Bulgaria and Romania join Schengen: Experts on what it will mean for prices, transport & overtourism

March is set to be an exciting month for Romania and Bulgaria.

On 31 March, the Balkan nations will start the process of joining the Schengen Area as controls are lifted at air and sea borders. 

Discussions about lifting controls at land borders - which would see the two countries properly join the Schengen Area - are still ongoing. 

While both nations have been members of the European Union since 2007, they are still obliged to show passports upon entry to other EU countries, unlike many other European citizens.

In 2024, border controls for the two countries will be simplified and it’s likely many other aspects will change, too.

There’s a lot of speculation whether Bulgaria and Romania will follow in the footsteps of recent Schengen Area entrant Croatia, which has been widely criticised for raising prices across the board since their entry.

Bulgaria and Romania are not expected to switch their existing currencies to the Euro - as Croatia has done - in the immediate future, but there will, unsurprisingly, be changes almost immediately.

With the help of experts on the region, here’s everything you can expect come 31 March.

Elaine Warren is a travel expert and the founder of The Family Cruise Companion blog.

She’s hopeful that the move into the Schengen Area won’t immediately spell price hikes, which could immediately put off potential tourists.

“Increased competition might balance out any tendency for prices to rise too sharply in the most visited places. With travellers able to easily compare prices across borders, hotels and other businesses will want to stay competitive on rates,” she tells Euronews Travel.

It does seem to be too early to tell exactly what might happen, though.

“It's also possible certain costs may gradually align