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, 2013
Daniel from
Bulgaria
Daniel from
Bulgaria
To the reviewer that finds my comment about mostly lower class people liking Bansko insulting - whether it is insulting or not, it is 100% true.
The fact that you have or haven't experienced something somewhere does not make it the norm. Your comment is about personal experiences in Bansko (positive experiences) and France/Italy (bad experiences). However, I am talking about the bigger picture here, I am talking about the norm. And the norm is this:
1) most of foreign tourists in Bansko are lower class British who are interested in the cheap food and alcohol. I do not want to offend anyone - poor, middle class or rich, everyone has the right to have fun. But by attracting mostly such people you end up with lots of positive comments about Bansko for the wrong reasons - cheap food, alcohol and strippers.
2) Bansko has terrible queues very often. Not always but often to annoy people badly.
3) The number of pistes is not sufficicent for any decent skier who wants to be entertained for a whole week
4) The ski seaon is rather short and that, combined with the number of slopes, does not justify the high prices which are comaprable and often higher than top resorts in the Alps.
5) Most of the staff are super rude - I have lived in Bansko, skied there hundreds and hundreds of times so I think I am qualified to make such a jujdement better than anyone. Of course, I have experienced some great service in Bansko too. But again - I am talking about the norm here not some exceptions
6 ) Apart from the old town, Bansko is very ugly. I have been to some of the French mega resorts and they do not look good either with their appartment blocks from the 70s. They feel like a ghetto. But at least they do not have muddy roads, sometimes even lack of roads and pavements, terrible infrastructure, dozens if not hundreds of unfinished buildings, hundreds of cheap plastic kiosks, people stopping you every 10 meters asking you to go to their restaurant/club/pub/erotic bar etc etc.
Now, anyone tell me - which part of all this is wrong!
[note, to reviewer, from the editor: small amount of text removed for the sake of relevance]
January 15, 2013
Mark Cummings from
United Kingdom
Mark Cummings from
United Kingdom
I like Bansko, but the conditions here at the moment are very poor. Very icy and patchy snow, lots of rocks and gravel sticking through even on the upper slopes. Needs several days of consistent snow.
Also the prices continue to rise both in the town and on the mountain. Prices are now about 3 times what they were 5 years ago.
January 08, 2013
Jonathan Buxton from
Bulgaria
Jonathan Buxton from
Bulgaria
We are currently on holiday in Bansko staying in one of the catered ski chalets. This is our second time here but our first during a peak week. The only problem is with the gondola. The lift queues up the mountain are non-existant compared to Austria (the only other place we have been for NY) but the gondola queue has been terrible for the NY week. It was fine before and now it's fine again. I think it's a shame that the majority of Bansko guests come during NY or half-term holidays and don't witness it out of these weeks when it's a pleasure to ski. Anyway, a bit of advice - get to the gondola for 8 and you'll be fine! Otherwise, stay in one of the chalets and they give you free lifts up the mountain to the first chair (about a 5 minute drive) all inclusive in the package.
I don't know how many companies there are but I'm pretty sure there are at least 8 in town that offer this service.
January 07, 2013
Seankata from
United Kingdom
Seankata from
United Kingdom
Just back from a last minute weekend in Bansko and had a great time again. I've read a few recent posts on here and agree in part with some of it. Anyone looking for advanced skiiing down a wide variety of pistes will not find it in Bansko. For a complete novice or new skier or people who don't judge everything by size Bansko will appeal. It is fair to say there are realistically around 10 different runs down the mountain and many of them end in the same bottleneck but the piste quality was uniformly excellent and there was enough to keep me happy and I would describe myself as an advanced intermediate. I've skied much of Europe and would agree that there are many better places to go if a big resort is what you're after. Bansko really needs that fabled second gondola! The prices for lift passes etc have definitely gone up and I agree again that they will need to be careful here because it won't take much more to drive people away; you can't charge 3 valleys prices for 1 mountain!! Where I disagree is the notion that the resort will only appeal a certain lower class demographic and find another reviewer's post of early December a bit insulting. What is in Banskos favour is the after ski stuff being generally excellent value and quality. My wife is originally from Sofia and we've never experienced rude staff or poor or expensive drinks and food but we both speak French and Italian and have heard plenty of insults from staff in other European resorts where they don't know we understand them. Anyway, I'm back again on the 14th Feb and personally can't wait.
January 05, 2013
Dimitris - Maria from
Greece
Dimitris - Maria from
Greece
We regret to say that we agree completely with another reviewers remarks. We fell in love with the place some years ago and bought a small apartment. However, it is not a joy to us any more. The horrible queues at the gondola, the high price of the ski pass, the huge amount of rubbish around the town are some of the drawbacks we've witnessed.
January 01, 2013
David Cummings from
United Kingdom
David Cummings from
United Kingdom
I would just like to concur with Daniel's view of Bansko, posted last month. I have been to the resort every year since 2008 and the prices have gone up and up every year beyond reasonable justification. Bansko needs to be aware that there are other places that can attract our money and if not careful will drive away the regular visitor and only attract one time tourists. Prices in the restaurants are very expensive compared to similar meals found in restaurants in Razlog. As for customer service, that is also something that will eventually be resolved maybe in 15 years or so.
As for the building boom, well that bubble did not last very long and many people have had their fingers burned through that one (mainly the Brits). Happy days. Will be back on the slopes in a few weeks.
December 30, 2012
Phil from
United Kingdom
Phil from
United Kingdom
True, Bansko has its faults but the town has been there for centuries and has such character; we are returning for the third time. The snowboarding is good and the apres-ski is very good and cheap and the restaurants are full of character and great value for money.
[note from the editor : this post has been edited in order to remove the name of another reviewer and maintain relevance]
December 27, 2012
Marco from
United Kingdom
Marco from
United Kingdom
December 12, 2012
Daniel from
Bulgaria
Daniel from
Bulgaria
Bansko is a good resort if you are an uneducated Englishman from Liverpool who judges a resort by the price of a pint of beer or if you are a Bulgarian who has never been anywhere in the Alps and compares Bansko to the other shitty resorts in Bulgaria.
Here are few facts which can't be denied:
1. Bansko hasn't got enough slopes - you can do all of them in one day.
2. Food, drinks and acccomodation in Bansko are cheap but lift passes are not. If you compare Bansko to other similar sized resorts in the Alps, Bansko's ski passes are actually more expensive. Yes, Yes, it is true. Go and compare them yourselves. But do not compare Bansko to giants like 3 Vallees or Val d'Isere, compare it to smaller resorts with 15-20 slopes and you will see.
3. Bansko's staff are very rude. Often, foreign tourists do not even realize it. More than once, I have witnessed situations where staff members talk to each and insult tourists in Bulgarian so that they do not understand the insults. "Fat British cow" or "Stupid Englishman" are the norm. Same with bar and restaurant staff. So next time when someone is smiling at you, think twice.
4. The queues are terrible. Not always but very often. Just terrible. Full stop.
5. Bansko's season pass just went up by 50% compared to last year. 50%! Go figure. No new lifts, no new pistes but still - 50% increase. The season pass now costs 750 Euros for 4 months of skiing (yes, this is how long, at the most, the ski season lasts in Bansko) for 75 km of slopes. Quick comparison: Val Thorens in 3 Vallees season pass - 850 Euros. Season duration: 6 months. Solden, Austria - 550 Euros. Season lasts 6 months, 150 km ski slopes, 2 glaciers.
As you can see, I am only stating hard facts here. I know that people can have a good time no matter how shit a place is. This is why I am not trying to convince anyone whether they should go or no. Just stating hard facts.
April 02, 2012
John Doyle from
Bulgaria
John Doyle from
Bulgaria
In Bansko for late season skiing - it's sunny, there's plenty of snow still and the pistes are open and there is a distinct lack of crowds..
No gondola queues, therefore...
Food is good, Bansko is full of places to eat
No snow in Bansko town itself and the snow trail back to town is shut but that's not surprising
Locals are friendly - ski school excellent
So far it's highly recommended
Nearest