Varna Airport (VAR)

Varna Airport has a clear no-smoking rule inside all terminal buildings, but it does provide designated outdoor spots both before and after security. The best airside option is the open-air terrace in the departure area, which is free to use and requires no purchase. Vaping and e-cigarettes are explicitly banned everywhere on airport grounds, including outdoors, according to the official airport policy.

Before Security

Landside smoking is permitted outside, in front of Terminal 2. There is no dedicated enclosed smoking room on the landside; you simply step out through the main entrance doors and smoke in the open air before you check in or go through security.

• Head to the main entrance of Terminal 2 and step outside.

• No purchase required, no time limit mentioned.

• Keep in mind that if you have already checked in and gone through security, you would need to exit the secure zone, smoke outside, and then go through security again to reach your gate.

After Security

This is where Varna actually does well for a small regional airport. After clearing security, there is a quite large open-air terrace on the right side of the terminal building. According to a traveler report from August 2022, no purchase is required to use the terrace, and seating is available for roughly 75 people. The terrace overlooks the apron and offers runway views.

There are also bar/cafe areas at each end of the single departure hall (less than a five-minute walk from any gate), both of which are open-air and have historically allowed smoking. Travelers have reported not being challenged when smoking at these bar terraces without buying a drink, though buying something is courteous and may be expected during busy periods.

Vaping Rules

The official airport website explicitly bans electronic cigarettes and any device that produces smoke or vapor, whether lit or not, inside all terminal buildings and airport structures. The policy text does not carve out an exception for vaping outdoors, so treat vaping the same as cigarette smoking: outdoors only, in the designated areas.

Transit and Layovers

Varna has a single departure hall with all gates freely accessible after security, so there is no airside transit zone that would keep you separated from the smoking terrace. If you are connecting through Varna and your itinerary requires you to re-clear security, you will need to exit the terminal to smoke landside and then go back through the security checkpoint.

VIP Lounge

A VIP/Business Lounge is located airside on the Ground Floor of Terminal 2, in front of Gate 1. Economy passengers can pay for entry via a walk-in pass or lounge membership programs. The sources do not confirm whether this lounge has a dedicated smoking area, so do not count on it as a smoking option.

Bottom Line

Varna is actually smoker-friendly by European standards: the free open-air airside terrace seats around 75 people and requires no purchase, so you can smoke comfortably after security without paying for a lounge.