 Poster: A snowHead
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A group of us are off to Bansko in Bulgaria in just over a week. Accommodation is booked, but other than that, everything is pretty up in the air.
If anyone has any do's and don't's then it would be much appreciated. Restaurants/bars/skiing advice - all help gratefully received.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If the queue for the gondola is long the one for the buses moved quicker when were there.
Do you need to book any transfers, lift passes, ski hire or lessons? Then I recommend going onto BanskoBlog.
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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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Hi otjs,
I was in Bansko two weeks ago so I can offer a bit of advice. Bansko blog is a good introduction as well.
Food:
El Torito - very nice mehana, a little out of the way but it was the best food we had and the owners were lovely. We went twice(recommend booking).
Victoria - didn't visit but meant to be very good for pasta/pizza.
Lunches - My wife and I shared pizza's from the kiosk at the end of the restaurants that the main gonadola reaches, that were freshly made and okay price.
Drink (didnt do much of this):
About 2/3s of the way down home run there is a bar that is worth stopping in for an apres.
Happy End - Very busy and typical place at the gondola but good for a drink after a day on the snow.
Ski pass:
You can buy this buy the gondola or at major hotels.
Gondola:
The queue can take a very long time 1-2 hours, I would recommend getting there by 8am or arrive after 11. Or catch one of the many shuttles that are roughly £5 per person.
Equipment hire:
We hired from Tsakaris where all the staff were very nice and would go back if we revisit. It is a little small so can get quite busy at times. We got the standard snowboarding gear which was a little rough around the edges (previous experience was permium in Austria), so would recommend getting the upgrade if you can.
Hopefully this helps.
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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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Getting up the mountain.
3x options at the Gondola Station
Queue for the Gondola - the queue could well be quite long as there is a double Bank Holiday in Bulgaria on the 2nd-4th March, so expect it to be busy.
The Gondola ride itself is about 25mins
Queue for Bus - there are shuttle buses run by the mountain concessions (Ulen)
Queue for Taxi - Prices are either fixed (Fake Taxi) or Metered. You will be looking between 5-10 lev per person, depending on how much your getting ripped off!
Private Taxi/Minibus - Try to find one of these & do a deal for the week. Especially if you are not close to the Gondola.
They will pick you up from your accomodation, take you to collect gear & then drive you up the mountain (providing its drivable!).
The drive up is a lot quicker than the gondola + you can go up to the next lift station & main slopes, rather than the top Gondola Station.
Ski Hire
I use Pirin 2000 - they are right opposite the Gondola station on the main street.
Hear good things about Tsarkis as well as Ski Mania.
Food
Hearing good thing about Red Hot (new this year) - This is on same road as Tsarkis (& Euphoria) but further down.. & just down from there is The Log House.
Local Mehana then the best is Baryakova in the old town. You will struggle to leave hungry, you may also struggle to find it! Lots of the Mehana are good value food.
Bouzuki opposite Gingers (Gingers is a new place - so no idea what that is like) Bouzuki does Platters which are great for groups. We order 2 platters between 12!
Hotel Avalon is run by a Brit & he does really nice food, including an Indian Curry Night.
Also Opposite Strazhite Hotel is a Kebab & Crepes shack. Fantastic Kebab. Meat & Chips all in a nan type bread. Really hits the spot.
Steak Lazaur which is just down from Strazhite is a good steak place. Another is Tomahawk (near Morris Bar) - but I dont think its as good.
You also have Smokey Mountain, which is smoked food - burgers, ribs, etc.
You may need to book some of these places.
Ski Pass
usually cheaper if you can get them rom the hotel. Around 10 euro cheaper for 6 day.
Drinks
Next to Tsarkis is Euphoria, thats another place to drink. Other places include Queens Pub, Lion Bar & a few others. Irish Harp is decent if your that way, but not sure if its worth the trek alone. Similar is Morris Bar.
Transfers = have you sorted these? there are tons of options depending on Private or Shared. We use http://www.banskoservices.co.uk/ & Jordan is always reliable.
There is also a Bus option, etc.
THere are 2 large Welsh groups going out in 'just over a week' Ill be on a snowboard 
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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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| kero wrote: |
Gondola:
The queue can take a very long time 1-2 hours. |
Wont be going there then....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@FrequentFaller, nope, me neither. Very happy not to contribute to the queues
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| FrequentFaller wrote: |
| kero wrote: |
Gondola:
The queue can take a very long time 1-2 hours. |
Wont be going there then.... |
A work colleague of mine said queues last Monday at the gondola were between one-and-a-half and two hours long. I shudder to hear that, especially when Bansko is supposedly purpose-built!
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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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| FrequentFaller wrote: |
| kero wrote: |
Gondola:
The queue can take a very long time 1-2 hours. |
Wont be going there then.... |
A 2nd Gondola has been approved. This will start at the same place & end up higher at the mountain.
Feb is best avoided, Turks, Greeks, Serbs, Macedonians, Romanians, as well as UK half term dates.
Also, Balkan Holiday the largest tourist operator have negotiated VIP lift passes, so you now end up queuing longer.
Mid-Jan or from 2nd week of March is the best time to go... and usually has the better snow then.
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| LOTA wrote: |
| [ when Bansko is supposedly purpose-built! |
Purpose built to line the pockets of the shady and corrupt. 30,000 beds served by one lift, you don't need to be Rachel Riley to do the maths.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Mr.Egg wrote: |
A 2nd Gondola has been approved. This will start at the same place & end up higher at the mountain.
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My In-Laws have owned an apartment in Bansko for 10 years. It was a punt which has been a financial dead loss. The 2nd gondola has been 'approved' every year for the last 10yrs and it aint been built yet. 
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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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| Mollerski wrote: |
| LOTA wrote: |
| [ when Bansko is supposedly purpose-built! |
Purpose built to line the pockets of the shady and corrupt. 30,000 beds served by one lift, you don't need to be Rachel Riley to do the maths. |
I think even Diane Abbott could work that one out 
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You know it makes sense.
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I just got back from Bansko yesterday. We were staying at Rendeka Holiday Club in Razlog, a 10 minute drive away from Bansko. We had hired a car in Sofia {EUR120 for a small winterized SUV for the whole week} so we simply left at 7.30am daily to reach the top Gondola by 8.00am {parking is 12 leva a day} Not a queue in sight despite it being a holiday week. And we got to ski on fresh corduroy virtually having the pistes to ourselves for an hour at least before the lessons start. The snow was very good. Stay on red and black pistes or get to Chalin Valog via the Ski Road in the morning. Keep yourself occupied there and take the gondola from the halfway point up after 11 to do the pistes higher up. Easy peasy!! 
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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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@otjs,
Been there twice, last year and a week ago - will probably go for an extra 3 days next season as well. We had fresh snow, sun, whiteout...
Don't hire from Traventuria (basic ski equipment), use SkiMania (for ski lessons as well).
If driving - as previously said, go up the mountain at 07:30 and you will be almost alone on fresh pistes. Ski lifts start at 08, umbrella ski bar at 08:30. Earn your coffee 
If by foot - be at the gondola queue at 07:30.About 20 min uploading. Friend of mine was 2 days ago at 08, an hour later she was on the pistes. Might be better in march, but you have the locals coming at weekends.
Ski pass - check prices online, ask hotel for buying it for you in advance if they charge the same price. Traventuria did it for us and charged about 16 EUR more for every 5 days pass  If buying at the gondola yourself - basically no queue after 15, they closed for half an hour at 17:30 and it got hectic after 18.
Food- cheap as chips in the city, expensive on the mountain. About 8-9 leva for hot chocolate/wine, extra charge for ketchup for the fries/Parmesan cheese for carbonara, 6 leva for Ruffles/Lays crisps
We had our main meals in the city,after skiing. Next time I will get Pringles & Snickers in the backpack (from Aldi stores around the gondola) and will use the upper bars only for warm drinks plus soups. Bring water with you, expensive 0.5 bottles.
Instructors are buying early in the morning fresh pastry (salty with cheese/ham or sweet with apples/pumpkin) down from the gondola on Pirin street, right from that small shop there is an amazing Gyros/souvlaki with fresh pork/chicken - go for the thick pitta bread and add tzaziki and garlic sauce - about 7 leva.
Good food at Queen's pub, idem at Steakhouse Lazur (book in advance), perfect local food at Baryakov Mehana. Try the local dishes like kapama and a local aged raki if you are not driving. We never encountered a bad red dry house wine.
Good apres ski experience at Happy End, down from the gondola. They have the warmed open terrace, with powerfull music and a sax player, and right nearby is the inner pub with a good cover band.
The Bansko ski app has a good map and webcams.
At the 1st gondola stop you have a good red and the steepest local black piste, which is wide and should be about 32 according to FatMap. We gladly used them when there was a strong whiteout up the mountain. You can download to there or go down the ski road, but from there to the city it is basically a green piste. Go down on it on its 2nd segment only if you have a death wish (from boredom, transversing beginners and/or poling).
The second black piste is Tomba and it is short - if you do it around 13, you will arrive down right on time to watch Bulgarian girls in leotards dancing on the roof of a snowmobile to the sounds of house music - you have been warned 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@FrequentFaller, @summerseat, All that's needed is a little planning and going to bed early to beat the queues. Bansko is good fun and great value for money. As I and @drporat, mentioned, will go back again.
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FAQ
