Greeks rush for fuel in Bulgaria, with gasoline half a euro cheaper after the border opening

From January 1, 2025, the Greece-Bulgaria borders underwent drastic changes, arsenic Bulgaria and Romania officially joined the Schengen zone.

Crossing the borderline is present done without immoderate checks oregon delays, a improvement that has generated excitement, peculiarly among drivers and passengers, with societal media flooded with photos and comments astir the caller reality.

At the largest borderline crossing astatine Promachonas, the customs booths and buildings stay deserted, portion the barriers connected some sides are permanently lifted.

The emblematic hassle of queues of cars and trucks, which until precocious was a regular occurrence, has present wholly disappeared.
Celebrations connected societal media astir the opening of borders with Bulgaria

Gas stations filled with Greek drivers

Many drivers are taking vantage of the seamless crossing to sojourn substance stations successful Bulgaria, wherever prices are importantly lower.

Specifically, the terms of 95-octane unleaded gasoline successful Bulgaria is astir €1.28 per liter, compared to €1.80 per liter successful Greece. According to the latest information from the EU Oil Bulletin, arsenic of December 30, 2024, the terms of gasoline successful Bulgaria was 2.50 BGN (€1.28) per liter, portion the terms of diesel was arsenic attractive.

The mean terms of gasoline successful Bulgaria from January 2015 to December 2024 was 2.23 BGN (€1.14) per liter, with the lowest terms recorded successful May 2020 (1.60 BGN/€0.82) and the highest successful July 2022 (3.37 BGN/€1.73).

Compared to the planetary mean prices for the aforesaid play (3.12 BGN/€1.60), Bulgaria continues to connection importantly cheaper fuel.

In detail, for a conveyance with a 50-liter substance tank, the outgo of a afloat refueling is:

• In Bulgaria: €1.28/liter × 50 liters = €64
• In Greece: €1.80/liter × 50 liters = €90

This efficaciously means a redeeming of €26 per afloat refueling for a 50-liter tank.

Celebrations connected societal media astir the opening of borders with Bulgaria (Part 2)

While these developments importantly easiness the question of radical and goods, concerns person besides arisen. The deficiency of borderline checks raises fears of a imaginable summation successful amerciable activities, specified arsenic smuggling goods and transporting illicit substances. Additionally, immoderate explicit concerns astir safety, arsenic the lack of constabulary and customs inspections leaves country for uncontrolled situations.

Despite these questions, the escaped crossing betwixt the 2 countries opens caller opportunities for collaboration successful commercialized and tourism portion strengthening cross-border relations and economical maturation successful the wider region. However, balancing convenience with information and adherence to regulations remains a cardinal challenge.