 Poster: A snowHead
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Back from a few days in Bansko, Bulgaria, during February, 2020.
Here's what you need to know...
* Ski resort = Bansko.
* Location = Southwest Bulgaria.
* Fly to = Sofia airport (SOF).
* Airlines = Bulgaria Air, Lufthansa, BA, Easyjet, etc.
* Car rental = 100% essential (use the famous ones, like Sixt, not the local chancers).
* Bulgarian car drivers = aggressive.
* Sleep = lots of hotels and apartments.
* Tip 1 = stay as close to the main gondola in town as possible.
* Skis = very cheap to rent.
* Skiing height = 900-2600m / 3000-9000ft.
* Lifts = 14.
* Resort size = 70km of trails (pistes).
* Difficulty = mostly blues (~40%) and reds (~40%).
* Offpiste = limited.
* Season = Dec to Apr.
* Russian mafia = yes, in the redlight district and casinos.
* Tip 2 = do not pet the roaming packs of feral dogs or cats in the street (risk of rabies).
* Good for = sunny days, prettyish scenery, lowish costs.
* Bad for = everything else, takes 1-2hrs to reach top of mountain, too "steep" for beginners, prone to rain, town is a concrete eyesore, etc.
* Conclusion = appalling lift system, giant liftlines that can take 2hrs to clear at weekends, too low for the global warming era.
* Recommendation = avoid.
* Score = 1/5.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Your best post to date
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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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since you rented a car, why didn't you just drive up the mountain instead of using the gondola?
Bulgarian food is good though. Slow cooked & barbecue.
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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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@Whitegold, I didn’t think there was any guaranteed opening of lifts after March?
Also saying December is a little misleading - they try and open for Christmas week but I don’t believe there is any guarantees of that.
Also giant queues are not limited to just weekends. New year week and Feb half term were also insane.
March is allegedly better but with children in school we are stuck
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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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@NickyJ,
1st 2 weeks of March is still crazy for queues.
Its worth checking holidays for greeks, turks, serbs, macedonia, etc.
The fun part is sitting at Bar 180 & watching the carnage of all those who can't ski
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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town is a concrete eyesore
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Yep, it is by the main ski lift, take some time to walk into the old town and its really nice (and cheaper)
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since you rented a car, why didn't you just drive up the mountain instead of using the gondola?
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I don't think you can do this anymore, although I might be wrong. You could still pay for a taxi though.
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The fun part is sitting at Bar 180 & watching the carnage of all those who can't ski
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Couldn't agree more!
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| Mr.Egg wrote: |
since you rented a car, why didn't you just drive up the mountain instead of using the gondola?
Bulgarian food is good though. Slow cooked & barbecue. |
We did (on weekends).
The lines up the mountain are just as bad.
Halfhour wait to get in the parking lot.
Ya, food is good.
Nutella pancakes 
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| Whitegold wrote: |
| Mr.Egg wrote: |
since you rented a car, why didn't you just drive up the mountain instead of using the gondola?
Bulgarian food is good though. Slow cooked & barbecue. |
We did (on weekends).
The lines up the mountain are just as bad.
Halfhour wait to get in the parking lot.
Ya, food is good.
Nutella pancakes |
Why did you choose Bulgaria with your knowledge of all things snow?
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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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I've been Bansko twice, the lift lines are horrendous having to get up early on what is a holiday is not particularly enjoyable. So many half built buildings everywhere, they might look nice when they're finished though...
Not sure they've heard about looking after their slopes, so many of the blue runs hadn't been groomed over night, the reds were better when I went as many people were too afraid of them but they turned out to be easier than the blues. On the plus side though food is good and beer is cheap !
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| robert95 wrote: |
I've been Bansko twice, the lift lines are horrendous having to get up early on what is a holiday is not particularly enjoyable. So many half built buildings everywhere, they might look nice when they're finished though...
Not sure they've heard about looking after their slopes, so many of the blue runs hadn't been groomed over night, the reds were better when I went as many people were too afraid of them but they turned out to be easier than the blues. On the plus side though food is good and beer is cheap ! |
Ya, the place is like a construction site.
Half-finished buildings everywhere, cratered parking lots that look like a Syrian warzone, packs of semiwild dogs roaming around.
Tip 3, for anyone determined to go, is to eat and drink in the Old Town.
You can pickup a beer for 50 cents and a big meal for 3 bucks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Pamporovo was great ten years ago for a budget, beginner trip. I think Borovets is just as suitable, nothing I've heard about Bansko is good. Italian/Austrian small resorts will work out cheaper in any case
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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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What's the use to go skiing in Bansko then, if anything ski-related is bad, and the only upside is cheap food and alcohol?
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Bansko was famous in Greece until ca 2010
I was also there many times (from Greece)
Many from Greece bought Appartmens in Bansko, and there was a construction explosion....then came the crisis, and the trips from Greece to Bansko were fall ca. 50% less than usuall...
Before the crisis there was every weekend a trip from north Greece to Bansko....also many day trips....
but after 2010 (maybe earlier) suddenly skiing was not the 1 priority for many people...
Als the Germans said "die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei"
However i think Borovets is much better
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You know it makes sense.
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A buckshee trip wouldn't drag me back to Bansko, although I've certainly had some good times there.
There's actually some decent terrain, and off trail too if you ignore the signs ...... busy though, as in ants on a sugar lump.
The Gondola up is the final nail in the coffin.
The old town rocks, picturesque and value ...... resplendent with old ladies sitting around on stools airing their differences ......
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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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| BCjohnny wrote: |
A buckshee trip wouldn't drag me back to Bansko, although I've certainly had some good times there.
There's actually some decent terrain, and off trail too if you ignore the signs ...... busy though, as in ants on a sugar lump.
The Gondola up is the final nail in the coffin.
The old town rocks, picturesque and value ...... resplendent with old ladies sitting around on stools airing their differences ...... |
The Gondola Queues were a deal breaker for me. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| cc_7up wrote: |
| BCjohnny wrote: |
A buckshee trip wouldn't drag me back to Bansko, although I've certainly had some good times there.
There's actually some decent terrain, and off trail too if you ignore the signs ...... busy though, as in ants on a sugar lump.
The Gondola up is the final nail in the coffin.
The old town rocks, picturesque and value ...... resplendent with old ladies sitting around on stools airing their differences ...... |
The Gondola Queues were a deal breaker for me. |
+1 and that is even with free self catered accommodation available to us!
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FAQ
