 Poster: A snowHead
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What do you reckon?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For what and when?
It is insanely busy an far too crowded at new year or Feb half term (have done both). Pretty good in March according to my parents but as I have two children in school no good for me.
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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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Thinking of taking wife (never really skied), 7yo twins (never skied), and my self (4 weeks). I can get flights, transfers, half board, equipment, lessons, and lift passes for £1682 all in. Obviously, amazing bargain, but is it worth going there?
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Yeah go for it , wont beat that price!
search for bankso blog , load of info on there.
Havent been myself but was in Pamporovo , if i had the kids at that age id be booking , wont spend much more out there so £2000 should do it all in , nice break and family all together skiing.
Thumbs up from me 
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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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Despite it being very cheap for halfterm we wouldn't go again then. This is just down to how busy it was over 1hr to get up the lift, far too many people on the slopes. The one ski school literally had 20 children to a class the instructor was so stressed she lost it with my 9yr old (at the time) daughter an shoved her because she didn't move backward out she way fast enough for her liking. I posted about both at the time (will try and find links), however if you are talking mid March. I reckon you will have a lovely time.
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NickyJ. Probably looking to go early Jan, 6th or 13th. Obviously taking the kids out of school.
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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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@marodo2712, in which case go for it. but do check who the ski school is with. We were happy with Ski Mania.
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don't do the 6th, it is still the seasonal holidays and horrendously busy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ok, looking at 13th. I'll check which ski school is offered.
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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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It's not great value IMHO. Cheap, but crap.
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Have you thought of borovets instead?, a friend suggested Bulgaria I said no way as had heard about bansko queues, mafia, crap equipment etc, did some research and settled on Borovets- £550 for our own room, flight, transfers, half board, equipment, pass and lessons, booked with Balkan holidays. What fun we had, hands down the best ski holiday, not because of the best lifts or vast terrain but the social side as you are put in to groups on the first day for lessons and each lunch together on the mountain, very down to earth clientele, not many Tarquins or Annabelle's 
Pamporovo is supposed to be better for beginners
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Fri 26-05-17 10:20; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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@marodo2712, 13th Jan low season. I'd book late. Loads of bargains available. You'd know what snow conditions are like. Many resorts have lift pass offers, eg 2 for price of 1. We've booked late many times in Jan and had excellent value in great ski areas. 
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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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| intermediate wrote: |
| @marodo2712, 13th Jan low season. I'd book late. Loads of bargains available. You'd know what snow conditions are like. Many resorts have lift pass offers, eg 2 for price of 1. We've booked late many times in Jan and had excellent value in great ski areas. |
+1 to this advice.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| marodo2712 wrote: |
| £1682 all in. Obviously, amazing bargain, but is it worth going there? |
As lots of people often forget, price is not the same as value. A bargain is only a bargain if it gives you what you need.
I've not been to Bankso but I suspect, and only from what i've read - mainly on here - that your £1682 won't look such a bargain at the end of the holiday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My wife is a teacher so even before we had kids, we've been stuck to school ski holidays, and so for the Feb half term week, I always looked between Bulgaria and Andorra.
I could never find too much of a difference in cost if I'm being honest, and the Andorran resorts (particularly Grandvalira) don't seem to suffer from the same problems as mentioned above in relation to Bansko - the one hour lift wait particularly sounds terrible.
If you're willing to book it all separately, and shop around for your acom, I think you'd be able to get there or thereabouts on cost, staying in Andorra instead, but in a much larger resort which seems to "take" the crowds a bit better.
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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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Wow, some horror stories! I can't imagine waiting 2 hours just to get up the mountain, that's mad.
I've already looked into Andorra, but only cheap holidays are in Pas Casa, but that reads as loud and rowdy.
Borovets (Hotel Iceberg) looks interesting, supposed to be good with kids, and as @Fish_Head says, his experience was a good one.
I'm quite keen to book asap as then I know it's done, but I understand the thinking re late booking, but 3 of the last trips I've made were late bookings (part of a group) and weren't what I would call 'bargains'.
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@marodo2712,
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3 of the last trips I've made were late bookings (part of a group) and weren't what I would call 'bargains'
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Depends where and when you went. Very high probability of cheap deals on 13 Jan in the kind of resorts that would suit your family.
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I'm quite keen to book asap as then I know it's done
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I know what you mean, but I'd be anxious about quality of snow early in season.
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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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| marodo2712 wrote: |
I've already looked into Andorra, but only cheap holidays are in Pas Casa, but that reads as loud and rowdy.
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It can be, I'll admit, but it's also where we usually stay and it's always been fine - that being said, we've always gone in February half term week so I don't know if that has made it feel a little more family friendly than it actually is.
If you looked at Pas de la Casa, the Hotel Cal Ruiz is a decent family hotel. We stayed there half board with some friends and the breakfast and evening meal (both buffets) were excellent - the walls are a little bit thin, but not the end of the world.
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Mayrhofen, Sauze, La Plagne 1800, all around the £1k mark with extras included, I can't afford £4k to get me and the kids skiing.
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It's quite simple.
You book it and go but if your going to wish you were in the alps all week then spend twice the money and just go there.
I would have no issues recommending it.
A lot come on just to slag it off for some reason.
I have never been but did a lot of research on it.
For the price it's a nice week away with the family, cost you more for a week in a caravan in the UK.
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Look at bankso blog and trip advisor etc etc, they don't hide the fact there can be queues but inform you how to avoid them.
Its a weeks holiday for small money, paid off in installments and something to look forward to.
If the family is all agreed they love skiing after it then happy days, maybe look into the alps for a couple of years time when they get value for the ski pass.
At the end of the day as a beginner in the expensive resorts in France your still going to be in beginner boots on beginner skis and on over crowded nursery slopes and button lifts / slow escalators.
Only difference is you will pay ten times the cost for lunch and have prettier views
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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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| hawkwind wrote: |
It's quite simple.
You book it and go but if your going to wish you were in the alps all week then spend twice the money and just go there.
I would have no issues recommending it.
A lot come on just to slag it off for some reason.
I have never been but did a lot of research on it.
For the price it's a nice week away with the family, cost you more for a week in a caravan in the UK. |
Throwing in 'the alps' is pretty pointless as they include three countries which vary considerably in price. Also, individual resort prices vary hugely depending on size and popularity. Having visited Bansko on multiple occasions, I would suggest that a smaller Italian resort such as Livigno represents better value and a significantly nicer experience. Bulgaria does still echo of the Eastern Bloc, cold war era. It is going forward, but still has a way to go. Bulgaria also tends to attract the Beery Brit brigade 'having a go' at skiing/snowboarding. 
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Aye good luck finding an all in ski holiday for 4 in any of the three countries for £1600.
Ticks a lot if boxes for a family of 4 wanting to ski for the first time.
Oddly enough Bulgaria was in the eastern bloc, maybe that's where the echos come from?
I went several years ago and the hotel was of a decent 3 star standard, food was edible and skiing was adequate. The ski instruction was excellent and personal and we met loads of lovely people.
Funny enough very few of them drank, so much for the beery brit brigade, was mostly Irish.
Nobody is going to find a perfect option for that sort of money but it for sure ticks a lot of boxes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Throwing in 'the alps' is pretty pointless as they include three countries which vary considerably in price.
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Which one of France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy is not in the Alps?
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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 have been to Bansko, but it was a long long time ago. The town itself was a beautiful walled Balkan town. Outside the walls were horses towing carts giving the whole place an appearance similar to Borat's home town. To get up to the ski area we took an ancient huge military lorry to where most of the ski lifts were. At that point we hired skis from the back of a van (I got a matching pair) and went skiing. I have to confess I liked the whole experience but vowed to go back to Borovets if I found myself with a spare weekend in Sofia again. The skiing was better.
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@johnE, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Germany? 
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You know it makes sense.
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@johnE,
The world is changing so rapidly, love stories like that.
Different times.
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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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@marodo2712, I've never been, but personally I wouldn't choose to go to Bansko or Pamporovo just because they're "cheap". I'd do it to see Bulgaria, go somewhere different, soak up the culture and see the skiing as a bonus. I do agree with the view that you can find equally good deals in the Alps, especially off-peak. £1,600 all in is easily doable in Austria mid-Jan if you don't go for a "big name" resort and don't mind self-catering the odd night, ski-bus/long walk to the gondola, much the same as Bansko by the sound of things.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| marodo2712 wrote: |
Borovets (Hotel Iceberg) looks interesting, supposed to be good with kids, and as @Fish_Head says, his experience was a good one.
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Would recommend either the Rila or Alpin rather than the Iceberg as the IB a bit of a walk to the slopes, Rila is right at the bottom of the slopes, Alpin next to the nursery slope.
Rila has been refurbished on the ground floor i.e. reception/restaurants/bars/seating area etc and actually looks very swish, rooms at the front have mountain views, at the back are quieter at night
Alpin has excellent reviews on Trip Advisor
Equipment from Borosport was not great, we hired from Traventuria - excellent service
Dont be afraid to change instructors and/or groups up or down if required, WARNING: this may cause a scene in the Borosport HQ at the bottom of slopes, man up and stick to your guns, the Bulgarians seem to respond when you push back a bit  
The bottom line is - Would I go back?, it was a lot of fun, snow was okay to excellent, runs a bit limited for a week - 58km, having lessons all week was a first for me and I enjoyed the camaraderie - very nice to have lunch together on the mountain £5-£10, instructors vary in quality, second one (Alex) was good, however on return from Bulgaria I was advised we had been taught old school and its done differently now
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Price is important as the wife wouldn't agree to spending a lot on something that basically she doesn't want to do (went to Saalbach 4 years ago, the combo of a REALLY sh*t school, the lack of properly fitted boots, or snow killed it for her, she really bruised her legs from sidling up ice over and over during the first days lesson, she spent the rest of the week reading books). Problem is that the kids are desperate to go skiing and 'become' skiers, so the only way I can get this to happen is for it to be inexpensive. The wife also has to be there for the next eight years (2 children needs two pairs of eyes) so I have to overcome her resistance, ie, get her there and show her that it's not all like Saalbach.
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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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@marodo2712, I could be wrong here but given all that I don't think Bansko is the resort you are looking for.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yes, given what I've learned here looking at borovets, can get the same deal for around £1850.
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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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@marodo2712,
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the wife wouldn't agree to spending a lot on something that basically she doesn't want to do
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Tricky one, I don't envy you. If not skiing, personally I wouldn't want to be in Bulgaria in mid Jan. And I like travel, snow and mountains.
In the circumstances, Bulgaria may be best. It might be more pleasant, for the beginner children and reluctant skier wife, in one of the quieter March weeks. Is that a possibility? Is it much more expensive?
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Would you consider Poland? You have a small resort in bialka Tatrzanska, all snow cannons or a few similar snow hills in Zakopane but a great mountain with a mix of bowl and alpine called kasprowy.
Its more of a cultural holiday with a bit if skiing, great food if your not a veggie.
You could easily diy for around a grand for the week.
I love it there and missed my long weekend this year 
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@marodo2712, where are you flying from?
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London
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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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@hawkwind, my memory of Bulgaria is that unless you go to a Turkish restaurant then the food is terrible. Cold, greasey, mixed grills were the norm when I was there. The Turkish food, however was a delight. To be honest the food is one of the things that puts me off Bulgaria.
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Have a look at Åre, Sweden. Not the first place to come to mind for a cheap holiday, but I had a quick check for 14 - 21 Jan (changeover day is Sunday)
- EasyJet flight Gatwick-Åre £200
- Transfer £160 return
- Accomodation, starting £330 (think you need at least 60m2 for 4 of you)
- skipass £360 (2 adults, free for children 0-7 years)
- ski hire £250 for family
- 2 x ski school, 7-9 years, 90 minutes for 5 days £200
Total £1500. Not included adult lessons, and accommodation is self catering. The skistar.com website is only live for accommodation. Next season prices for the other stuff will come in June, but that can all be added to your booking later.
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FAQ
