 Poster: A snowHead
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We are thinking of trying bansko this year, a couple of years ago we skied at Pamporovo and thought it was OK and more recently (every year) we have a week in Macugnaga Italy. Can anybody recommend a hotel. Were not looking for 5 star, just a base with a decent bar and something to do for our 13 year old son, not far from the slopes.
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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michcarl, I have been a few times to Bansko but haven't been for about 3yrs now. I have also been to Pamporovo and can say without doubt that Bansko is WAY better than Pamporovo for skiing, eating out, snow reliability, hotels etc. I have stayed at both the Kempinski which is a 5 star hotel right next to the gondola and offers ski in/out and the Strazhite which is a 4 star hotel about 7min walk to the gondola station. Unfortunately, I can't comment on child facilities as I don't have children but there were always loads of skids around so there must be enough for them to do when not skiing. A lot of people also stay at the Perun which gets some good reviews.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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"skids"?? I meant kids. 
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Thanks for info, I will take a look at the hotels mentioned.
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I went to Bansko last year, stayed at Hotel Bulgaria Half Board. Hotel was clean and food was alright. Small indoor pool as well.
Slight walk to the gondola, but didn't bother me. (10 min)
I thought the ski/boarding was pretty good!
There is a decent bowling center near the hotel I stayed at which was good. We also found a couple of good bars, I cant remember the names but one was across the road from hotel bulgaria!
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Use the search facility. Bansko is rubbish and not even good value.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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michcarl, I find most people with low opinions of Bansko have either never been or haven't been for around 20 years. I have done Bansko twice in recent years and enjoyed both times. However there are some things you should be aware of. There is only one way up the mountain so if you are not at the gondola by 8.15am you could still be queuing at 10am or later. If you do make it by 8.15am then you are rewarded with immaculately groomed and empty slopes. (I have pics if you would like to see) For some reason the blues become very very busy after lunch though the reds are still pretty quiet all day. The 50 pence a pint days are long gone but you can still expect to pay less than the UK if you stay away from the British style bars. I have not met a local who was particularly unfriendly when I have been there. The snow quality has been as good as I have experienced in France and actually better last year but that's obviously hit and miss. I would go back again but would stay at the Kempinski (mentioned above). Before anyone says anything no I don't have an apartment there and neither would I recommend buying one 
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| Mollerski wrote: |
| Use the search facility. Bansko is rubbish and not even good value. |
its not great but rubbish is a bit harsh....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| loffers wrote: |
| Mollerski wrote: |
| Use the search facility. Bansko is rubbish and not even good value. |
its not great but rubbish is a bit harsh.... |
I've explained the reasons for my less than favourable opinion of Bansko, at length in previous posts. I really don't feel inclined to do so again. 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I went to bansko 3 years ago and am thinking of going again 2010, the lyons hotel is good value H/B. it was 1 euro a bottle of beer when i was there, but that would be diffrent now, the slopes are as good as any other places i have being in ausrtria, went to livigno last year, i would never go back even if i got it for free, so everybody has their own opinions on resorts, i dont have kids so cant tell you much about that, but there is a good buzz in bansko you always meet up with good people for drinks at night,
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If you are going to pay for a hotel you might as well spend the same money and buy an apparment (or chalet if it was a decent hotel) instead.
Property there is basically worthless.....and that fact alone should tell you all you need to know about the place.
Oh...try the SEARCH function too!
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You know it makes sense.
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| rungsp wrote: |
| Property there is basically worthless.....and |
now that is not quite true, but property is perhaps worthless in comparison with, say, Verbier, or alternatively perhaps Verbier is priceless in comparison with Bansko 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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michcarl. I take it your main points of reference are Pamporovo and Macugnaga.............
Never been to Pamporovo (never will..........) but by all accounts, lifts, terrain, not being robbed, Bansko knocks it into a cocked hat.
Macugnaga is not really a ski resort as such, just a quiet, honest, immensly charming place that has two small ski areas and an interminably bad lift system. Bansko, as regards lifts and terrain, knocks that into a cocked hat too.
As regards hotels, it's been a while since I've been to Bansko, and they I believe spring up almost daily, but the apart from the Kempinski (5*), the ones I know of are the Lion, Perun, Strazhite (4*) etc are all up by the gondola and generally ok.
If you can avoid the school hols, book late. I know people who've done Bansko flts/tfrs/accom(half board 4*)/pass/equip/tuition, and spending money (not skimping), for less than £500.
Mogs post is pretty spot on. Bansko has its place, just not on snowHeads .
John.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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BCjohnny, some lads i know did it for £350 the season before last, no snow when they were there though
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| rayscoops wrote: |
| BCjohnny, some lads i know did it for £350 the season before last, no snow when they were there though |
Last time I went, three seasons back (Feb '07) I took a couple of improvers (lads trip). For the requirements we had, it was exactly the right place to go. The snow was good, and well pisted, with passable off piste.
One lad had nothing to compare it to (first time skiing since the army!), the other had been to Fugen twice and said Bansko was better.
We had our own gear, booked neither early nor late, stayed in the Lion (4* H/B), eat/drank on the mountain every day and went out on the lash every single night. With the lift pass I personally spent £473 all in, middling the other two.
No, it would never be my first choice, but I would certainly choose it over La Thuile, Livigno, Montgenevre, even SerChe ("deader than corduroy"), all things considered. Every time.
John.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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BCjohnny, wow - i really fancy Serr Chev  the trip the lads went on was a stag bash and most were learner boarders so it suited them. Horses for courses i suppose
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Thanks for all your comments, we will have to think about it and yes everyones opinion differs. We are just looking for a week away with some nice runs, nice food and a great atmosphere. I have priced it up with a tour operator which turns out £1500 all in for the three of us which I dont think is that bad. So thanks again.
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michcarl, I wouldn't take too much notice of Mollerski he allows seems to pop up slating bansko.
I've never been myself, but my brother in-law has an apartment out there, well he did have one....he has just been offered 10K above what he paid for it 2 years ago...so don't believe all you read about the property prices.
He's quite honest about the place, his thoughts pretty much echo that of BCjohnny and Mogs.
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| BCjohnny wrote: |
If you can avoid the school hols, book late. I know people who've done Bansko flts/tfrs/accom(half board 4*)/pass/equip/tuition, and spending money (not skimping), for less than £500.
John. |
I've done a week in St. Anton for that price.. know which one I'd prefer..
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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bertie bassett, really - the tuition, pass and ski hire would be nearly that price alone 
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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| BCjohnny wrote: |
If you can avoid the school hols, book late. I know people who've done Bansko flts/tfrs/accom(half board 4*)/pass/equip/tuition, and spending money (not skimping), for less than £500.
John. |
I've done a week in St. Anton for that price.. know which one I'd prefer.. |
How!?!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just booked £55 easyjet flights to Sofia for 3 days of Bulgarian skiing in late Jan. Intend to decide where to ski based on snow nearer the time. Must admit, we quite fancy Bansko......
Our basis for going will be to try somewhere completely different as we've *never skied eastern europe. We've skied over 120 resorts worldwide and just love skiing anywhere - and I mean anywhere - from a 200m drag lift in the Pennines to the mega areas of France; from sleepy unheard of backwaters with 6 lifts in the Alps to the Lecht in Scotland. Yes, as long as it's got mountains, snow (cue Bulgaria jokes...) and ski lifts it'll do for us. We'll travel to Bulgaria with an open mind an an acceptance that it's going to be different to what we might be used to in Espace Killy - but isn't that half the fun? Can't wait and will - of course - report back.
*Oops! Tell a lie we skied Zakopane in Poland a couple of years back.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Kel,
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as for anyone buying 2 years ago and making a £10k profit that is absolute nonsense.
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You calling me a liar???
To be fair, he is a special case. He happened to own an apartment that some rich bloke wanted (the chap in question wanted the whole of the top floor). He was offered another apartment in the same block plus £10k or the full price he paid for his originally, plus £10K........I know option I'd have taken. I think my BOI law paid about the same as your mate, maybe slightly less.
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You know it makes sense.
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mountainaddict,
If the conditions are good you should try Vitosha. It's not that big but it is very Bulgarian and if you can avoid the weekends/holidays it's very quiet and it's about 30 minutes away from Sofia airport! You might need your Bulgarian dictionary with you though as last time I was there no-one spoke any English!
But if you want any info about any of the ski resorts, just pm me!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| rayscoops wrote: |
| bertie bassett, really - the tuition, pass and ski hire would be nearly that price alone |
Not if you don't have lessons and have your own kit.
Went 1st week in Jan, flew ryanair to friedchicken for buttons and when kit was £15 per sector and you didn't have to pay for check-in or going for a wee wee. Trip on bus (airport bus.at) was around 60 euro return. Rented an appartment for c. 1400 Euro for the week ~ 1K between 6 of us = 166 quid. Lift pass - can't recollect for sure but it was '07 prices so lets say £160 quid. Spent around 120 euros between 6 on food / drinks in the appartment. Add another 100 euros for lunch etc on the hill, didn't hit the apres too hard.
Total Costs
Flight = £60
Bus = £40
Accom =£160
Pass = £150
Food/Eats ~ £90
St. Anton for 500 notes...Of course this was in the days when one could get one of those euro thingies for about 70 of our English pence, and that alone would put the cost of this trip nearer £600 if repeated.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| BCjohnny wrote: |
One lad had nothing to compare it to (first time skiing since the army!), the other had been to Fugen twice and said Bansko was better.
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Now that does surprise me. Even the Fugen area alone has more skiing than Bansko, and if you are there four days or more, who have the whole of the Zillertal to play in.
Kaltenbach is 5 minutes on the (free) train, and has over 100Km of piste lift linked from the top of the gondola.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| joydivision wrote: |
michcarl, I wouldn't take too much notice of Mollerski he allows seems to pop up slating bansko.
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I've given Bansko a fair chance in my view. My In-Laws own an apartment, which has halved in value from the original purchase price, there were no real increase in values. I've spent approximately 8 weeks in Bansko in total. The skiing is OK with only 68km's of piste, the off-piste is again OK, but too disconnected. The queues can be horrendous, the pistes can be packed, the locals can be rude, the place is a dirty building site. The atmosphere around the town can be dark and unwelcoming. I don't consider the Bansko good value, it's cheapish for a sub-standard product.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 1-10-09 22:06; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I visited bansko the season before last and had a good time. The transfer was pretty long and the gondola ques were pretty horrendous but once you were up there the views were beaut. We stayed in hotel Perun and the room was nice and the staff were lovely in particular the man who helped out at the ski boot room. The food (in the evening) wasnt very nice but the breakfast was nice.. Pancakes made in front of you ! There was quite a lot of runs but we were put in a group of 20 of all different abilitys (with the ski school) so this became a bit of an issue and we ended up doing our own thing. Hope this helps (:
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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jasminee, Welcome to  's.
John.
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michcarl,I've been to bansko twice. First time about 5 years ago and the second about 4 years ago for my stag week. OK I'd rather be in Chamonix and Bankso's not the sort of place I'd go for a hard core ski holiday but as a low expectation (go expecting little and you'll be surprised how good it is) holiday destination it's great and my stag week was probably the best 1 week holiday of my life.
There are companies like method ski school really pushing things forward and look set to get into back country guiding and courses. Bansko has in my view got an exciting future even if it is a building site now and does have some infrastructure faults.
I've stayed at the hotel Perun. Nice indoor pool for the kids and games rooms. Great heated out door pool and a good bar. Please keep in mind when i stayed there it was new and is now about 6 years old so may have changed.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mollerski, maybe, but they have basically built a small city over a very short period and with that comes certain difficulties. Any serious property investment should be considered over 5 - 7 years minimum
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alex_heney. I've never been to Fugen so can't say. The guy who did past comment was a third week skier, so that may have a reflection on his opinion. Horses for courses, and all that.
bertie basset. Thanks with the St Anton comparison, but price wise, it's not really valid.
The guy I spoke to (on his last night there) had, for his £500, the following:
Flights, transfers, 4* H/B accom, 6 day lift pass, 6 day equipment hire (decent gear, that years Fischers), 6 day ski school (4hrs per day IIRC) and got through about £130 (included in the above £500 total) spending money (again IIRC) going out every night.
That, by any reasonable estimation, is a fair deal. And like he said, sneaking a monkey past the missus wasn't too hard. Dragging a bag of sand through the door would have been impossible. I think that sometimes gets forgotton, on here.
And, the reason I always seem to end up defending Bansko is not because I love the place. Far from it, I see it for what it is. It's just a shame others condemn it for something it isn't.
John
p.s. as regards the property "situation", anyone with a cool head could have predicted that. I think I first went out in '05 and the clamour to view developments seemed more important to a lot of (Brit/Eire) visitors than the slopes themselves. Even then my view was, in the short term, it would only go one way. A fool and his money...........
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FAQ
but any one who bought two years ago in Bankso (or anywhere for that matter)were a bit naive imv, but in any case most property has dropped in price across most of the world over the last two years so providing Bansko in isolation as an example is not really representative of the whole picture; and anyone who has 'panic sold' at a loss recently only two years lafter buying property possibly does not quite understand the property market in general, unless of course they could not afford the repayments in which case it is most unfortunate 
