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
September 26, 2008
Ian Minors from
United Kingdom
Ian Minors from
United Kingdom
I fancied a cheap four days skiing with my daughter last February and tried Bansko. We ski several times a year mainly Colorado and France. We rented an apartment at Bansko Royal Towers....a two minute walk from the gondola. Had such an amazing time we returned with the rest of the family (all six of us) in April.
What we liked most was the range of things to do once the slopes closed. In our 'hotel' there were two swimming pools, two saunas, fantastic steam room, several jacuzzis, treatment rooms.....even a night club but we never heard it and so tired after skiing all day that we slept soundly after indulging in the health spa. In town we had a great time on the ice rink and ate out every evening...so cheap!!! Including wine and very acceptable food we struggled to spend £40 for six hungry people.
Bansko has all the best bits of America with the travel convenience of the Alps and at a fraction of the cost of anywhere else I've been. Highly recommended.
September 04, 2008
Krzysztof from
Poland
Krzysztof from
Poland
I have mixed feelings about Bansko. The town, the surroundings, restaurants, people are ok, in my opinion. Except if you are a person who cannot stand less than 5* things. I am sure, one can find them easily also in Bansko, but I do not know them - I never go to 5-stars hotels. So if you are a prince of anything, it is quite probable that at some point you will get surprised on the downside in Bansko, I guess. Except this, it is fine, I would say. However :
(i) it is a really crowded, quite big town, which accommodates much more than I-wish-to-be-a-skiers of all sorts,
(ii) there are long queues in the morning to the gondola,
(iii) slopes are full of people,
(iv) more advanced skiers better do not expect much fun there, because they will get definitely disappointed.
Have a nice stay...
April 25, 2008
David from
United Kingdom
David from
United Kingdom
I have been skiing to Bansko twice now, once in Jan 08 and the last week of the season in April 08. I have skied for many years in both Europe and Canada. I went to Bansko with an open mind and was pleasantly surprised. The skiing, although not as extensive as France etc, was still very good with great tree lined pistes. The grooming is to a better standard than France & the lift staff let us on at 8.20am every morning, NO QUEUES BOTH TRIPS (despite an official opening at 8.30, try that in France!) The Mountain Restaurant to the left of Blah Blah ,serves great quality food & great service for the same price as the competitors ( try the Carbonara, it's lush).
We stayed at White Fir Valley, which is out of town by about 5 mins, however, the free shuttle bus worked well; get on the bus, relax, get off the bus and onto the gondola. The accommodation was luxury,(our bedroom had windows on 3 sides, all with great views) with very spacious apartments ( 70sq meters) and fantastic 20m pool & hot tub which over looks the golf course,; great place to relax after a days skiing. The spa, steam, sauna, Turkish bath etc are 1st class. The restaurant at White Fir was very good and serves excellent well priced food. We prefer self catering so used the shuttle bus to take us to the big supermarket at the start of Bansko. The apartments kitchen is spacious and bright with granite work tops.
White Fir faces south overlooking the Ian Woosnam golf course with uninterrupted views to the mountains. We always felt good to leave the developments in Bansko; the views from the balcony are stunning and so peaceful.
Going back in Aug for the Jazz fest & skiing again in Jan-we will definitely be staying at White Fir Valley.
Top tip, learn some basic Bulgarian - works wonders.
Blagodarya Bansko
March 31, 2008
Paudie O Connor from
France
Paudie O Connor from
France
I was in Bansko from the 16th-23rd of Feb this year. I went with a group of 12 people The resort, as in the skiing facilities, are very good. Everything is new there and the slopes are very well maintained. For beginners, it is ideal. I learned to ski in Austria last year but found it very intense but it did work. I was in the intermediate group for the week and found it excellent we did all the red slopes and one black. About 7 of our group were beginners and really enjoyed the ski school. I would advise skiers to be at the gondola at 7.45am latest as the queues tend to be over 1 hour long anytime after 8. The food is brutal, to be honest. It's cold and tasteless most of the time. Pizza isn't too bad but you can only eat so much of that. You would need a good group to have a good night life. I would reccommend that you travel with a group of at least five or more. We stayed in hotel IDA. It was very good: the owners are two brother and are very helpful, For intense skiers I would think that the resort wouldn't be that challenging, but for any other skier it is well worth the visit.
March 27, 2008
rambo from
Greece
rambo from
Greece
March 26, 2008
Chloe from
United Kingdom
Chloe from
United Kingdom
March 24, 2008
Justine Kennedy from
Bulgaria
Justine Kennedy from
Bulgaria
Got back from Bansko a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic time. This was my fifth visit in two years, but only second time ever skiing. Stayed at the Hotel Banderitsa - rated as 3/4 star hotel, but exceptionally good in my estimation. Staying half-board, you either choose a set menu in the evening or take a voucher from reception to the value of 20 Lev per person and choose whatever you like from the menu. It was superb! Loads of choice, great service and staff, and although there were only 6 deserts to choose from, they were delicious. Averaged around 45 to 50 Levs for two for three courses and a couple of non alcoholic drinks.
Rooms were great: spotlessly clean, full bath and plenty of space. Spa facilities also very good and the pool, although small, was nice and quiet.
We went with Balkan Holidays and had booked a ski package of 6 days for 4 hours. And we were very lucky with the teacher who was from Ulen school of skiing - her name is Malina and she was brilliant. Plenty of patience with us beginners, and additionally it was with a great group of people.
Yes, there is an awful lot of building work near the gondola, and there are some hotels that are literally in a building plot, which I would hate to stay in, but, give it a couple of years and everything will be completed to a high standard.
People there are really nice. They put us Brits to shame with their language skills as they all seem to speak enough English, German, Russian and whatever else to have a good conversation. And they're supposed to be the more backward country !!! I think not.
Queues for the gondola are long but get there on the first shuttle bus and have your ski boots on and your skis with you and it is quicker than messing around getting them out of storage at the gondola.
Toilets in the cafes up at the top gondola station are spotless, with a little guy who looks like an old woman constantly cleaning. Don't forget to give him a tip on your last day cause if anyone deserves it, he does.
All in all, I love it there. It is cheaper than other European resorts, very beautiful, and steeped in history.
Enjoy yourself.
March 21, 2008
Sean from
United Kingdom
Sean from
United Kingdom
Hi all,
Just to say what a great time we had in Bansko.
We got back on 18th March and for the time of year skiing was excellent!! (6 inches of snow on second day!)
Conditions a little slushy low down on the slopes in the afternoons but only to be expected considering we were all suntanned and saw girls snowboarding in bikinis!
High up the mountain the snow was nice all day with good runs to suit all.
We were pleasantly surprised by the food in the Mehanas down Pirin street. Some were quite expensive compared to a couple of years ago. Family of four with drinks about 130 levs (about £52, similar to English prices).
The "Bansko Mehana" gave us excellent food and the grilled meats cooked on an open fire in front of you were a real treat.
The waiters and staff were very helpful, friendly and loved kids.
A little tip on currency. The First Investment Bank,(near Hotel Strazhite and the casino) gave a much better rate than anywhere in UK and only a very minimal commission,(30p for £300 of levs). I got 2.35 levs per pound in UK and 2.6 in Bansko.
Just been looking on the webcams and it's been snowing again on the mountain, so if you're going this week you should be fine.
There were very few dogs but they were friendly and seemed looked after, it wasn't long ago that in England people let their dogs out on their own (before the dog wardens were about!)
Don't be afraid to barter in the shops. We regularly got a third off or more, and do learn a few phrases in Bulgarian. It's not hard and it really brightens up the often glum looking folk (plus they give you a better deal, nicer food and often teach you more language).
All in all, a fantastic time had by all and will be going back for sure!
Cheers Bansko. Blagodarya (thanks) from us.
March 20, 2008
Dennis from
United Kingdom
Dennis from
United Kingdom
Returned on 16th March. Had a great time in Bansko, despite a bit of trepidation about previous reports.
Bansko is a building site at the upper end around the gondola station, and some of the pavements and roads need some repairs, but it is perfectly accessible provided you look where you are going.
People are generally ok, go for a wander round the old part of the town. It is interesting and you get to see how the locals live. There are a few mournful looking souls and a few ignorant people about. In my experience you get that everywhere, including Britain.
There are a few dogs about, not many, and they are no problem, they look well fed and quite tame.
Queues to the gondola: about 45 mins on 1st and 2nd day. Get there about 8.30 - 9 and the queue is shorter: 5-10 mins.
We stayed in The Bansko Hotel, about 20 min walk from the gondola. Food was absolutely crap, but we expected that from previous experiences so we budgeted to eat out. Food in the Mehanas is good and well priced. Experiment a little. The local dishes won't poison you and you might be pleasantly surprised. You can eat and drink there at any budget. We had a pub crawl round the bars and cocktail bars one night with dinner in a newish place and spent about £100 between 2, another night we sat in a little mehana with the intention of eating local dishes and drinking local beer and spirits until we could drink no more, we only managed about 90 Lev which was under £40, and I can't remember getting back to our hotel. We had planned to stay in the Guinness hotel but didn't know if was in the town or away on the outskirts. It is 5 mins from gondola but you have to cross a building site access road. Again, no problem but watch where you're walking.
Snow on the mountain was fine on the upper slopes although a little slushy around the Blah Blah restaurant point and lower slopes.
Snowboard instructors from Ulen ski school are not very good and placing in intermediate classes is totally disorganised. We had booked 3 x 2 hour lessons but ended up with 4 x 2 hour sessions with different instructors and people in the group every day, most instructions consisted of 'you must lean forward and keep up' and nothing really constructive as the instructors were more interested in doing their own thing.
Certificate night: again really disorganised but used to that by this time, didn't let it spoil the holiday.
In conclusion;
would I go back to Bansko? ---- yes in a few years time.
Food----- Budget to eat out, if your hotel food is good you've won a watch.
Drink----- explore the pubs and bars, there is something to suit everyone.
People----- Just like anywhere else except most of them speak 2 or 3 languages, just like us eh!
Lessons----- Go to Pamporovo, much better organised especially for beginners.
Value for money----- Much better than the French Alps, but you do get what you pay for.
Holiday experience-----Great! Don't let the little things annoy you and you will have a fantastic time.
Oh and last thing, some people mentioned threatening mafia type characters, never saw any and felt safer than in our town centre on a Saturday night.
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!
Nearest