Visitor reviews for Bansko

---

---

• April 09, 2009
  Jo from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We had a great week in Bansko at the end of March (particularly after the amazing huge dump of powder we had).
  We stayed at Chalet Rozov with Marty, Victoria and Richard and the hosting and the food was just amazing - 4 course meals all the way (think it's time for a diet).
  You can see that Bansko is still developing but the resort is only a few years old so we didn't find it hard to look past the 'building site' aspect, and everything was covered in snow so it was not bad at all.
  On the mountain the food was OK but not great - the best restaurants are at Shiliganika behind the wooden fence - if you are friendly with the staff you get a free chocolate bar.
  We ate out one evening in a traditional restaurant which was fun - we ordered a meat skewer and it came out on a massive sword stuck in a piece of wood.
  I had a ski lesson with Rich from Method and he was brilliant, he really got me going and I felt loads more confident for the rest of the week.
  We had a great time and will be back next year - even if it's just for those afternoon cakes in the chalet.

• April 03, 2009
  Jules from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We've been to Bansko every year since the cabin lift was installed and we've seen it develop - the facilities, the apartment blocks and the ice rink etc. The 'quality' of the visitors also changes.
  We have Bulgarian friends who have to put up with this kind of thing. I am pleased that the same grocery shops are still there with the same staff, who are lovely - I hope they're still there this year too.

• March 31, 2009
  TALIJO from GREECE
  

  Bansko is a nice place. It is safe and the mountain, pistes and skiing are excellent. Hotels and food are very reasonable in prices and the quality much above average. The local people are friendly and some speak Greek; most speak English. I will certainly look forward to going back to Bansko.

• March 23, 2009
  Peter from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I wrote a review shortly after our trip at Christmas and have returned now from our second week skiing in Bansko.

  The weather was nothing short of awesome - one day of windy conditions but all the pistes were open and the conditions for skiing were perfect. Sunshine and blue skies; at the top of the mountain people were skiing topless.

  The snow was almost 3m deep in places (no joke) when we were there, powder in the mornings turning to compacted powder in the afternoons - very different to Christmas when it was very icy, we only saw a couple of small patches of ice this time.

  I conquered my first ever black run, second time around.

  We were off-piste skiing through the trees, snow and pwder as deep as your ski pole; sunburnt nose.

  Bansko is quite a dull town but we went there for a break away to have some fun; we met good people again and had a great time skiing. Our ski instructor was again very, very good; patient and enthusing. We expereinced the local "mehanas" for good quality food at very reasonable prices - we could have done with the volume turned down a little on the entertaining but hey ho.

  Again, we put our daughter into the highly recommended 'Blue Kangaroo' creche - the facility is superior to any in the UK and we were more than content to pay circa £35 per day for 9 hours of care and food. We will definately be going back to the Blue Kangaroo.

  The lifts were all open, gondola queues no more than 15 mins and the pistes were not busy.

  We stayed at the Strazhite again and would go back; half board with all food was exceptional value - basic food but still filling and good.

  We didn't get stung by the double scan scam this time - infact the opposite, we stopped at a good place on the side of the road where they had a BBQ and hot coffee, chocolate and the all important loos, a welcome break.

  Had a great time, came back achy and tired but we were skiing non-stop for 6 hours a day. Many happy memories and we are more than likely going to return again next March as a bigger group of reprobates.

  Go to Bansko for a good value holiday with great skiing - even if you only go once. :-)

• March 21, 2009
  Captain Turnstile from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  My wife and I learned to ski in Bankso 3 years ago and have gone back every year, have bought an apartment there, are very slowly learning the language and love the place. So do our 19 and 16 year old kids who also learned to ski and board there.

  Bansko is rustic, it is not hi tech and that is what we love about the area. The people are very friendly and when you make any attempt to learn a few words and phrases, they smile and love to help you.

  Just got back tonight after 6 days skiing and left a resort that has just had another metre of snow, I kid you not - look at banskoski.com or bulgariaski.com for photographic proof. Nearly 3m deep pistes and more forecast.

  The slopes are quiet at Bansko and if you want to find the best way to get rid of the credit crunch blues and love skiing or boarding, then get out to Bansko because the snow is there, it's not as expensive as the Alps and if you even learn to say hello, goodbye and thank you, you will be made very welcome.

  Get out to Bansko in the next few weeks leading up to and through Easter and you will not be disappointed.

• March 20, 2009
  Vicki from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I am the English girl and I work outside the Lions Pub and in Diamonds Pub (08/09).

  I would just like to say that the difference in attitude of the people who enjoyed their holiday at Bansko and those who hated it stands out. It's not France of Switzerland so don't expect it. It's also not the same price either. Choosing a holiday in Bulgaria needs to be understood before you book and I'm pretty sure the price difference is a factor here. Bansko is a very new resort still up and coming and yes, the country is not long out of some very poor times and may not have the same standards as Western Europe.

  Prices: I know a lot of people mistakenly quote prices in Bulgaria lower than you find in Bansko. There are a few reasons for this. It is normally quoted in this way by the holiday companies that are trying to sell you the holiday. Also they are not exactly lying. They do quote normal Bulgarian prices. Bansko is not a local village it is a modern ski resort with high quality hotels, bars, restaurants etc (for Bulgaria). If you want to get those prices I will happily recommend places you can get them although I guarantee most of you would not want to eat or drink there. Unfortunatly, nice clean places with friendly English speaking helpful staff, football, English food, English beer etc that you want comes at a price. I hear a lot of people complain it's cheaper at home. Well, well. I'm sure you have seen the price of petrol nowadays. At home it comes from 20 miles down the road. If you want to get that all the way over here you can imagine the extra cost. You know how it works..when in Rome. Eat and drink local stuff; it's cheap but you probably won't like it. It's common sense.

  Money: Bulgaria may be part of the EU but, like us in the UK, does not use Euros. It is wrong to expect them to accept them. If the staff are asked nicely most places will change them for you. We wouldn't. Credit cards are not widley accepted yet but that is changing. As explained, it is still catching up.

  Attitude: most Bulgarians are pretty sound and you will get a good response from them if you treat them decently. The amount of times I have witnessed and cringed at the shocking way the Brits treat the local staff (talking to them like servants, being damn rude about them in front of them with their friends and assuming they don't understand). Actually, most do speak quite good English if you speak clearly. Especially the younger generation and resort staff. They have to speak English to get a job here and they learn it in school like we learn French or German so be careful what you say. They are also sick of this attitude of everyone complaining about the prices and being really tight and cheap and asking for discounts for absolutly no good reason at all, just assuming that we are so desperate for their lovely foreign money that we will just throw everything at them for free. You wouldn't do this at home. A pint of draught Guiness or Carling is not 30p a pint.

  'Mafia' and 'Heavies': this one cracks me up every time. You lot think you know it all. Paying in cash has absolutly nothing to do with having to pay a protection racket. Frankly that is quite rediculous. You just want to believe it. They are winding you up. This does happen occasionally with some of the younger more fun loving staff. They know you would love to hear it and spin a few lines for a laugh. I have had many people tell me they were drinking with the Mafia. Trust me, they weren't. Sometimes it may look like it but actually nowadays it is not evident in the town and certainly not in the places were the tourists would be at all. You would not get in the door. Some guys will tease you just for fun or to scare you a bit because they know you will believe it. There are a lot of very nice cars around and gold. Since Bulgaria (particulaly Bansko) took off big time a few years back a few people who got in early made a lot of money. They are mostly just normal business men who got lucky. Bulgaians still have an old school attitude to being rich. i.e. if you've got it, flaunt it. They display it with gold and cars and expensive drinks and beautiful women.

  General: ok, Bansko is a bit of a mess at the moment but it will get cleaned up. Sofia is also a bit of a shock on the way out of the airport but do give it a chance. A 3 hour transfer is not bad for a ski resort. The transfer for Tignes/Val is 5 hours plus with a change of bus and a stop to put snow chains on. Andorra is also about 4-5 hours. Ski resorts are in the mountains. It's not easy to build an airport very close to them. You could always opt for a parachute arrival instead.

  To sum up: come with an open mind and a friendly attitude. Do not expect western ski resort standards for Bulgarian prices. It's never going to happen. Be realistic. If you don't want to lower your standards at all, don't come. Please don't come and then moan afterwards. All the information is provdided. If you ask people for advice on what, where, how, when you will normally get a genuine and helpful response. I always help anyone who asks and respond with no bias. We are not all out to get your money and rip you off. Trust people don't treat them like criminals who are going to steal from you and you will get a good reaction back. Bulgarians may speak a different language but they are normal humans beings like the rest of us. Same thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams. Don't insult them by treating them like they are stupid and desperate for money.

  Come, have fun, make friends and we hope you will come back to Bansko.

• March 20, 2009
  Paul Saunders from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  A group of us went to Bansko for the first week in March 2009 and had a very enjoyable week.

  We stayed at the Chalet Jora which we would recommend to anyone heading to Bansko. It's a really nice place with a great combination of traditional log fires and modern amenities (DVD, Nintedo Wii etc.). There is excellent food and has a good location near Bansko's bars, restaurants and of course the gondola.

  The skiing itself was good, we were lucky with the snow and weather and as intermediate skiers we found enough to keep us challenged for the week. My wife and I had a couple of 2 hour private lessons which were excellent and very cheap compared to what we paid in France earlier in the season.

  All in all, I'd recommend Bansko for a cheaper alternative to the Alps, and highly recommend Chalet Jora for a place to rest your weary bones and enjoy some great food (and lots of free wine with dinner).

• March 20, 2009
  Damo from IRELAND
  

  Chips are £2.50 max at Bansko and coffee is from £2-3 on the mountain.

• March 16, 2009
  Jay from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just returned from Bansko after a weeks snowboarding with 6 other friends. The pistes and quality of them for such a small area is superb. Most are tree-lined runs and therefore very pretty with lots of natural hits and kickers. The road back into town is notoriously heavy going for boarders as much of it is flat, but you can always do half of it and catch the middle gondola back into town. The food in the mountain cafe's and restaurants is expensive. A hot-chocolate from a Nescafé machine will put you back £3, and a plate of luke-warm chips is around £4-£5, much more akin to prices in Alpine resorts, which to be fair, when looking around the rest of the country, is taking the mick. Most of the staff at Bansko are very miserable, and this I found the hardest thing to deal with. Bansko resort is completely devoid of any sort of humour, and the staff are abrupt and as a consequence they are rude in terms of what we are used to in the UK. In fact, for me, although the resort is great, the natives skirted with spoiling my holiday at one point. We stayed in the Hotel Emerald, and as it was brand new it was very clean and the rooms were huge compared to UK standards. The dining room was situated in the basement, and the food was bearable, but as a whole, Bulgarian food is the dreariest I have ever had to deal with. If you want to spend a whole week on chips and pizza, you will have a great time. Fruit and fresh vegetables seem to be a rarity.
  The resort of Bansko is a building site. Some roads around our hotel were not finished and there were open holes to the sewerage systems which stank. There is an obvious Russian presence of money, and you can expect to see Hummers driving down the main street while two blocks away people are living like peasants. The transfer is long and tiresome (around 3 hours) and if you land in the day you can see what a grey concrete monolith Sofia, the capital, really is. If you land at night, you can see the street girls touting for business. It's a harsh reality which isn't apparent up the mountain when you are riding the pistes, but for me the country as a whole gave a sense of dark oppression that seems to come across in the way people treated us a tourists. The staff in our hotel bar were great, well two of them smiled and were polite, but out of a country of 7.5 million that's not a great statistic. To sum up for me, great pistes, not as cheap as they would like you to believe, unfinished resort and miserable locals. Will not be going back.

• March 10, 2009
  Dave from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Having just returned from Bansko from my first skiing trip I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Having read various reviews before I went I was a bit worried and that was not helped on the first day (that was a public holiday ) when queues at the gondola were 1 hr 10 minutes.
  However, on each of the following days we arrived at the gondola at about 0845 hrs and there were no queues whatsoever. The various lifts and chairs on the mountain at Bansko also had queues of no more than a couple of minutes.
  I had an excellent ski instructor in the beginners class who was great fun and spoke good English, although my wife in the intermediate class had a poor instructor who missed lessons and did not teach them anything.
  Snow conditions were excellent and it snowed most nights. Food and drink on the mountain was reasonably priced i.e. pizza £3 and beer £2,50 though the staff tend to be fairly rude and abrupt.
  Bansko itself is a building site and 160 hotels have been built in the past 3 years. It is very much an under developed country with poor roads and footpaths.
  We stayed in the Hotel Bansko which is about 15 mins walk to the gondolas though a very reliable mini bus made a half hourly trip that took only a few minutes. The hotel itself was very clean and modern and the rooms and facilities were very good. A word of warning though - the food was awful.
  For apres-ski the Happy End bar at the gondola sells lager for £2.50 but watch out for the waitresses who tend to add a few extra beers to the bill. They stopped when challenged.
  You can get beer for about 75 p a pint at other Bulgarian bars nearer to the old village and I would recommend that you eat out at some of these as the food is cheap and really nice and you can find some friendly Bulgarians.
  Overall, I would say that if you are a first time skier you should enjoy the holiday and Bansko, I did.

• March 10, 2009
  sarah mansell from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We went to Bansko for a weeks skiing and were not dissapointed in any way. Our group was a mixture of adults and children at differant levels of skiing and snowboarding but we all found Bansko a brilliant resort. We stayed at the Chalet Elena. Our hosts were Matt and Jenny and it was a half board catered chalet. We had everything there to make our week complete. Nothing is too much trouble for Matt and Jenny. They collected us every morning and afternoon at arranged times so that we had an enjoyable day on the slopes. Our transfers to and from airport were included in the price. We returned every day to fresh baked cakes and a meal prepared which had instructions of how to warm through.

  We all had a very enjoyable week at Bansko and, if you have the energy, the apres-ski is there with spas, pools, bars and nightclubs and loads of places to eat too. Prices are far cheaper at Bansko than other ski resorts for hire, lift passes etc, and even eating and drinking as long as you stay clear of the gondola area.

  At the top of the gondola at Bansko was expensive to eat and drink but a hot chocolate was well worth it to warm yourself through after a few hours skiing.

• March 09, 2009
  Graham Wareham from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  We will definitely be coming back to Bansko. There are problems, I agree (such as the roads/unfinished buildings) but if you approach the place with an open mind you can find it friendly, fun and above all, cheap, We were a group of 12 people and stopped in a fantastic chalet - airport/piste transfers, food, wine/beer all inclusive for less than 200 quid each. People who say that Bansko isn't cheap need to spend a week skiing in the Alps (my mate said he couldn't get a beer in Les Arcs under 7 Euros).

  Snow at Bansko was OK, lifts were great and we had a free minibus ride up the mountain each day to a lovely little area with no queues at all. Food on the pistes was quite expensive though and the run back down the mountain took a while. Great views from the top.

  Stayed with Bansko Chalets in Chalet Isabella; went the extra mile.

• March 08, 2009
  Antonis from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Bansko is a resort that has recently (before 3-4 years) received a huge facelift. An investment of around 300m Euros has totally changed the previously small and uninteresting resort to a modern resort of European standards. It now has a modern and well designed lift system, snow making facilities, piste groomers and mountain restaurants. However, that is true as soon as you manage to get onto the gondola. The main issue with it is that it is the sole lift that gets up to the mountain so it can get really, really, really busy. During my last visit there (it wasn’t half-term, nor any sort of local holiday, not even a weekend) on the first day I had to wait only 20 minutes to get on. The second day the gondola wasn’t working so we had to wait for the 6 minibuses that where going up and down the mountain to transfer us. We were at the base of the gondola at 9am and started skiing at 13.30. The third day we thought that we would avoid the queues if we arrived early, so we did. We were there at 8am - 30 min before the gondola opens. Guess what, half of the village had the same idea so again we waited for >30 mi,; hopeless. We eventually found that the queues ease off after 11am so the next day we had a lay-in and indeed we waited for <10 min to get to the gondola, brilliant. Suggestion, if you have a car drive up to the resort and avoid the gondola, there you can enjoy an 8/10 service. If you wait for the gondola service ranges from 1/10 to 4/10 at most.

  As far as skiing is concerned Bansko definitely gets the thumbs up. The beginners area, even though it is small in size, is well thought of and I’m quite sure even the slowest learner will find a spot to fall over and get back up. However, there seems to be a small gap in the progression scale as those who have just been able to link some turns will struggle to find a slope easy and long enough to practice their skills; unless they go for the very long (and equally uninteresting) road that leads back to the resort. Still, that is merely a compromise.

  So for complete beginners it gets a 7/10 due to the dedicated yet small learning area. But for 2nd timers it gets a 3/10 due to the lack of any easy blue runs that one could practice on.

  Intermediates are probably what the people who made this resort had in mind. It has got a variety of slopes that will help them improve their skills. Several of them have the odd easy and brief off-piste experience nearby and some small bumps and jumps to put the fun back into riding. Not much to say other than a generous 9/10 for intermediates. It looses a point simply because there is no alternative route, other than the boring road, to get an intermediate back to the village.

  Advanced and experts. There are two faces of the mountain for such skiers/riders. The first is that of the groomed slopes. The much advertised Tomba piste (No. 9) is indeed a black slope but is it nowhere near the challenging blacks you get in the Alps. It is a very good introduction to black slope skiing for an intermediate but it is no challenge for an expert. The other black slope of the resort (No. 16) is similar to Tomba but a lot shorter so even less interesting. And I’m afraid that’s where blacks stop. So, due to limited number and quality of the blacks, on-piste skiing for experts gets a 4/10.

  However, experts do not despair. There is still a lot of fun to be had in Bansko. The following routes are not to be done without expert knowledge of the mountain and a local guide because you will be entering backcountry territory and challenging the mountain. For that reason I will not give too much detail. Several very interesting routes off the back of Todorka peak (to your right as you go up on the chair to the top) lead to the valley between the mountain where the resort is and the Vihren peak (the highest peak of the area). These are simply brilliant but do hire a guide. However, if you want a proper off-piste experience go up Vihren peak and ski from there to the same valley as before. You will get a >10km long ride on very good quality untracked snow with a vertical drop of ~2000m. That is the only bit of the mountain that is comparable to an Alpine resort. For backcountry Bansko gets an 10/10, oh yes. But be warned, this is simply because it is proper backcountry; no lifts, no safety, no nothing. Just you and the mountain, so you really need to want it to get there.

  Now, coming back down to the village is not as pleasant as being up in the resort. The village is, simply put, ugly. During the past few years it has seen huge development but without out any sort of planning. Hundreds of residential properties, hotels, tavernas etc have been built and the aesthetic result is awful. The stream that runs through the village looks like a scrap-yard and the road that lead to all these newly built hotels are suited for off-roaders. Be careful of uncovered sewage lines, it is deep and dirty. Some consolation is to be found in the old city. A few nice and well maintained houses have been converted to tavernas (maxanas as they are called locally) with good food and very reasonable prices. Unfortunately, the old city is about half an hours walk from the gondola so unless you have a car or your hotel offers a minibus service there is no way you will stay there. The village gets an overall 1/10. The point is awarded for the cheap and good quality food in the old city, but every thing else is bad, very bad.

  Conclusions then. Well, let’s start from the reason one would want to come over here. Let’s not hide behind our finger people, the sole reason is money. Bansko is cheaper that most Alpine resorts, or is it? My experience says that over a four day mid-week trip at low season it costed £30 less than a similar trip to Flaine, France. If you want cheap try Flumserberg or Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, Vars in France and most Italian resorts. You see, the problem is that we compare Bansko to Verbier, Chamonix and 2 Alpes and we say that it is cheaper. Well no, Bansko isn’t cheaper compared to resorts of similar size in the Alps. If anything, with the very long transport, it is more expensive. So, would I go to Bansko again? Not a chance, unless I move to Greece.

• March 08, 2009
  Dragan from SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
  

  As we are from near by Serbia we went by car to Bansko. Six hours driving to spend a weekend of four days skiing; good slopes. Problem is that we can't get information about the slopes. First day only 2 ski lifts were working, second day saw the best ski runs on the top closed. You can't got information from staff selling ski-passes. Slopes were very badly prepared. On the third day we reterned home. We have very bad skiing at Bansko. It is because of the weather partly as it was raining. But having no possibility to get information of working slopes is absolutely not allowed. After returning from skiing, when you ask staff selling ski passes at Bansko, about this they are very surprised.

• March 04, 2009
  Tina Borer from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I love Bankso in both winter and summer. It has a real charm about it. Very busy in the winter but quiet in the summer but still just as nice if you want a quiet getaway with plenty of walking; much easier to get into the bars - no crowds. I own an apartment at Aspen Golf so I have the best of both worlds: skiing and golf.
  Enjoy Bankso; the building site will go one day.

• February 26, 2009
  Catherine Lowe from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Our first snowboarding holiday and overall, Bansko was great.

  The mountain: fantastic for beginners and intermediates.
  Weather: it rained a lot. In late Jan? Lower down the snow went slushy and the reps were concerned the season would end early
  Currency: I don't understand why people try and use Euros? You wouldn't try and use them here in the UK? Just use the Lev
  Food: awful, just plain awful, everywhere. The beer's great though. You can't get wine and spirits are expensive.
  Lifts: didn't encounter any problems queuing at all, we got down there quite early every day, but maybe we got lucky because of the time of year.
  Bansko town: bit of a building site.
  The people: I hate to say it but the staff (pretty much wherever you go) were really grumpy and bossy, but I think that's cause they're so underpaid.
  The hotel: stayed at lucky Bansko; a bit out of the town, however, with the regular shuttle buses this wasn't a problem. Hotel was absolutely gorgeous, couldn't ask for more.

  Our holiday at Bansko was so good because I loved snowboarding. I loved the scenery and I would definitely go back.
  If you go, don't buy food from the petrol station on the transfer to the resort (they'll scam you).
  Do go full-board at your hotel; there's no point eating in the town. Do buy lots of beer from the cheap supermarket and avoid the "Bali" supermarket. Do learn some Bulgarian phrases.

• February 23, 2009
  m moore from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Well, what can I say? Bansko, on the whole, was an experience. I made the mistake of booking a week during half-term; big mistake. On my first day it took 1 hour 45 min to queue for my ski equipment. The gondola station just couldn't cope with the numbers of people as it took 1 hour to queue and 30 min to reach the top (it broke down for 2 hours on the first day). Once you reach the top you then have to queue 30min on the chair lifts to take you further up. The slopes at Bansko were so busy it got ridiculous. I stayed at the Hotel Emerald where the rooms were very good but food was awful. Staff at the bar would never give you your change back, which got on my nerves after asking time after time. You would always receive a blank stare and they would pat their pockets to try an indicate they didn't have any. The best place for food was The Victoria. I can highly recommend this restaurant as the service and food was excellent. To be honest I think Bansko needs more investment in another gondola and more chair lifts. I'm going to give this resort a miss for a few years and see how it develops. Just don't make the same mistake as I did - don't book to go during half-term.

• February 16, 2009
  Lee from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I visited Bansko at the end of January, and was really expecting the worst. I have been to Whistler, Banff, Andorra and Morzine, and Bansko compares equally with both of the European resorts.

  The ski area itself is good for families and intermediates; nothing too challenging but not too limiting. I covered the whole area on the first two days, but if you are learning there is more than enough to play with.

  The town has been described as ugly, and although a lot of it is a building site, the old town of Bansko is no different than Morzine or Andorra.

  All the staff I encountered, serving or other, were friendly, helpful and appreciated the tiniest effort in learning a few phrases. The ski pass ticket staff where very helpful, and one of the ski instructors helped one of our party down the mountain when he was in trouble, and most of the waiting staff were unhurried, happy to chat as well as bring food, making you feel welcome.

  The food was similar in many of the restaurants at Bansko, but in nearly all we went to it was of a good standard. We avoided the restaurants recommended by 'stalky' restaurant touts for the most part, but one who advised us that the place we were heading to was "the biggest mistake of our lives" actually turned out to be quite bad, (tvs, noisy band with ear-piercing drum), and the place he was advertising turned out to be great, so maybe they are all right. We also didn't go in any near the central square, having been warned off one, by someone who'd had a bad meal in the past.

  Everything did turn out to be good value too and it actually felt like a different country, rather than the generic ski resort type feel.

• February 15, 2009
  Gemmabem from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Have just got back from a week's stay at Bansko and had the best skiing holiday. No problems with the gondola or any of the lifts. Skiing conditions were great, instructors great etc. Definitely better than anything we've been to in the Alps. Sure, if you don't use your nous to pick the best times to arrive at the gondola you may have to wait a bit. Also if you don't like the fact that the locals don't understand 'chav' or that they don't like taking currencies other than their own or that they get a bit fed up with drunken, foul mouthed braying English yobs wandering their streets then you probably won't get on in Bansko.
  Go and make a bit of an effort with the language, adapt to the culture and you'll have a great time.

• February 15, 2009
  cheffie from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Returned today from my 1st skiing trip, at the age of 41, to Bansko with Balkan holidays. After reading some of the reviews I was very nervous; I shouldn't have been. Stayed at the hotel Mura which was very clean, with a nice spa etc but served a really lousy breakfast that was cold and not fresh. One barman was very ignorant and clearly didn't want to be there. Ski lessons at Bansko were good, well organised and ski and boot hire was brill. The worst thing was the transfer of 3 -3 1/2 hour from Sofia. In this day and age it's a bind, surely an airport is planned if Bansko continues to grow.

• February 05, 2009
  Myles from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Even though I have been to Bansko before I read some reviews and became concerned, especially as I went with a group who had never been there. I braced them for packs of dogs, rude people and endless queues.
  What we found at Bansko were little or no queues (end of Jan, so may have just been lucky I suppose), everyone we met was happy, cheery and friendly. We all learned to speak a few words of Bulgarian which went a long way. Granted, we did see some dogs but they were very polite and stopped at crossing lights.
  We ate and drank (and drank and drank) really well and an entire night out cost about the same as a single round in the UK.
  Go to Bansko with an open mind, learn to say a couple of words in Bulgarian, enjoy the good - don't dwell on the bad and have fun.

• February 04, 2009
  Peter from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  My first skiing holiday and our baby girl's first Christmas. We went to Bansko on Dec 22nd for a week. We stayed at the Strazhite Hotel, five min walk from the gondola.

  We landed at 6.00pm and to our surprise were told it was a 3.5 hour transfer to the resort. No worries, we thought we would sit back and chill. The driver went no more than 35 mph all the way (thus so long); we too fell foul of the double scan scam at the petrol station on the way to Bansko - be careful - I ended up with a bag of crisps, some croissants and really bad coffee for ten quid. My own fault.

  Still - we got to the hotel and it was awesome - clean, tidy, modern and far beyond our expectations. Swimming pool, steam room etc, even a ten pin bowling alley.

  With a ten month baby it's often tough to find where to go for good child care. We got my daughter into the Blue Kangaroo Creche who are the only ones in Bulgaria to take pre 1 year olds. The facility is amazing, new, clean and filled us with confidence.

  So, off to ski whilst our daughter is safe with carers.

  We went to Bansko with Balkan Holidays which meant all inclusive - half board at hotel, food ok to average but still filling and nourishing after a day skiing. We had ski lessons; five hours every day and then do what you like.

  Snow cannons were useful as snow didn't arrive until 24th Dec, then limited - but you can still ski due to the effective cannons. Achy after two days but still fun. There is a 8km blue run from the top of the mountain into the town. A word of advice, don't ski down an 8km blue run with only half a days ski lessons under your belt (my legs were killing me and it was very scary. Still a very happy memory though.) I must be the only man to have ever 'ploughed' 8km.

  Food on the mountain at Bansko was very expensive (although cheaper, I'm told, than the rest of Europe). Take some packed lunch stuffs in a rucksack and then just spend £3 a time on the wonderful hot chocolate.

  If you want a fairy tale picturesque ski resort then Bansko may not be right for you. We did, however, have a fantastic time and our daughters childcare was better than in the UK. Skiing was so much fun, we even did a very scary red run on the final day with our instructor.

  No problems with the lifts, no restrictions on the slope for us - blue runs are very good and long and fun but the snowboarders should slow down.

  There are many, many cool people around Bansko. The town's a bit lumpy and bumpy but I don't want to go to a developed city on hols. The locals are friendly and easy to talk with. Don't behave badly and you'll be fine. They are normal people like anyone else. The food was basic but ok - even found a pub selling Guinness.

  The snow on Christmas and Boxing Day was quite heavy but it made the Christmas holiday complete.

  We spent £1200 on the trip and a further £200 on the creche; this was all in - food, skis, lessons, accommodation, flights and passes - added an extra £150 for beers and extras - total £1550 for a funny, relaxing and well worthy Christmas break - the hotel even threw a huge Christmas party.

  Would we recommend Bansko? Yes

  Would we go again? Yes, andvwe are. March 7th 2009 for a week.

  Enjoy life while you can.

• February 03, 2009
  James Rogan from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Boarded at Bansko from 23rd Jan to 30th, staying at excellent chalet Jora, run by English chalet hosts Jay and Laura - highly recommended.
  Good points: no problem with lift queue at all, good snow conditions, small resort but plenty of variety if you look for it but possibly not enough for advanced skiers/boarders who want to cover lots of ground, good nightlife (if you earn £s it's much cheaper than Europe at the moment).
  Bad points: ok, some Bulgarians come across as rude but no more than I've experienced in other resorts, a bit of a construction site and not the prettiest resort, although the old town is still quite pretty.
  Tips: food on the slopes: stick to the smaller huts near to Bla Bla's, but not Bla Bla's. Get up early for powder, don't risk going too far off-piste (someone died in an avalanche going off the beaten track). Try amnesia club for some of the funniest unintentionally comic dancing.
  I would go to Bansko again.

• February 01, 2009
  Ross from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I have just returned from Bansko after a week of skiing. I went with 9 other friends; most of them being novices with me being the only advanced skier. I had my doubts about visiting Bulgaria for a skiing holiday from reading the reviews and the size of the resort. We stayed at the 4/5 star Katarino Spa hotel and I was extremely surprised by the room size and quality. The facilities were very clean and tidy. The only problem I found with the hotel was the location; we were a 15mins drive from the lifts. However, the hotel did supply a very efficient bus service every 15mins. The food in the hotel was ok; breakfast was good but dinner wasn't, however, I still ate it.
  Bansko, as a town, is very messy. There is litter, dogs, unfinished hotels and massive potholes in the road. The bus from the hotel bypassed all of this. Our reps organised a bar crawl where we visited a few bars and clubs. It was a wicked night. Throughout Bansko there are clubs, bars, casinos and bowling alleys.
  I was pleasantly surprised to see the slopes prepared and the lift systems like any other European resort. The gondola to the mountain was never a real issue; the longest we waited was 30mins and that was at 9.30ish. If you arrive at about 10.30 there's no queue at all. I've queued 3 times longer than that in France and Austria before. We only ever ate at the bottom of the gondola; it was cheaper and a better quality. Ski hire was relatively easy as it is right next to the gondola. The actual skiing was fantastic, not so good for advanced but it was enough to keep me busy and excited. I was teaching 3 other friends most of the time so I was sticking to blues and reds and there were plenty of them.
  The attitude of some of the staff in Bulgaria does stink, but I think that's just the way some people are. In England we have arrogant people but we just ignore them, so why can't we do it on holiday.
  I got scammed on the bus on the way home when we stopped at the service station. I was charged double the cost.
  Finally, I feel if Bansko increases the amount of runs on to two mountains, finish the half done hotels and clean up the area a little bit the resort will be as good as any resort in the Alps. You've just got to give it some time.
  As for value for money, it is absolutely fantastic; I only spent £500 all in.
  If you're not fussy and looking for a cheap skiing holiday, Bansko is the place to go.

• February 01, 2009
  Colin from BULGARIA
  

  I'm just back from a week in Bansko and quite a few reviews created some apprehension.

  I can safely say that we loved it. The weather was excellent and nearly everyone we met was very friendly. We had one grumpy bus driver but apart from that all bar/restaurant/PR staff were really friendly and you could tell they wanted to treat you well and give you a good impression of Bulgaria.

  Prices for food and drinks do vary quite a bit depending where you go. It really is one extreme to another at Bansko but then it is up to you to choose where to eat and drink.

• January 25, 2009
  Richard from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just got back from 6 days in Bansko, Bulgaria with Balkan Air Holidays. I went with 2 friends and after an initial poor start to the holiday it turned out to be well worth a visit. Our initial bad first impression was a double scan scam at a service station where the coaches half way between Sofia airport and Bansko. One of the till operators blatantly scanned one item of everyone's shopping. Even when two customers in front of me spotted this she continued to do it with me, so a message was sent down the rest of the queue to be prepared for it; an easy scam to pull on tired visitors.
  The next poor experience was trying to hire the snowboards and boots from the hire station next to the gondola lifts. They had very unhelpful staff and were asking 240 lev for 6 days hire, so we left there to go to a local shop; again 240 lev for 6 days, but having a look before we went I knew there must be cheaper place. Went next door to Inter-Sport rent ski & board school only across the road from the gondola station who we helpful. Funny it was only 130 lev for 5 days as they gave 5 days for the price of 4.
  It also turns out haggling is very useful in Bansko too. Giving it a go saved us a fair few lev's by being a bit cheeky. For night life, I hate to say, we did go to the usual English pubs, although on average 4 lev a beer compared to the local tavernas at 2 lev. The atmosphere and fun to be had was worth paying the extra. The Lion pub was the best; open till at least 4.30 everyday and Oxygen was the best night club. As for food, always go to a local taverna as they are cheaper and better quality. Any down by Bansko city centre is good. The best we found was Vakanova Kashia 2 Pirin str. offering good wine and excellent food, lamb being particularly good.
  People do encounter problems but I think Bansko is a place to avoid in peak season and even with queuing problems; the gondola did take a very slow 30mins to get to the top gondola station.
  So, all in all, well worth a look especially for the less experienced skier or boarder amongst you.

• January 25, 2009
  Simon from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  Just before I visited Bansko I read a lot of negative reviews about the place, mainly about queues and rudeness. I visited from the 17th-24th January and the longest I queued for the main gondola was about 3 minutes.

  As for the rudeness, initially I can see how some people would be put off, as when we stopped at a petrol station on our way from the airport, the girl serving us kept trying to scan our items twice to bump up the bill, once we cottoned on, we told others in the queue about the scam and it was no longer an issue. Our next experience on Bulgarians was when we tried to hire our snowboards... We were clearly shown a price of 150 Levs (about 75 quid) for 6 days, then when we said we wanted to buy at that price, the shop assistant sighed and called his 'manager' and then told us that that price was for children, and wanted to charge us 250 levs for 6 days. This did irritate us, but we left and went to a shop further from the gondola down the main street (can't remember the name but it had its opening times in orange lettering on the door) and they were very helpful and charged us 5 days for the price of 6, at 140 levs. They were fantastic in there and I recommend them highly.

  Apart from those 2 problems, we found Bulgarians to be very friendly and open to a bit of haggling. It's strange, once your face is known their attitude completely changes towards you. The Lions Pub is fantastic, It's an English themed pub run by Bulgarians, and again, the staff are friendly and fun, and the atmosphere is lively and family friendly during the day, and even more lively at night. The food in the Tavernas in Bansko town near the church is great, the lamb is to die for and the barbeque skewers were fantastic, I'm tole. There is a Bulgarian place near the gondola which was expensive and the food was quite greasy. If you want a quick lunch near the resort, there are little shops selling pizza slices near the bottom gondola, just buy that and go into Bansko town for a proper meal in the evening.

  We stayed in Mountain residence 1, which was roomy, clean, quiet and warm, and a 10 min walk from the lift. If you use the board hire shop I mentioned above, you can keep your boards, boots ski's etc at the shop so there's no long walks with your gear.

  As for the slopes, it snowed before we arrived and they were in good condition for about 3 days. Then it rained for the next 3 days which made it a bit slushy in places but it was better than being really icy, as we were first-time boarders. The top lifts were closed for the 2nd part of a week due to high winds which made it a bit limiting for some of our group as there weren't many blues for them, but the long blue back to the resort was a good challenge for us all week.

  All in all, I'd definitely go back, but only in off-peak season. Be wise to people trying to rip you off - just try the shop next door and you'll usually find items half the price in some places. And finally, buy levs, not euros.

• January 20, 2009
  julie from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I have just returned from Bansko after having a skiing holiday with my husband, 2 sons aged 13 and 2 girls aged 18. We had a fab holiday. We booked with Neilson and the reps were excellent. They were on hand each day to help at the ski depot and at the hotel every night. In fact, I felt that they went beyond their call of duty. We stayed at the Strazhite hotel which was good and their buffet breakfast/dinner was varied and tasty. Only compliant was that the hotel was too warm and smoky and we had to switch rooms as it was too noisy at the front of the hotel opposite the Lion bar. If you book with the ski school, Ulen, they are excellent. Our instructor, Ivan, was hilarious and very patient with us. The apres-ski was a lot better than expected which pleased the 2 girls. They enjoyed the Lion bar, Amigo bar. Because Bulgaria is not yet in the euro it is still relatively cheap. Try the restaurant 3/4 way down the ski road for a delicious cheap lunch (oh, I miss those hot white choc rum drinks).
  Thanks to Evo, Galia and Dave the reps for making our holiday one to remember.

• January 18, 2009
  L.P from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  The Euro is not accepted in Bansko, or anywhere else in Bulgaria, because the national currency is the Leva, not the Euro. Bulgaria is in the E.U, as is the UK, and Euros are not excepted here on the high street or anywhere else either.

  I have lived in Bansko, and have seen the locals to be friendly and helpful. But be realistic, they have not been out of communism long, and they are in the process of catching up and trying to adapt in a world with people whose ways are a little strange to them too.

  I remember the same moaning about Spain and Greece when they first entered the E.U all those years ago.
  Bansko is great, it's a budget holiday, and the teething problems that it is going through are no way near enough to spoil a great holiday in an interesting and developing country.

• January 14, 2009
  Vassilis from GREECE
  

  I spent 4 days in Bansko just after NY.
  I have to admit that since the last time that I have been in Bulgaria (15 years ago) there are a lot of positive changes.
  The worst was the gondola qeue - 1.5+ hours anytime before 13:00. I couldn't stand it. Next day I went making snowman with my daughters.
  The best was that I spent half the money that I would have spent if I stayed in Greece.

  At the end you get what you pay.
  I believe that in some years all will be improved. At that time it will cost you the same as everywhere else.
  Have a nice winter