I had heard that Bulgarian was like Russian and used the Cryllic (pronounced "sur-rillik") script. What I found was that no-one in the area adjacent to the Greek border where I first pedalled over with my bike knew any English. It turns out that the border to Greece is considered by citizens to be a remote region of Bulgaria but the generality stands true: it seems all Bulgarians have learned Russian, and a few have learned German as well, but outside of Sofia, English is not a commonly spoken second language. The first and most important thing I beleive for the traveller is to familiarize oneself with the Cyrllic script and carry a single sheet of paper around in the pocket to "de-code" street and highway signs (as well as most any map bought within the country).

Coverage of Cyrllic on Omniglot.com

While I was able to memorize a large repetoire of Bulgarian words an phrases I was not able to take the next step to sepaking properly, even for a moment. I imagine that even a little step into fluency in any slavic language would require me an investment larger than three weeks.

The following basic Bulgarian phrases are spelled out out phonetically for a US native English speaker will help you get the basics accross:

Formalities:

Good day - dobar den
Good evening - Dobar vejjer
Good night - leka nosht
Please - molla
Thank you - blagodaria / merci
Right this way, here you go, after you - sepuviade
What is your name? - Kak se kashva?
My name is Jason - Kazum se Jason
How are you? - Kok si?
Excuse me - Isvinyavai
Its nothing - Nyama Zeshto
Iz dravai - hello (literally "be healthy")
Nez dravai - Cheers (when drinking. Lit. "to your health")
Excuse me - Izvinete (also used to get a waiter's attention)
I am American - Asem americanski
American spy - Americanski shpioni


Directions:

straight - npravo
Right - diyasno
Left - lavo
Here - Tuk
Mountain - Planina
Lake - Ezerov Old - Star(o/a)
Center - Center
Station - Gara
Train - Voak
Bus - Boos
Taxi - Taxi
From -ot
to - dough
in - na
City - Grad
White/black - Biao/cherno
Monastery - Monastir


Making your will known:

I want.. / I dont want.. - Iscum.. / Ne iscum..
Yes - Da
No - Ne
There is/there isn't - Eema / Nyama
I understand - Razbiram
I don't understand - Ne razbiram
Girls - Mumcheta
Boys - Mumcheyto
Good day (hello), sweet kitten (said by man to a girl or woman) - Dobre den, slatko matze
Tisi creseeva - You are beautiful
Word - Duma
Lover - Lubovnic
Grilfriend - Esgudeni
I want.. - As eezkum
A kabob - Edno kebabji
To dance - Da tentsuvum
A traditional dance - "Chauga"
Kiss - Se ufka
Clean - Chistuta
Party - praznik
Different - Razlichen
Same - shushti
Umbrella - Chader


Exclamations:

No problem - problem nyama / wosho nyama
Its hot! - Zhegga!
Wait! - Chaga chaga!
Lets go! - Haide
Relax! - Spokoino
There is - Ee-ma
Cool - iyekstra (like "extra")
I'm just kidding - Mai tap
Crazy/crazies - Lud/ludi
Wow! - Aye hah!
Bravo! - Lei lei
You are super - supersi
Eat, eat! - Yash, yash!
Right away / one sec - Siga
Such is life! - Tukuf aye zhivota!
Baby doll - Matse (literally "kitten")
Sweet (male/female) - Slatk (o/a)
Bad - Woushem
Good - Dubre
Bad boy/girl - woshem mumche/mumchita


Food Items:

Water - Voda
Food - Hrana
Breakfast - Zekuzka
Lunch - Ubiad
Dinner - Veccheria
I am hungry - Asem guaden
To drink - pia
I eat - yam
You eat - yash
Tasty - Kusno
Very - Mnogo
Nice/good - Khoobovo
Good - Dobre
Salad - Salata
Potato - Kartofi
Spicy - Luta (literally "southern")
Mineral water - mineralna voda
Spring water - Voda ot cheshmata
White cheese - Sirene
Yellow cheese - Kashkaval
Honey - Med
Soup - Chorba
Ice - Let
Blintz (like greek spanakopita) - Banitza
Beer - Bira
Bread - hlap
One slice of bread - Edna filika hlap
Vinigar - Otset
Honey from the village (natural honey) - Med ot celo


Money:

How much does it cost? - Kok costruva?
Leva - Bulgarian currency
Skepu - Expensive
Mngog maucu - Very little

1 - Edno
2 - Dvay
3- Tree
4- Chetri
5- Ped
6 - Shes
7- Sedem
8 - Ausem
9 - Devit
10 - Dest
20 Dvais
25 - Dvais y pet
30 - Tris
35 - Tris y pet
40 - Chtirise
50 - Pedese
100 - Sto


Other important things to know:

Easy/difficult - lesno/trudno
near/far - bliso/daleche
Wet/Dry - Mocro sukho
Soft/hard - meko/tvurdo
Hot/cold - Topo/studeno
Girl - Mumich
Boy - Mumcheh
Very - mNogo
Small - Maueck
Gulam - Big
Lake - Ezero
Gurtsia - Greece
Christmas - Coleda
Bicycle - Culewo / Veosipet
Train - Vooak
Libra (astrology) - Vezna
Small beard - brada
Jesus - Gospot (really "God")
O Gospodi - Oh God (said to mean "thank God" also)
God - Bok
Holy Ghost - Sviti dukh
Hand made - Rutchen
Oven - Furna


A Bulgarian Lesson on how one thing works:

To address an adjective to someone you just add "si" to the end of the word. Say an adjective without a subject just add "no" to the end of the word. Thus:
Super si - you are super
Super no - It is super
and so:
Perfect(si)(no) - Perfect
Dobre(si)(no)- Good
Yekstra(si)(no) - Cool

To make an adjective male add "o" to the end (the sex of the adjective should agree with the sex of the subject). To make an adjective female add "a" to the end. Thus:
beautiful (masculine object) - Cresivo
beautiful (feminine object) - Cresiva

Put this two rules together to say:
You are beautiful (spoken to a female) - Cresivasi