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
Visitor reviews for Bansko Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
January 07, 2009
Phil from
United Kingdom
Phil from
United Kingdom
I have been skiing for over 25 years and have never been to a more badly organised, pathetically prepared pistes, way, way, way overcrowded, overpriced or queued for so long to get up to the skiing area and then queued for so long to get on the chairlifts. The Bulgarians in the main are dour, impolite, uninterested in customer care or service, food is lousy, however, the standard of the hotel apart from the staff was excellent. If you are thinking of going don't. Read the first review (by a Bulgarian) it sums this place up, but actually it was worse.
January 06, 2009
simon brislane from
United Kingdom
simon brislane from
United Kingdom
January 06, 2009
giorgos from
Greece
giorgos from
Greece
I have never had a worse experience abroad. We stayed at the Florimont Hotel at Bansko (5 stars - Ha, I give them B class the most) - Spa - Casino. The casino does not exist and the spa has a swimming pool which is a joke (1 meter deep everywhere and very small). They said the spa was free but when you went there they said you needed an appointment and - guess what - there was never one available.
We had to wait 3,5 hours to get settled after they put us in a room with a 'foldable' bed and then one where other people were staying already. They didn't change our towels and sheet once in 4 days. The restaurant was awful and at the bar they didn't serve water and cookies with coffee unless you were Bulgarian.
The catalogue price for the 0.33 water was 2lv and they were selling it for 3lv.
I went for ski for the first time in Bansko. The queues were quite big and there was not much help and pistes for beginners. There were no machines to lay the snow at all. But from what I've heard, if you have a small experience you can go down on many km of blue pistes and really enjoy it. From what I've seen the red and black pistes were really impressive and a lot of people were enjoying them.
The constructions are very bad and I'm sure it's just a matter of time until you hear about a bad incident in Bansko in which a lot of people will be killed. You just have to look at the new buildings to prove I am right; a lot of badly put bricks and very little concrete. I am not very sure how stable these buildings are.
I do not recommend going to Bansko unless someone you trust tells you where to stay and where to go. And I would be very careful with the food and the locals. They don't respect you and they don't care.
January 03, 2009
Keith from
United Kingdom
Keith from
United Kingdom
Have just returned from a week in Bansko, sadly after no snow for a week, which meant most of the runs were ice and a few were closed.
Plus points: Generally good ambiance in the town, some good runs but a bit repetitive for a week with some closed. Generally good infrastructure.
Neutrals: If you are not used to Bulgaria/eastern Europe you'll take a while to adjust to the half-finished feel to the place, "heavies" on the streets (just smile), stray dogs etc. This is the culture: if you can't cope, go to France.
Minus Points: The morning gondola queue is a real pain (like an hour) unless you get there when it opens at 8.30am. Food on the mountain is below average, not always hot, and pricey.
Tips: Get to the gondola early, eat in the town rather than the "resort" ski-zone, avoid the really "English" places like Lions Pub unless you want a rowdy English Pub atmosphere, use ATMs to get Levs and stick to cash payments - most places don't take Visa/Mastercard, let alone Amex.
Verdict: Better for a few days than a week - probably won't return until the 2nd gondola is in. But overall very good value.
December 31, 2008
David from
United Kingdom
David from
United Kingdom
Have just returned from my third visit to Bansko in three years. Each year I see the resort growing from strength to strength and looking less like a building site. They are getting there slowly such is the Bulgarian way of life. The old town still has a charm and draw for me. The quality of the accommodation and facilities provided are unbeatable. Pound for pound I feel Bansko is good value for money. A few more runs and the proposed second gondola/link with Dobrinshte will transform the place if it ever happens. Unless you are wanting a mega resort with mega lift pass prices and busy slopes then I don't think you can beat it. The lift system compares with the best anywhere in the world. The tree lined runs , especially the one back to the gondola are a delight as are the locals in general. There is some challenging off-piste as well for all those powder hounds. I did used to go to France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria quite a lot with my family and friends but having discovered Bansko I only go to the big four now when someone is paying for me to go in a professional capacity.
December 23, 2008
Phill from
United Kingdom
Phill from
United Kingdom
I have been to Bansko twice and found most people more than helpful. I really think it depends on your attitude to them and not how much money you have in your pocket. Obviously, you treat people the way you expect to be treated. You only live once so live a lot. To people that have not visited Bulgaria I would strongly recommend it.
[Note by the editor: reviews are now being edited to remove direct responses.]
December 09, 2008
David Spurr from
United Kingdom
David Spurr from
United Kingdom
I have been to Bansko a couple of times, once at Christmas (2006) and March 2008. The 2nd time we stayed in the Kempinski Grand which is more or less what you would expect for a 5 star hotel. Only the staff are as miserable as sin, as are most of the people in the town. Also, if I owned the Happy End bar I would sack every last member of staff and employ people who actually wanted a job. The slopes are below average compared to most developed resorts in Europe.
To sum-up Bansko, if you want a cheap no-frills skiing holiday, give it a go. If not, try Ischgl in Austria and see how it should be done.
December 08, 2008
Snejko from
Bulgaria
Snejko from
Bulgaria
A few words from a Bulgarian who has been skiing in Bansko since 1990.
- The place is owned and run by the homegrown Bulgarian mafia (mutri in local slang): no Austrian companies, no Russians. Nevertheless it is not a dangerous place since the mutri are not interested in foreign tourists. On the contrary, they have realised that gunfights in the pubs actually scare people away so they now behave themselves in public. Just don't mess with them and they will not mess with you.
- The place is overdeveloped: it is a construction site and it will remain like this for an indefinite period of time since there is no such thing as a "development plan" that will be fulfilled. The infrastructure is horrible and not likely to change anytime soon. The reason is corruption paired with lack of interest on all levels.
- Service is bad and staff are unfriendly: the reason is that they are underpaid and frequently get less than 500 euro per month. Contrary to common belief, life in Bulgaria is only marginally cheaper compared to the rest of Europe. Ever wondered why a beer in the pub will cost you 1 euro in Bulgaria and 5 euros everywhere else? Beer in supermarkets in Bulgaria costs as much as it costs in Germany. The reason is that the staff in the pub earns 20 euros a day. Another reason is that British tourists abroad are frequently not a pretty site. Let's face it Brits in Bansko are at least as arrogant as the staff that serves them. The only difference is that you feel you should be treated better because you have money in your pocket. The staff know that this money is not going to them anyway so they don't care about how you feel. Do you care how they feel?
- This is the best ski area on the Balkans: there is no comparison to any other resort. With the exception of the gondola, all lifts are top notch. The capacity is more than adequate so waiting in lines is very limited once you actually get to the skiing area. The equipment for artificial snow is also top notch because, unlike older resorts, the whole system was developed together with the pistes. The preparation of the slopes is adequate and certainly the best in Bulgaria.
- The slopes are overcrowded: there are simply too many people on the slopes for the skiing area Bansko has. This is evident on weekends and holidays. On weekdays in the end of January skiing is a dream. Having too many people on the slopes means that the quality of the snow deteriorates rapidly as the day goes by. Skiing early in the morning lets you enjoy nicely groomed slopes. In the afternoon it's more like skiing bumps.
- There are only red slopes up the mountain in Bansko: some of them are light red, some are darker. There are blue runs below the gondola station. For some reason there are hardly any people skiing them during the day. Probably because most of the instructors prefer to stay in the upper part of the mountain since it is more developed. Torturing beginners down red slopes only makes the slopes quality worse. There is no black slope either - the Tomba piste is what I would call a dark red one.
- Bansko is not chea:. it is only marginally below the prices you would pay in Italy and Austria. More and more Bulgarians including myself go to Italy and Austria for their main skiing holiday, since it is almost the same price for twice the quality. You have to be crazy to go skiing in Bansko if you do not live nearby. If you have to fly in, you will definitely be better off someplace else.
November 16, 2008
albi
albi
Bulgaria - it's the best way to spend your winter holidays. The most beautiful in your life. First I learn how to ski in Borovetz. I enjoy it very much but Borovetz was too old. Gondola was old and ski lifts too, but I liked it. One year later we went to Bansko. It was perfect. I was in Bansko 4 times. Last time was the best. I was in Hotel Katarino SPA in Razlog,
10 minutes from Bansko. But it was a busy every 10 minutes for the gondola. Food was perfect. I had a great time.
17.2.2008 was best night because celebrate independence of Kosova. It was great. We celebrate, eat and drink all night.
Sorry for my English (I'm form Kosova)
Have a nice trip to BAnsko :)
November 07, 2008
Ruth from
United Kingdom
Ruth from
United Kingdom
Had a week in Pamporovo in 2005 and really enjoyed it so thought we would try Bulgaria again, and chose Bansko, stayed in the Hotel Strazhite, Fantastic hotel very clean, food very tasty and staff excellent, even an overnight ski and boot store, even the boots were warm when we put them on in the morning. Hotel within walking distance of the gondola, but it is better to take the shuttle bus. The bit I enjoyed the most was the ski road back into the village and would recommend it to everyone, it is great fun. I don't know what some people are complaining about, I suppose if they don't like it they won't go again, so that leaves more room for us that do!! We are certainly planning to go again in 2009.
Nearest