Recommendation --- Bulgaria

A snowHead

Hi all,

Thinking of booking a Ski Holiday (7x nights) in Bulgaria (19 - 26 Jan 2019) from London area. We tend to use T/O with flights/accommodation/half-board/transfers.

We are a couple who enjoy wide Reds, cruising Blues and always pay group tuition.

Which resort would you guys recommend in Bulgaria?

Not interested in apres

Thanks in advance.

A snowHead

@redbaron51, why are you focusing on Bulgaria? That immediately narrows it down to a handful of resorts, whereas your other preferences would be well suited to loads of places all over the Alps (and beyond!).

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

See what balkan holiday has on offer

Really limited to bansko borovets & pamarovo

Knock group tuit on the head & pay for private.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Have a search on here, this trip report for Borovets was good

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=135777&highlight=borovets

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

My mate is in Bansko right now. He text me this the other day, his first day: “I have no idea what I am going to do for the next 5 days. I have been on every run today by 14:30 and they’re all boring. Nothing like Morzine. Been spoilt I think”

He also says it’s not even cheap

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Bansko was good for a long weekend and Borovets similar. It is pretty cheap, although a lot of the restaurants on Bansko moutain owned by lift company who keep prices in those high, whereas the couple that aren’t and all places in town are very cheap.

Also consider Slovenia. I’d recommend this place and ask them to arrange you a private tutor for some or all of the week. Great food, great value and you get shipped around to various small resorts to get you variety.
http://www.rekahisa.com/winter-activities/skiingandsnowboardingholidays

After all it is free

Hi all

thanks for the replies.

My thought of using T/O is that if something happens (transfer, weather, etc) they are "responsible" to bring you back.

We have been doing Italy and it is great. However places we have not been, via T/O, are a bit expensive [Cervinia, Arabba, Madonna, etc]. I thought about Chalets again in France, but then everything else is expensive in France.

Doing DYI may add some time/challenge. E.g., never driven/fit snow chain to a tyre -- if required ---(I know there is always a first time for everything in life).

The kind of "relative cheap" holiday [flights/accom/transfers/HB >>> sub £400pp], via T/O, seems to be Bulgaria. Slovenia is also an option, although more expensive than Bulgaria.

Websites I have been using:
crystal
balkanholidays
neilson
inghams
alpineelements
skiolympic
skitotal
igluski

@redbaron51, fair enough - if you want to use a T/O then eastern Europe will probably be cheapest. And yes you have a point about their responsibility to bring you back. I admit I haven't been to Bulgaria, but Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo are the 3 names which always come up.

However just for future reference it is certainly possible to get flights, accommodation, transfers and meals for £400pp (for a couple in low season) in large parts of France / Italy / Austria, if you go without a T/O. One to try next time maybe? Smile

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

there are some andorra halfboard for £400 on crystal for 20th-27th

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

Igluski has plenty of options for Andorra for under £400.

You know it makes sense.

Been to Bansko twice in 2 consecutive years. We wanted an extra ski holiday, a cheap one.
And it was cheap indeed: transfer/car rental (the 2nd year), hotel, ski pass, ski hire and private lessons, food in the village.
Up in the mountains food/drinks in umbrella bars are relatively expensive, but all the package is affordable.
The place is small, yet bigger than Borovets.
https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/bansko/
You can't go skiing there for a week from place to place. The only raison d'etre is for having fun and taking it easy A long weekend should be fine, choose a better hotel with good reviews on Google/TripAdvisor and with a good spa. End your days in the local Queen's pub after a good Apres ski next to the gondola's lower station.
Folks were disappointed with group tuition. It's a poor country and the ski instructors know that western tourists can afford to pay more if they'll need to. Thus there was a total lack of interest in the group lessons. Do yourself a favour and book private, or you'll truly waste your time and leva.
Or choose some last minute deal in all the websites mentioned here and go to a bigger place. Sunweb etc. have good offers, usually there is no big problem driving around -or check shared transfers on Facebook and forums.
To us, Bansko is like a shot of Grappa and an apple cake at the end of a good meal. Not the main dish, but something cute to finish your evening.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@drporat,
The best thing about bansko is the local food. Baryakova & Dedo are outstanding value for money.
I have never been in Queens & found it busy. In fact the opposite & we go there because it is quiet (though maybe different in the evenings?)

Prices are creeping up all the time. Especially anything thats part of the monopoly of HappyEnd, Euphoria & Gingers (also think they own LionBar & 2 or 3 others).
Worst thing are the lift queues at the wrong time of the year. Its 30mins gondola ride anyway, thats before a potential 2hr queue, unless you pay a taxi driver.

As for accommodation, Strazhite is decent enough for the money. Evening meal isnt great, as long as you can find something you like. They Gym/Spa area is quite decent. Be wary the bar sells knocked off spirits than they put in proper brand bottles. So dont bother ordering brand specific!

To me its like someone dragged to you a pub miles away to watch the 3pm football. They only sells flat beer & the TV stream keeps buffering & one of the locals switches channels over whenever he has a nag running

A snowHead

Funny how on another thread Bansko isn't recommended for a long weekend yet on this thread it is!

Bansko is good and cheap. Can do 1 week for sub £500 all in, including spending money and possibly even hire though haven't hired in a while. Don't go half board, the beauty of Bansko is eating in the local mehanas. They do vary from excellent to pants so a little research will help. That time of year should be ok for the gondola re queues but getting in line early helps. Enjoy.

A snowHead

I would recommend bansko, though I'm not familiar with borovets, have been to Pamporovo & bansko a fair few times. I do like Bulgaria a lot. There will likely be queues for the gondola, think that week is Turkish or Greek holiday time, but you can get the bus up, always shorter queues (5 or 10 minutes) & no dreaded stairs in the building crush! Stay in the best hotel you can afford with pool & proper sauna. Eating out is good Smile

I wouldn't recommend group tuition through your tour operator though, that'd be the way to twenty in the group & bobbins equipment through ulen, book your own through one of the independent shops. Very easy & much better value for money.

Help!!

Recommendation --- Bulgaria

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