 Poster: A snowHead
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@Rabbie, thank you, sounds like your experience was similar. @chrisdavis, not so much..
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ODG, Yes I did mean Vitosha mountain in Sofia sometimes my translation from Cyrillic is and never was good
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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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Skies in Borovets last year as first timers. We absolutely loved it. Our instructor was amazing (borosport) if it hadn’t of been for him I’m sure my nervous friend would have sacked it off about day 3.
My son and I are going to try Bansko this year instead (dreading the gondola que)
I will definitely go back to Borovets next year (possibly without the girls if they can’t come)
I’d actually feel ok going back there as a single traveller.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Great review, and very interesting. I've never skied in Borovets but have skied a few times in Bansko, but am not keen on going back there to ski as it's now become far too busy for my liking. (It is, though, as PaulC1984 pointed out above, a wonderful and beautiful area to hike). First time I went out to Bulgaria (2004), Borovets was THE big Bulgarian resort, far better known than Bansko. Things have certainly changed since then.
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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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Hiya. Newbie here. I'm a very basic skier - went once with 6th Form, 20 years ago to Deux Alpes.
My wife and 3 kids (aged 14, 12 and 9) cant ski. I wanted to go somewhere cheap and cheerful so they can learn ( i cant afford France!) anyway - I booked Borovets on recommendation from a friend.
We're heading out next week for half term (10th feb-17th feb) Staying at Flora Apartments.
I was a bit nervous until now and stumbled across this thread an you've made me feel so much better - thankyou! so far spent:
£1200 easyjet flights STN-SOF
€110 Transfers
£800 - 7 nights 2 bed self catering apartment
€1k 6 days lessons, lift passes, all ski equipment hire.
I'm anticipating spending another £1k when i'm there on food/entertainment etc. Hopefully not though but thats what i've allowed.
All in all i think this is ok for a family of 5 for *half term* if i can do it all for under £5k 
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 4-02-18 19:17; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Neiliboy, please report back what the queues are like during the uk half term. I have previously tried Bansko and we won’t be going there again during half term.
Hope you have a great time and welcome to snowHeads.
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while i have your attention - can you kindly tell me which are the best iphone apps for:
Ski weather
the Ski equivalnet of Runkeeper/Strava that logs your miles/elevation etc? Thankyou in advance
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@Neiliboy, i use Ski Tracks. Can’t say if it is the best or not as it is the only one I have tried but seeing as I have been happy with it, I haven’t gone searching for any others
On weather, there are often resort specific apps which give you access to weather reports, web cams and lift / piste status. Haven’t looked for Borovets but have found them for all resorts I have visited.
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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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Interesting that people say the gondola queues are small in Borovets. I went there a few weekends last Feb and found the wait to be at least 30 mins each morning. There was even a wait of about 20 mins to get back up at lunchtime after I decided to ride all the way down and grab lunch at the bottom. Could be that that changes on weekdays I guess.
Here's a couple of ways to save money going to Borovets, but neither is particularly convenient, so probably only for those on an ultra-tight budget, and it helps if you have a few words of Bulgarian.
You can stay in Samokov (a town a few km outside Borovets, not the hotel of the same name). Hotels (and restaurants) are much cheaper than Borovets and there's a bus going to the lifts for about 80p each way, taking about 15 minutes. It's definitely not a lively town so avoid if you like partying.
Transferring from Sofia, you can also get the local bus for £6 or so instead of paying for a transfer, but it only goes as far as Samokov. It leaves from the South Bus station in Sofia (Avtogara Yug) which is either a journey on the metro or a 15 min taxi from the airport. They might not be too happy if you dragged on masses of large luggage to their tiny bus, so only really recommended if you're on a small budget and can make the timings work with the bus onwards from Samokov, if staying in Borovets.
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| Neiliboy wrote: |
Staying at Flora Apartments.
I was a bit nervous until now and stumbled across this thread an you've made me feel so much better - thankyou! so far spent:
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You're welcome. It's quite surprising how nice it is, and how beautiful the views from the top are. I loved the snow on the pine trees.
It does kind of hinge on the snow conditions though, so I hope you'll be as lucky as we were. The Yastrebetz side is MUCH quieter.
I actually looked at the Flora apartments, the location is absolutely perfect.
My friends keep Googling places to stay for next year!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ODG, I was one of those weekend commuters to Borovets and I found the main gondola queue was about 30 minutes
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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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| HoneyBunny wrote: |
| @Handy Turnip, well it's no St Moritz but I was pleasantly suprised with what we got for £300. Oh and also the toilets in the bars and restaurants were absolutely fine AND despite cute little horses and huskies and cats around I didn't see a single poo on the streets. |
That's one of the things that gets us a bit in France. Dog eggs everywhere. 
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And a great and useful review. Thanks.
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You know it makes sense.
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Many thanks x
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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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| Quote: |
The Yastrebetz side is MUCH quieter.
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Sorry to bug you - How do you get to the lifts that take you on that side? I cant work out from the maps what you're supposed to do 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| ODG wrote: |
| Interesting that people say the gondola queues are small in Borovets. I went there a few weekends last Feb and found the wait to be at least 30 mins each morning. There was even a wait of about 20 mins to get back up at lunchtime after I |
where as Bansko Gondola is currently 2hours due to it being Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia & Romania school holidays. Next 2 weeks is UK Holidays & then Bulgaria double bank holiday. So should be quiet again by Early March.
Just avoid the place in Feb & 1st weekend of March
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Neiliboy wrote: |
| Quote: |
The Yastrebetz side is MUCH quieter.
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Sorry to bug you - How do you get to the lifts that take you on that side? I cant work out from the maps what you're supposed to do |
Take the gondola to the top, walk up a few metres, then you can see the start of a gentle piste that winds around the side of the hill which takes you to the top of the Yastrebetz Express chairlift. You can ski all the red runs around there and catch the chairlift back up, or ski back to the gondola base station. I think there are shuttle buses to and from town to the bottom of the Yastrebetz Express chair as well but if there are, we didn't use them.
Also from the top of the gondola there is a short drag which takes you over to the Markudjik runs and the top of the long Musala Pathway (which we didn't do because it looked too flat).
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hello everyone! Currently posting this from my bed at the Flora Hotel in Borovets. I’ll post a bit more later but thought I’d add to this wonderful post.
The Gondola Qs vary. Get there early and the line will be 15-20 mins. All the hotel runs their shuttle busses to the gondola around 9am, so between 9-10am it’s been about an hour this week.
We went up at lunchtime earlier this week and the line was 15 mins max. The gondolas is very old and crappy but I don’t rrally have anything to compare it to.
The instructors all speak English. The main ski schools are Hunters & Borosports.
We had tons of snow the first 2-3 days and for the final 4 days the conditions were beautiful. I’m not a confident skier - I can barely do blue runs and I enjoyed it so much.
The food is fine, it gets a bit samey after a while, Bobbys Bar was great, real family atmosphere and the owners (Brit wife/bulg hubby) kept giving us jaegerbombs at the end of our meals which is always welcome.
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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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I’ll happily post some pics but can’t work out how to?
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FAQ
The mafia obviously have pumped some money in the place 