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Bansko resort snow
Lat Long: 41.78° N 23.44° E
Ski Bulgaria

Bansko Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Bansko Ski Resort

Bansko Ratings

Overall: 3.6. Based on 220 votes and 362 reviews.

Rate this resort

Snowsure: 3.9

  • Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
  • Is often closed due to a lack of snow
  • Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
  • Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
  • Bansko is snowsure even in the poorest seasons

Variety of pistes: 3.9

  • The ski runs are featureless and unvaried
  • The ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week
  • Bansko has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain

Off-piste: 3.5

  • No off-piste worth mentioning
  • Off piste is out-of-bounds
  • Some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days
  • A vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days

Scenery: 4.1

  • An ugly resort in a bland setting
  • Average mountain views and resort
  • A spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town

Access: 3.5

  • At least one overnight stop
  • Requires a whole day
  • Requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns
  • Arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon
  • There is a main airport within an hour of Bansko

Public Transport: 3.5

  • There are no buses or taxis to Bansko
  • There are slow or infrequent buses / trains available
  • Getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections

Accommodation: 4.5

  • No places to stay in/near Bansko
  • A few places to stay in the resort
  • A wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets

Cheap Rooms: 4.2

  • No budget accommodation available
  • Just one or two hostels so book ahead
  • Several cheap hostels and pensions available

Luxury Hotels: 4.2

  • No luxury accommodation available
  • Just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead
  • Several up-market hotels in Bansko

Ski in/Ski out: 3.5

  • The ski area is located far from any accommodation
  • A free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip
  • Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available

Childcare: 3.4

  • There are no child care facilities at Bansko
  • The resort has limited child-care facilities
  • the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche

Snowmaking: 4.2

  • Bansko relies entirely on natural snow
  • There are just a few snow cannons
  • There are snowmaking facilities on all pistes

Snow Grooming: 3.9

  • There are no snow groomers at Bansko
  • Occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state
  • All the runs at Bansko are groomed daily

Shelter: 3.8

  • There is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut
  • There are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close
  • Bansko is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close

Nearby options: 2.6

  • If snow conditions are poor at Bansko, it will be poor everywhere nearby
  • There are good alternatives within an hours drive
  • Other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions

Regional rating: 4.2

  • Bansko usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region
  • Has average conditions for the region
  • Usually has the best snow conditions in the region

Lift Staff: 3.3

  • The staff at Bansko are rude or unhelpful
  • Lift staff at Bansko are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help

Crowds/Queues: 2.7

  • The resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues
  • It is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays
  • It is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare

Ski Schools: 4.1

  • No ski schools available
  • One or two ski schools but local language only
  • A few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors
  • Plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available
  • Excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors

Hire and Repairs: 4.3

  • Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex
  • There are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance
  • Good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible

Beginners: 3.9

  • Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard
  • A few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week
  • Vast areas of gentle terrain

Intermediates: 4.1

  • No intermediate terrain at Bansko
  • Intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days
  • Vast areas of cruising runs

Advanced: 3.6

  • Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders
  • Enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste
  • Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week

Snow Park: 2.7

  • Not even a kicker at Bansko
  • Average sized park quite well looked after
  • Huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails

Cross-country: 3.1

  • There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Bansko
  • There are some cross country trails available
  • The area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails

Luge/Toboggan: 2.0

  • No designated luge or toboggan runs
  • There are toboggan runs that open quite often
  • Bansko has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages

Mountain Dining: 3.4

  • Nowhere to buy food by the pistes
  • Some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive
  • There is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets

Eating: 4.2

  • Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop
  • There are a few places to eat in the resort but nothing special
  • A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants

Apres-Ski: 4.1

  • Nothing to do, not even a bar
  • There are a few bars in the resort but nothing special
  • Clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere

Other Sports: 3.5

  • No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts
  • Resort has just a small public swimming pool
  • Resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool

Entertainment: 3.6

  • Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here
  • The non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week
  • The resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports

Winter Walks: 3.4

  • Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails
  • A couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails
  • Extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities

Ski Pass Value: 3.4

  • A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available
  • The ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts
  • Ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area

Value (National): 3.7

  • Overall, Bansko is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money
  • Overall represents average value for money
  • Overall offers the best value resort in the country

Value (Global): 3.9

  • Overall, Bansko is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world
  • Overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries
  • Internationally the resort offers excellent value for money

Show all 35 ratings

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February 20, 2010
Mr Thompson from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We loved Bansko. We stayed in a private apartment just under 100m from the gondola at the Vihren Residence, with banskoapartmentrental.com. Fantastic self catering apartment: well priced, a stack of DVDS to watch when we were not so energetic, great on site facilities, indoor heated pool and spa. Overall, the queues were a little long but what do you expect when renting an apartment in peak season. Great places to eat in Bansko and a really cheap holiday compared to the French and Italian resorts we normally go to. Would I go back to Bansko?... Yes I would.
February 17, 2010
mark from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We have just returned from a great week in Bansko. We stayed at the Predela 1 apartments, which is opposite the new Sport Hotel and 50m up from the Kempinski. Great apartments with pool and jacuzzi. Also ideal location for getting to the gondola early. We found that getting to the gondola at between 8-8.15 avoided all the queues. We have been coming to Bansko for the last six years and the infrastructure and facilities improve every year. It still remains good value and if you turn up early at the gondola then you shouldn't have to wait for more than 15 mins.
February 15, 2010
LNOR from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We (family of 4) just arrived back from Bansko where we had a spectacular week of skiing with snowfall of 1-2 feet. We stayed in the White Peaks apartments where the new management have done wonders to improve the quality of the reception, spa facilities and all round services. We stayed here last year and whilst the apartments are very smart and warm the place is now a proper holiday complex with all of the amenities and extras you'd expect for a quality stay including a very good restaurant (try the beef stroganoff, it's out of this world). Queues for the gondola were fine, mostly less than 10 mins and sometimes straight on. The town itself is very pretty and has some great places to eat and drink the night away. Try Bansko-ski-mania for your ski hire and lessons as we have used them 2 years running and they have been great. Only down side is that it's a 3 hour trip from Sofia airport which can be a bit tricky if there is heavy snow.
February 15, 2010
Emily from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just returned from a week in Bansko (6-13th Feb) and was really surprised by the negative comments about gondola waits. Longest we ever waited was about 15 mins, despite rarely making it into the queue before 9am - so we were up on hte mountain well in time for the children's lessons at 10am. It was our second year running in Bansko after a fantastic week last year and we'll probably return again next year, so it's definitely hitting the spot for us. We stayed at White Peaks apartments. Last year was a bit hit and miss with some pretty surly service, but a new management team has taken over and transformed the place - Daniel and Desi are the couple now in charge and they and their team couldn't have worked harder to ensure we had a great holiday. We hired skis and took lessons through Bansko Ski Mania, who were great - very flexible on the lessons so that we could all ski together in the afternoons and all day on the final day. Snow was fantastic all week this year and last - hoping for third time lucky again in 2010!
February 15, 2010
mylesk from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I have just come back from a great weeks skiing. I have been to Bansko a few times before and can give you one BIG tip. Look back at all the (170 odd) reviews and you will see a cast iron pattern (nearly). Everyone who goes at Christmas and New Year says it is croweded, rude, expensive with huge queues. Everyone at any other time of year love it! IMHO avoid the Christmas break, there are too many people for the resort. The rest of the year it is the best value you can get. If you eat locally you can get an excellent (and I mean really good) 3 course meal with beer and Rakia for ~£10 a head. However, quality and service are very variable so ask around for recommendations first - I have had the best and the worst eating out experiences in Bansko. It is expensive and crowded in the Ulen restaurants up the mountain, I take a packed lunch or eat private. If you learn to say please and thank you in Bulgarian and are polite nearly all the people I met were friendly and helpful, certainly more so than in France. I went with several families and people could not do enough for the kids In short, do your research and you will have a great time!
February 12, 2010
Mack from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Bankso? Great! Fantastic snow, great value - a real win, particularly for a family. We stayed at a chalet at the Redenka Ski Club which was great. So, in a word, Go!
February 10, 2010
Sarah Graham from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
We have just had a great week in Bansko. Skiing was excellent and the runs were so nice and wide. Can't really speak for the gondola queues as we got a minibus ride to the chairlifts each day from our chalet minibus. Apparently, all the chalets offer this service (think there are around 6 or 7 in town). The chalet we stayed at was called Chaley Isabella and the food was out of this world. Hot-tub in the snow outside each night and then meal and wine in front of the fire. Only complaint is that on some days there was too much snow and I got tired quickly (but I suppose there is nothing they can do about that!)
February 09, 2010
Sue from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just returned from a weeks skiing in Bankso, 30th Jan to 6th Feb. This was our first time in Bulgaria and we were pleasantly surprised by some things, but felt let down by others. Firstly, the hotel Strazhite was a good choice. Large, clean and comfortable, it was also quite quiet for the amount of people staying in the hotel. The reception area was nice and comfy to relax after skiing and with free wifi, you could surf to your hearts content whilst enjoying a glass of wine before dinner. Wifi only worked in the reception lounge area and the restaurant though. It did not work in our rooms or in the pool area. The food in the hotel was okay. We had half board, breakfast was fine, although the choices were a little samey each day. Dinner was better some nights than others! Chips with everything! We ate out for 3 nights in Bankso town. Food on average costs between £8 to £12 per head for a 3 course meal with a bottle of wine for 4 and a couple of beers and soft drinks included, which I felt was good value. I found that the staff in the hotel/restaurants were very friendly which differed from some of the reviews I have read. My advice would be to treat the staff as you would expect to be treated yourself, a big welcoming smile and a few thank yous does wonders for the service you will receive. The only place I found miserable staff were in the ski/boot locker rooms at the gondola, no one wanted to smile or to respond so I gave up. Staff at the mountain restaurants were stressed rather than rude and seemed to want to just get you served and out again. The queues to the gondola station were ridiculous and to be honest have put me off from returning to this resort. We had to queue for more than an hour each day and on one freezing cold day, missed our ski lesson by an hour and a half, we were at the station by 8:30am but did not get to the 10am lesson until 11:20am. Luckily the instructors had been warned of the wait and put back the lessons for us. There seemed to be a lot of queue jumping as people just pushed in to the start of the queue. We had to chuck out a couple of people ourselves who tried to push in in front of us, but I have no doubt that they simply tried their luck elsewhere and probably succeeded. It would help if the gondola opened earlier than 8:30am, it opens at the same time as the locker rooms which means that by the time you have got your skis and got out to the gondola queue around 8:35am, the queue is already enormous. The slopes themselves were good once you were up on the mountain, although I agree with other reviewers that some of the blues were very tough to do. As a relative beginner, I found them tough going, but the instructors were very good and I definitely have advanced my skills. Would I go back? Only if the gonola queues improve, it is a shame as the hotel and the slopes are fine, just let down by the queues.
February 09, 2010
Oguz from Ski Turkey Turkey
Only queue at Bansko is on Main Gondola. İf you have to be at main gondola queue at 08:15-08:25 am and you will be skiing at 09:15 am. In other cases you will wait 1-1,5 hour for to get in main gondola. Slopes are good. Generally all slopes are at least 30 meter wide. Lifts are new and fast (except the one goes from Shingarlika to Todorka, this one is a bit slow). There can be queues at lifts but it is not a problem. Maximum is in 5 minute it will be your turn. You can have a good meal approx for 10 levas (1 euro=1,85 leva in Bansko). Don't forget: some places take euro some don't (most of them don't take euro). Result: Bansko is a good place for skiing. I recommend it. But queue of main gondola is a problem. Maybe you can use taxi to by pass main gondola (you can go Chainvalog by taxi to midde station of gondola an get in main lift). A gondola takes 8 person but most of them is filled by 6-7 person. Ask taxi price there.
February 08, 2010
phil l from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just spent a week in Bansko and found the queues at the gondola on the large side but we managed to avoid them by going later in the day. Had to search hard to find a good place to eat with friendly staff, got the impression it was too much of a chore to serve us in some places. I would recommend the Fancy which is not far from the lift or the small restaurant that is the last building on the road up the mountain. I also saw a few novices struggling with the steep slopes, some of the blues were as steep as the red runs and there were a lot of crashes and injuries on the crowded slopes.