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
April 08, 2007
ollie waters from
United Kingdom
ollie waters from
United Kingdom
Myself, my girlfriend and two of my friends returned from Bankso after 7 days from the 31st of March. It really was fantastic and by far the best ski holiday so far. The food was fantastic. Traditional but very good. Town is a tripping hazard but really does add to its querkiness. All new equipment (rent from nearby shops not by the gondola as it is more expensive.) For 4 of us with starters, main and 2 drinks each was around £7!!!!!! yes £7!!! currency exchange there was 2.83 which was better than here. Our apartment was not quite built to our standards but for the price don't complain, your going for the snow! I will be going back for sure. I was able to buy snowboard, bindings and bags and bits for £200. Amazed!!! Oh and no, the people are not miserable. They just cannot speak anyones language but their own. Nightlife isn't great but restaurants are really nice. A little pushy for you to go in but that is their way. A fantastic resort, great people, lovely old village and brilliant prices!!! go go go go go
March 21, 2007
Kostas from
Greece
Kostas from
Greece
I went to Bansko in the second week of February. The mountain and the lifts are great.
The village has character but needs some infrastructure; roads, pavements, lights. The river needs to be cleaned up and the houses need painting. In general, it needs a facelift and then it will be a pretty place.
There is plenty of building work taking place and this means a lot of ugly sites around. This needs to finish soon plus the roads and infrastructure of the new neigbhourhoods, by the gondola, need to be completed as well.
I would say that the nightlife could probably be concentrated around the gondola and the hotels in a kind of "Bar street".
The locals then need some time to pass from the stone age to the tourism age. Some of them are "neo-wealthies" and are very arrogant. I have never seen so many 4X4s and Hummers sitting around.
It will take 4-5 years more for this resort to get mature and become a professional resort.
I will go again after some years since it is very easy to reach by car from Greece.
My Bulgarian neigbours; make sure you will not dissapoint me.
March 09, 2007
Adele from
United Kingdom
Adele from
United Kingdom
We have just come back from a fantastic holiday in the ski resort of Bansko.
We booked our holiday with Balkan Holidays and stayed at the Kempinski Grand hotel and it was fantastic.
The hotel staff were great. They will do anything for you.
The first day was very hectic as it was our first ski holiday. We didn't have a clue where to go or what to do but the Balkan Holidays staff were around and helped us get our stuff together.
We were met at the bottom of the gondola lift by our instructor, Bella. She was great. She taught us so much about skiing and the Bulgarian lifestyle. My boyfriend was a complete beginner, and after only a few days he was on the blue and red runs. We had such a laugh with her. She made our holiday. The second day it snowed no stop right through the day and into the night. Bella took us down the ski road to Bansko. It was like a fairy tale, it was so white and the views were amazing. She took us up the main black run, but we soon came down on the chair lift, it wasn't for us!
In Bansko there is a lot of construction and the streets were a little dusty at times, but this didn't really bother us. Before we booked our holiday we were worried about the food as we had read many bad reviews but we never ate one bad meal. There were 2 restaurants within the Kempinski, one Italian and the other A la carte. Both were lovely and it was top quality food. Our ski instructor and her boyfriend took us to a Mahana (a tradition Bulgarian restaurant) in the old town of Bansko. The food was great. I didn't think Bulgarian food would be so nice. All I can say is; visit Bansko it is such a lovely place and people are fantastic. They are very much like the English. We will definately be going back next year!
March 04, 2007
james and cathy from
France
james and cathy from
France
I have read all the good and bad reviews of Bansko. It's really what you make of it yourself that counts. Yes, it is a long drive up to the village to find there is no snow. But after 25 mins on the gondola I found plenty of snow. It was the best snow fall since December when we were there last week.
The town is like a building site but places have to go through this to develop.
The Hotel Lion was lovely and the staff were great but they tend to grab your plate as soon as you have finished the last bit of food. Also, the temperature was very hot in there. The disco downstairs was not that great but it is not actually part of the hotel and the staff were rude.
There are a lot of dogs wandering around the town and near the gondola.
The first day was chaotic as everyone was getting their ski gear sorted but the following days were fine as long as you got there before 9:15.
It was great up on the slopes, especially when you can wander on different runs. Our ski instructor, Zori, was very good and professional and we all went out to a great restaurant called Banski..something, in the old part of town near the church. But the waiter, Paul, in the friends restaurant up in the middle station, Sherigarni, works there also. So you could ask him the name.
In general, I would recommend the resort and I will be going there again.
March 04, 2007
Janet from
United Kingdom
Janet from
United Kingdom
We went on our first ski holiday at half term to Bansko. We had no idea what to expect. It was a 3hr transfer from the airport but the First Choice Holiday Rep was brilliant and talked most of the journey. We were disappointed that there was no snow in the resort.
Bansko is basically a building site with the occasional finished hotels. We stayed at The Perun and the food was good and there was always a choice but it was only warm. Breakfast was only served from 8am which then caused a problem at the gondola station. The only complaint about the hotel was how hot it was.
The queues for the ski equipment on the first day were horrific, then another queue for the ski school group to form. It was the only day that there was no queue for the gondola, the rest of the week they were awful. The ski tutor Asen was fantastic and the skiing was really good. In fairness we hadn't expected too much as Bansko was a cheap option in a country that has only just joined the EU so it's not fair to expect the same standards as established EU ski resorts. Lets hope they learn quickly and make a success of it.
March 03, 2007
Steven from
United Kingdom
Steven from
United Kingdom
I have been to Bansko for three years on the run now and have seen a lot of change. This resort is still in its infancy but is catching up to European standards very quickley. All around the godola has become very expensive but if you venture into the town things are still very cheap. I am excited for the future of Bansko, hopefully it will become a top rated ski resort in the near future.
February 25, 2007
RICHARD from
United Kingdom
RICHARD from
United Kingdom
Just arrived home from a weeks skiing in Bansko. Stayed at Hotel Lion which was quite good and the food was acceptable, although became a bit non-descript and repetative by the end of the week. Large and clean rooms and friendly staff. The resort/town is a chaotic building site with unfinished hotels all around - all in the process but not completed. There were unfinished pavements, loads of cars and rubbish everywhere. Not a very nice place at all. The lift system is a complete joke and we had to wait over 1 and a half hours just to get up to the pistes (EVERY DAY) which were far too overcrowded with skiers who were not capable - loads of kamakazi idiots racing around and crashing. Instructors also very limited in teaching ability. Pistes ok but only just. It's very difficult to collect your gear and get to lessons on time so you end up missing the lesson. Don't bother visiting and stay at home and save your money. Bansko will end up a white elephant 'cos real skiers will NEVER go back there again. You have been warned!!!!!
February 25, 2007
t knight from
United Kingdom
t knight from
United Kingdom
Bansko during half term week. Tranfer was 3 hours along some of the best Bulgarian roads. We arrived in the dark. This was a good job as when the sun arrived the town became a scene from hell.
There are hardly any pavements. There are building sites everywhere, and the roads are too narrow to let the traffic pass. The lift is the main problem. It needs another one to cope with the amount of people now going there. The ride to the top is about 1/2 hour. The mountain is pretty good but you will need plenty of snow as the runs back to the lift station turn into slush with a few rocks to let you know you've been there. They need to groom the mountain a bit more. Went down a red which had not been groomed and it could have been a black. This caught a lot of people out. Will not go back unless they improve the main lift. It needs better access to the lift from hotels apartments and pavements need to be layed. Needs a resort ski bus service so there is no need to rely on a hotel transit van to take 100 people to the lift station.
February 20, 2007
John Mann from
United Kingdom
John Mann from
United Kingdom
We have just returned from a family holiday to Bansko with Inghams.
On the positive side:-
Skiing was good, nice wide pistes and good snow conditions. Ski instructor also good.
Hire gear was good quality and condition.
Inghams reps were excellent.
Hotel (Lion Bansko) was good although food could have been better. Bar prices were less than the bars.
Short queues on the mountain even though it was half-term. (Not true of the gondola, see below.)
On the negative side:-
Gondola opened at 08:30 and even though we got there at 08:25, we still had to queue for a minimum of 20 minutes before the 25 minute gondola ride.
We had a day out in Sophia (depressing place, most buildings sprayed with graffiti) and there is an outdoor market that deals in ski equipment. No prizes for guessing where they get their stock!
Although we had a good skiing holiday, I wouldn’t recommend Bansko. Most people are miserable and unhelpful. It’s easy to believe that the place is run by the mafia.
February 19, 2007
V from
United Kingdom
V from
United Kingdom
I am just back from Bansko - it was simply dreadful. It took up to two hours to get to the slopes. There was a queue for the ski hire every day - the first day was for two hours!! Then a queue for the gondola - up to an hour - plus people pushing in all the time. Then 30 minutes on the gondola. The place is like a building site - crummy buildings going up in a haphazard manner, ruining the area. Stray dogs everywhere - tragic. Maniac drivers who rip you off. Miserable staff who are rude in the main. The infrastructure simply cannot accommodate the number of people there. The slopes are over-crowded,and there seems to be little consideration given for fellow skiers. People will vote with their feet, and I shall never go back.
Nearest