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 22, 2008
David Williams from
United Kingdom
David Williams from
United Kingdom
Been skiing for 30 years in Italy, France and Austria. Just returned from my 1st (certainly not last) visit to Bansko. Skiing: excellent all 'round. Town: interesting. People: I liked them all. Tourism only started there in 2002 and in 5 years time this will be a top European resort. Try it now while it's still 1/2 the price of western resorts. Go with an open mind. It's different, it's Eastern Europe. Have fun.
David. January 2008.
January 15, 2008
BJ from
United Kingdom
BJ from
United Kingdom
Ha ha ha...
Get over yourselves...
If you want to go on a luxurious holiday - GO TO Austria or Switzerland... don't expect an American standard resort from a developing country like Bulgaria...
If you want to venture behind the iron curtain do it with an open mind...
Not gonna have a rant or rave about this place, but if you want to go on a fun holiday with friends or family, go to Bansko...
Skiing is great for a small mountain, food varies according to where you eat, beer is awesome, people are either hostile or amazing (like everywhere else), loads of dogs and other "dirty" aspects that you expect to find around construction (a lot of)...
But if you aren't prepared to get a bit of mud on your shoes go to France and drink Glühwein...
On the whole, had an awesome party and a great time on the slopes... might have stood in a queue but could have been worse...
Go to Bansko if you want to have a fun, cheap holiday and a genuine cultural experience...
This resort will be awesome in 2009... when the development is complete and the roads have been fixed up...
The Russian Mafia... OOOoooo... they are everywhere watch out!!!
It might be a good thing to remember not to leave your wallet on a table with a £50 note hanging out...
January 14, 2008
Christine from
United Kingdom
Christine from
United Kingdom
We have been going to Bansko for the last 3 years and have bought an apartment which we have stayed in for the last 2 years. We really like it and you have got to remember this is a resort which has developed from a rickety chair lift which you had to drive to the top of the mountain to get to, to a resort with modern lifts and pistes of a standard which has taken other European resorts 30 years to achieve.
Yes, the queues at the gondola need sorting but it is only really bad at weekends and peak periods. Once you are at the top there is no problem.
We love the food in the Mehanas. Eat where the locals eat and it's a shame about the smoking. But it is their country and that's what they do. No different to England a few years ago and cigarettes are very cheap there.
As for the money and card problem the best answer we have found is to take sterling and change it at the First Investment Bank next to the Strazhite, they are open very long hours including Sunday, unlike British banks. They also give a good rate of exchange and the commission charge is minimal.
January 12, 2008
Yvonne from
France
Yvonne from
France
I feel I have to write a review for Bankso. It's certainly got some bad press here! I went to Bansko for a week in Feb 07 and loved it. The weather was great and the powder, fantastic. The night we arrived in Bansko it was covered in a blanket of snow. Granted, the town is a building site, but it is decades behind the rest of Europe and is catching up quickly. The equipment is all new. The gondola is a 25 minute ride up the mountain and is the most comfortable trip ever! Bulgarian people are not rude, if you ask nicely and don't shout at the them in English (as I saw many do) they will certainly treat you well. Most have fine English but can choose not to use it if you're rude!
The food in some restaurants isn't the best but it's simple, go to one that's packed with locals - they are there, you just have to open your eyes. We ate very well the whole week and tried some gorgeous Bulgarian food. Price wise it's fantastic. We ate and drank for next to nothing. Just always check the prices before ordering though.
All in all, Bankso is up and coming. Give it 5 years and I think everyone will be shocked at the standard of the resort and town. Building work will be completed and the town returned to normal. ( All planning permission applications have been halted for 5 years to finish the town.)
Even though I've already gone skiing this year, I plan on booking a week in Bansko. Warmer and more pleasurable skiing than other countries (Norway is bloody freezing!)with a good amount of snow.
Bansko offers a lot for very little, my advice is to give it a shot.
January 08, 2008
Yanni from
Greece
Yanni from
Greece
We've just returned from Bansko today (8th of January) and I have to admit the skiing was REALLY GOOD. The mountain is very big and the slopes very long so you can certainly enjoy the plenty of snow there.
As for all the rest, just read the previous reviews...
A summary could be:
1. Bulgarians are RUDE or even AGGRESSIVE!!
2. Food is quite bad.
3. The place is over-developed
4. No staff around in the ski areas
5. They don't speak English!! (and they certainly don't intend to learn in the near future)
6. Blue runs are NOT all blue so beginners be warned..
7. Still relatively cheap but certainly overpriced
By the way, I finally understood, by some people's comments, why I felt a bit threatened by some very "Russian Mafia" type men always looking at us... Because they WERE the Russian Mafia ...
In conclusion, just go there for the ski runs having all the aformentioned in mind.
Yannis
January 08, 2008
Bansko Boarder from
United Kingdom
Bansko Boarder from
United Kingdom
January 08, 2008
Bansko Boarder from
United Kingdom
Bansko Boarder from
United Kingdom
Just back from Bansko ... stayed in a self catering apartment with no central heating and a few power cuts to boot. So thought I'd better check and see what the other reviews are like and then post my own effort. Unfortunately, all the bad ones seem correct to me!
Majority of locals are not exactly friendly, in fact down right rude and aggressive is more accurate. Having to pay cash almost everywhere was a real pain as was nothing but empty cash machines for two days over new year! The resort is being very over developed, and incorrectly so at that. The general infastructure of the place - pavements, traffic, restaurants, accommodation are all shocking!
We happened across a couple of decent bars but if it wasn't for that, the holiday would not have been a good one at all!
Having being led to believe Bulgaria is cheap, we were sadly misled. We were ripped off a few times in bars/restraurants and had to watch what was going on closely. It could have been worse. Everything is now drastically over priced as well. The food everywhere was horrible. Nothing but stale tasteless stodge. And we queued at the gondola for well over one and a half hours one day. Slightly better the other days by taking advantage of the 3 different queues for the one gondola! And that is way below capacity, and massively understaffed also. The slopes on the mountain were fine, but after a day or so snow they became rutted and were not re-pisted anywhere as far as we could tell. Barely a member of staff on the mountain also. Finally, blue runs at the top half are definately way more red than blue!
So all in all, avoid Bansko!
January 08, 2008
Scott from
United Kingdom
Scott from
United Kingdom
I have just returned from Bansko, 27th of December to the 5th January. These are PEAK times in Bansko. New Year is the busiest time of year in Bansko.
The Skiing was fantastic, It snowed from the 2nd to the 4th, great powder skiing. As for the slopes they were not over crowded. I've been to Italy, France & other resorts in Bulgaria and at the most PEAK time of the year for Bansko, it coped very well.
One thing that will be done is the construction of another gondola. As a Bansko resident, we have been informed that the "Council" has secured 33km2 of land for more pistes and the construction of a gondola to the left of the Kapenski Hotel. Local owners are holding back 1 or 2 Km2 of land but construction will start in the near future.
As for the food, never eat your breakfast from the hotel. If your stomach is used to English food, go to the supermarket and pick up some cereal and milk.
The mexhanas, are fantastic, if you make the trip down Pirin Street to the "Square" you will fine plenty of choice.
The Happy End and Friendly bar (also the soon to be built Guiness Bar) serve a more western European type of food. (i.e burger, chips and sausages)
If you are up the mountain, head down to the Bla, Bla Restaurant, walk towards it then take a sharp left and avoid it. Underneath where the Banslo webcam is situated you will fine great value for money, COMPARE, Top Station of gondola; 2 burgers, 2 chips and 2 cokes 48Lv (About £16). Half way up the mountain NEXT to Bla Bla restaurant, for the same food order, 26Lv (About £8), half the price and the food is twice as good.
As for hotels in Bansko, The people are trying to make money. Really you ask, of course!!
Always check Google Earth before booking. Most hotels will say "only 200m from the gondola" bo**ocks, More like a 1,000m, so check Google Earth first.
At peak times, like on the 2nd of Jan 08 I waited in line for 2hrs to get up the mountain. If you are there at peak times, get there @ 8am, it's well worth it. Also, instead of waiting for ages, the locals taught me a little secret;
go around the right side of the lift station and you will spot a big silver shed, get you lift pass there then go around the back towards the ski road, through the automatic doors and you can get into the Q about half way up!!!
All in all guys, this resort is only 5 years old, it has a lot to offer, it's cheaper than all the other resorts in Europe (inc. lift passes)
I would recommend it to any one.
Plus you can ski to the 18th of April. I did last year, no Q's
Cheers,
Scott
January 07, 2008
Paul Scholes from
United Kingdom
Paul Scholes from
United Kingdom
I'm with Emily. Have just returned from the worst holiday of my life. The town is being over developed and its infrastructure is years behind the number of people they are trying to attract.
The slopes were overcrowded and dangerous, I probably got a DVT standing for over an hour a day just to get on the gondola and the organisation and customer service were nonexistant.
We booked 2 appartments via Bulgarian Dreams and both were unfinished, electrically dangerous AND unheated. They finally "found" us other appartments but these turned out to be privately owned and we were told not to make a mess in case the owners found out.
I could go on but probably the worst aspect for me was leaving the pollution of inner M25 to something many times worse in Bansko. It has 24 hour traffic, most old trucks & new 4X4s and after 2 days of sun you could see & taste the red haze that hung over the town. Then there was the 24 hours non-stop smoking at every restaurant we visited (we couldn't cook for ourselves as the oven wasn't working).
Be warned.
January 05, 2008
philip genoe from
United Kingdom
philip genoe from
United Kingdom
Bansko - Never Been - Loved it - Bought 2 properties within 2 days . FANTASTIC .
Some reviews are a bit harsh on Bansko . the facts are simple . It,s a developing area and with that must come some understanding . 2008 will see a MASSIVE improvement in Bansko . The developments that were going on in 2006-2007 will be finished and to a superb standard .
I would seriously recommend Bansko for the skiing and life style .
NOTE : complain at your pearl !!!!! You will be back and probably eat your words.
One point to note is communication is everything and so is being patient .
Overall , GO THERE !!! you will love it .
Hope you enjoy,
Phil
Nearest