space, and for some reason they were mostly interested in the medication (and traveling with a hobby-pharmacist means there was a big box of them to inspect). But it was all good, they waved us off, and we headed into Batumi for a day in this sea-side resort city. In the words of the friendly immigration officer on board: welcome to Georgia!
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