 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone been ? im looking to go in and around end of january, does anyone have any advice, tips, pros and cons about the skiing aspect, nightlife and general atmosphere there? Im an advanced skier, im 21 been skiing for about 10 yrs now like off-piste but also like fast not too icy blacks to break free from reality.
was in mayrhofen last yr , did harakiri, not bad not bad must say quite challenging lol extremely enjoyed it when i got to the bottom and stayed there 20 minutes laughing my head out from all the falls i was seeing incredible scenery hehehe!
well , please advise on bansko or stick to original idea of going to italy , maybe sestriere or cervinia
Thanks,
Shane.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Use the search facility on this site and enjoy Italy. 
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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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If you can go to Italy why choose Bulgaria.
Forgive me but the only reason I can see for going to Bulgaria other then Italty is for cost saving.
I may be wrong, im sure someone will be along soon to help more about Bansko.
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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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| Quote: |
Forgive me but the only reason I can see for going to Bulgaria other then Italty is for cost saving.
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Or to experience a new country/ski area for a change. Like we are in January. Despite the negative comments galore on here, we are going with an open mind and looking forward to it.
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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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[quote="mountainaddict"]
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Despite the negative comments galore on here, we are going with an open mind and looking forward to it. |
An open mind is good. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well I too am going to Bansko at the begining of March and I do know what to expect because I have been there before.
I am not bothered that the area is only 70 km including the ski road, because if the conditions are good the skiing as limited as it is, is not bad at all. No the reason I am going to Bansko which BTW will be 3rd trip of 2010 is COST, quite simple. It will be a trip for me and the Missus and we have persauded another couple of ski virgins to come along. The area is plenty big enough for my wife who is not into high mileage and for sure will be big enough and easy enough for my friends.
Bottom line £860 for the 2 of us, Half board in the Hotel Lion inc ski carriage and BOGOF lift passes with Crystal. I have stopped in this hotel previously and it is far superior to any hotel I personally have experienced in France (Pool, Sauna, Steam room etc ) and last time the food was more than OK and according to reviews on trip advisor it still is.
Whats more my friends get a learn to ski package for £120 each, includes Ski Hire, Lift passes and all day tuition, that alone would be more than the cost of the holiday in my usual haunts.
Bansko is what it is and that is bl00dy good VFM, so why knock it. Would I go there for a week of high mileage, NO.
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| Kel wrote: |
It will be a trip for me and the Missus and we have persauded another couple of ski virgins to come along. The area is plenty big enough for my wife who is not into high mileage and for sure will be big enough and easy enough for my friends.
Bottom line £860 for the 2 of us, Half board in the Hotel Lion inc ski carriage and BOGOF lift passes with Crystal. I have stopped in this hotel previously and it is far superior to any hotel I personally have experienced in France (Pool, Sauna, Steam room etc ) . |
We will be looking at a similar package in the next few years when the kids are old enough to come with us.
All the main European resorts are very expensive for families who need tuition and more to do other then sking.
I hope you enjoy it.
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Kel, hope you have a great time. When funds are limited, skiing anywhere is better than nowhere! I harbour a desire to go back to Serbia if it becomes available again with British TOs, because that is where I went for my first ski trip and I want to ski the blue that I thought was super-hard then and be able to see parts that were strictly off limits for me. It was darned good value too, HB in a good hotel that was ski-in/out, a mere 100 yards from the lifts.
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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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Ah, Bansko, spent an Xmas break there a few years ago
Liked
The prices, superb value for money
The Skiiing, lots of easy blues and reds, though not much for more advanced
The Hotel, stayed in the Kempinski, 4/5 star, right next to the gondola, superb
Disliked
Staying on what could be described as a building site, lots of unfinished apartment blocks and unfinished services, dug up roads, raised pavements and manhole covers
The smoky atmosphere created by the wood burning stoves, sometimes difficult to breathe especially at night, had to sleep with the windows shut
Getting "accosted" by the numerous touts outside restaurants and bars, offering you god knows what incentives to enter their particular establishment, some of them got quite aggressive when given a refusal.
The transfer, a long 4 hour transfer from Plovdiv airport, sometimes on what could only be described as "forest tracks"
Also, beware of some of the drag lifts, they were set to run very fast which sometimes meant a
"take off" from a standing start with the bit between one's legs, truly an eye watering moment
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| valleyboy wrote: |
Also, beware of some of the drag lifts, they were set to run very fast which sometimes meant a
"take off" from a standing start with the bit between one's legs, truly an eye watering moment |
Thinking of the multitude of similar drag lifts in Scotland and your other post in the 'versus snowdomes' thread, I get the feeling you do like your skiing to be with mod cons and all the trimmings. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Where acres the acres of building sites, packs of stray dogs, piles of rubbish and brown slushy snow?
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Kel, I'm sure that you'll enjoy your trip to Bansko.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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el-bu, There is a lot of really great off-piste in Bansko so if you get the conditions (and end of jan is usually pretty good) you should have a great time. There are a lot of beginners in Bansko but that means that the off-piste does not get tracked out for a couple of days.
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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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I've just seen some pics and videos of Bansko from a friend who was there last season, and the freeride terrain looked absolutely yummy.
I'm sure it has its minuses but on the other hand I'm not at all hooked on Cervinia skiing, apart from the trip to Zermatt.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Its all about new places and new experiences , im from Gibraltar (not spanish by the way) sierra nevada , granada is the closest ski resort by miles, and i bet its more expensive than most of frances and switzerland's resorts, in my case its not about the money, im 22 live with my parents still, i have a good job, ive been to austria, switzerland, usa , its all about doing new things , seen pics and vids from bulgaria and to tell you the truth the mountain looks my life is going to like pause and just live the moment , at the end of the day when i ski its all about the moment no stress no worries and thats what its all about . Disconnection is what one looks for , whether its on groomed pistes with the wife or off-piste with the mates , the moments on the skiis are unforgettable .
Bulgaria seems to have nice snow , alright apres-ski , cheap , good off-piste lol what else do you want .
the only thing that puts me off is a comment i saw about Bulgaria needing 15-20 more yrs to get rid of all the gangsters and wannabees lol
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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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victoriac, I think you and I bumped into each other in the gondola queue in Bansko a couple of years ago. I was moaning about the length of the queue, the dis-organised queue jumping and just about everything else, you were maintaining a very cheery demeanor with a couple of clients. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have been to Bansko twice once with the kids and the last time with two mates, mainly because its half the cost of anywhere else and when you get there its difficult to spend more than £400 in a week which is pretty cheap for 3 people for a week. Both times I've been we have stayed at the hotel Perun which is fantastic and one of the best hotels I have stayed in on a ski holiday, great food, indoor and outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna and only £1 a pint. OK if I had enough money I would go to Sauze D'oulx in Italy or somewhere similar but by going to Banso at least once a year I am able to then afford a second holiday to a European resort aswell.
To be honest I think the nightlife is pretty poor in Bansko what bars there are are all spread out over the resort, the Gondola queue can be a nightmare with people jumping the queue then arguing with the people who inturn do it to them and the transfer which has been anything from 4 to 6 hours when I have been. But once past the gondola station its not that bad, the slopes are pretty good and I must admit there is plenty of places off piste, the instructors my kids had were all pretty good too and my snowboard instructor was the best I've had mabe it was because its the first one thats taken me off the slopes I dont know but either way I learnt more with him than any previous one. The chair lifts are as good as any other resort I have been to and there wasnt any long queues for them either.
If I do ever go back I would no doubt get a Taxi to the top of the Gondola which would save upto an hour on a morning my mate found one for £40 for the week which is pretty cheap if theres 4 of you. All in all not the best resort in the world but certainly the best value one?
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Mollerski, was that you? At least your moaning took my guests minds off the queue - I think they complained about you all the way up the gondola! 
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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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Myself and Mrs G went to Bansko for 2 yrs in a row a while ago when we were strpped for $$$ and newish to skiing.
We stayed in the Lion the 1st year it was open and loved it. Being a hotlier myself I would say that I was a little nervous about going to a newly opened hotel but needent have. It was fantastic - food wasnt great but that would be the only gripe. The second year things were just as good. I'd reccommend this hotel to anyone.
We were still beginners when we first went and so found the skiing fine - we went into the ski school with Nicky (crazy mo fo). The 2nd time the snow wasnt great and to be honest were a little bored with the large ques and poorly kept piste. It did seem like some days little or no effort was being made to groom the piste. It also didnt seem to take too much wind for the lift system to start shutting down. Frustrating to say the least. to top it off there was a bomb scare on the mountain on our last day which resulted in an all day boozing sesh (not all bad!)
I'd honestly say that if you are anything above beginner then you are likely to get very bored rather quickly with what Bansko has to offer - you shouldnt have to que for so long for so little!
Bansko town itself is pretty cool I thought - rustic, but cool. Dont go expecting a modern town, but this is Bulgaria after all. It is a little smokey but this is all part of the atmosphere - i have read quite a few times about people saying it is so bad you cant breath, I'm sorry but to say that is an exageration is understatement of the year!. The place has a real charm and the people on the whole are really friendly. The restaurants were cheap as anything an the food was fantastic - totally different to western european style so dont be worried when you get your dessert before your starter! I think they just bring it out when its ready. Its very like greece in that respect actually.
All in all, if you've been to France, Austria etc you'd be disappointed but if you're looking for a cheap option for a 2nd ski holiday then its a winner. Plus the booze is criminally cheap - the Alps certainly cannot boast that!!
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FAQ
) the route for 1,45, but normally with a van transferring people without stops en-route it takes something between 2,15-2,30hrs; as for the gondola queue you are right - this is a major problem in the resorts, epecially on Sundays as Saturday is transfer day for most of the companies and thousands of newly comers load the lift station right on th enext morning... the taxi is not a bad idea unless feeling a bit dizzy would not be a problem when you get off after being driven for 30min along curving mountain road with freaks driving crazy in the opposite direction at the same time 
