Bulgaria Ski discussion board

No comment or just a little

I have to just say that there is no point out showing anything to people with clear vested interests exactly in Bulgaria.
Snow queens and kings and people going 20-30 times in one place (very limited experiences) don't want to move away because they haven't bothered .
Simple
me thinks .
I have 2 kids teens and on comparison at Half Term I have NEVER EVER gone to Bulgaria (And I have HUGE VESTED interests in Bulgaria) One major part is the hastle of travel operators which I dislike even booking independantly there is hastle.

I book direct with the hotel or residence owner,
I book cheap ferry X which always costs not more than 50(fact) smakarunies for return and start traveling evening on thursday.I am One hour from ferry sleep for few minutes on it then Press the pedal and by 12 noon I am on the slopes if in France or afternoon if in Swiss or Austria ski that day go to the hotel down in close town.
So travel like that then have a sleep very close to resorts and on the Saturday early morning arrive in the chosen resort and ski all day for a second day(always this is the best day as the groups are out in a transfer etc)
Then PM I on that Saturday I am in the hotel or residence all sorted and done.
No hastle whatsoever.

I have with me all of the skis( few pairs each) and everything I need to sort out ski gear (wax sharp etc)
I don't queue for getting gear just hop on the gondola and SKI (that what I bring my family to the slopes) not to step into a buss from airport and listen to some rubbish personal stories on the way or pathetic talk of a TourRep.
I have been one before in my youth and kind of dislike it hugely.

Absolute freedom and flexibility and MAXIMUM snow time is the order of them weeks with my family on the slopes.

I have to say kids all ski so there is no problem with teachers etc.

But even when they were absolute beginners there was NOT a problem.
-Have them for the hours there then ski with them again lessons again with me/us.
Maximum sliding on the slopes.
The same happens on our last day skiing (sat) always ski the whole of that day then in the evening go down to a town have a nice local meal and sleep in the hotel arranged and fresh start the driving back on the Sunday(some times we ski and the last Sunday in another resort on the way back to compare or discover something different)
How cool is that!
After that I Drive leasurely and again for Night X on the ferry on Sunday night and arriving @ Dover 5-6am and straight for my kids school on the Monday morning.

So if I calculate there are 8 or 9(sometimes 10) days on the slopes for a week not 6 or less.
2 or even 3 of the days are with almost nobody on the slopes(2 saturdays and Friday or Sunday which are less skiers because they have to get their gear and waste time for nothing).

Other major advantage:
I start from my house and directly end on the slopes without airport rubbish check weights hastle speeches of Tour Company exuses and a hell of a lot of unnesessary rubbish.
I eat where I want or if I have arranged Half-board eat with no hastle .
And after all of that I end up paying LESS for my grand total.
FACT!
So please please you may have a vESTED interest in the place like me but that does not mean it is a good deal to go to BG at Half-Term Feb.Far from it.
If the snow if perfect YES
If the week in question is Low season YES.

If I could do Bulgaria cheaper for that period I would go there but that is not the case.
I have to avoid the weekends for sure that makes D days skiing.is that all (I want more!)
If I go on my own and try to combine business with pleasure then Bulgaria is OK.

I do what I do, then ski 2-3 days and return by the weekend because then I can go to a normal ski resort and with my family.
And another thing which brings down the cost of holiday is :
I(including my wife) drink very limited amount of alcohol (my teens NONE) so we all have to agree that if that's the case Bugaria is out of question.
I know that huge part of people going to BG is the type friendly with the bottle so to speak

Secondly:
I know very well what goes inside your dishes in Bulgaria.
Have quite a inside view of the whole chain process from product to dish (food alcohol and soft drinks)

And let's compare the LIFT passes
(The other CANCER of the BG resorts)
Anyone with comparing details?
Not of course.
Lift pass which incorporate say swims and climbing wall for a 6 day is around 130-160euros mark in the Alps(appart of the BIG prestige resorts(premier League ones which you go there for massive amount of skiing and experience)
55lv a day in BG or 28euros times 6 makes 158 euros.
Where is the comparison in that ?
You tell me!
And that is for very limited skiing in BG, crowded and DANGEROUS skiing without safety in consideration,and massive queues shabby and ugly places to eat on the slopes.
Plus appart of this season, more likely : poor snow cover and limited maintenace on the ski runs.
I am a logical man and can not forsee anything appeling of paying more or less the same for what?
To go to a metal and ugly white shack on the slopes with health hasard issues just because there are a lot of forumers which advertised it?
Which Thinking they are getting value for money?

Take a look at the posting of Pete about his recent visit to Pamporovo.
The chap has been ages and thousands of time to that place and it is really specialgrew on him (for all sorts of reasons) but not very amased from continuing visiting that place now.
Of course it is going to be different with some posters now which will defend BG resorts at any cost.
I am expecting a flood of them one after the other.
But we all know that this is because you have VESTED interests in the place and you are scared (which is normal) to read or face the reality.
It is all objective of course.
If I am magician I could probably make myself liking even Afganistan for a holiday destination and believe it was realy good one too.

And now just to let you know that. I am not against Bulgaria as a absolute beginer destination , I am going for a 3 days (third time this season) visit to BG. And will ski 2 of them days.
The only thing is that I combine business with skiing and I am without my family and off the peak time and because this season is ONE OFF and unlikely to be repeated again in our lifetimes.
Because of that I visit BG and with skiing intentions this season.get it?
Anyway Enjoy Whatever you have found and hope to learn skiing so you will be able to graduate and then move on to bettet places.

As for this comparison:
Do the little (5 mins)research
Put everything in the basket and I am sure you can do CHEAPER the Alps.

Good luck!
Untill then:
You have to stick to second best I am afraid
(When it comes to skiing/snowboarding/ski dooing X country skiing Free Speed Riding,Randoning, parashuting,posing, or just enjoying the mountain scenery)
Not including the alcohol infused Experience and days

Hey Mr. M,

You make some good points, especially about maximising time on the slope etc., but I think you are prejudging some of the intents of people on the forum.

Just in case you had any assumptions about where my previous post is coming from...

- I have NO vested commercial interest in BG.
- I have skiied in many countries and know the difference in standards between the Alps and BG.
- I always book direct and have NEVER done a holiday through a tour operator
- I would love to go back to the Alps

I have not done a price comparison with half term as I have no interest in going at that time but Borovets does offer better value for money for us when we do go - and I have costed it out more times than I can think, spent hours trawling through French/Italian accommodation to try and find a good deal.

Your post does back up some of my assertions - namely to do it you do need to drive (not a problem for me as I am on the south coast, but a right PITA for anyone in the midlands or further north) and you have to forgo things like ski school for the kids. I also note you have nothing to say about the costs on the slopes. I have no problems making a lunch but if I can afford to relax and eat some good food on the slope then that's a much better holiday for me!

You also comment about taking all your skis etc. - that's fine but that assumes everyone can kit their kids out each year with boots and skis. Even buying second hand adds to the costs...

You seem to intimate that the food in BG is not good and potentially dangerous. We did not have a bad meal this year both in the village and on the slopes. For example, at the Stone Hut I had a fantastic piece of chicken breast cooked on an open flame with an excellent bread roll - £7 or so. The gulash or soups are also very good. The White House (which I presume is the target of your "metal ugly white shack" dig) does a piece of chicken of similar quality but with a drink and a chocolate bar - great value and at least as good, if not better, than the food you'd typically get in France but not at 3x the price. The place might be smart and new but the welcome is top drawer and head and shoulders above the snooty attitude of many of the French places.

Sure, Borovets is different to the Alps but it has a charm and character that sets it apart. It is by no means perfect but is getting better. I think it is given a bad rap by many who have no idea what they are talking about or aren't prepared to accept it's not the same as the Alps.

I am more than happy to accept your assertion that a half term break might work out a similar price - I've not priced it. Where I think you are being unfair is assuming that anyone who goes to BG is doing it just because they are ignorant and don't have your apparent "you don't want to do it like that" arrogance.

I support your desire to not look at BG with rose tinted glasses and highlight areas where it needs to improve but lording it over those people who enjoy their holidays there, insulting those who work hard to help visitors have a good time and generally having a glass half empty attitude to the place does you no favours.

Hear hear jez, I'm with you brother. I've never had a bad meal or bad experience in BG , always go in half term. our flights this year were £110 per person with luggage! even with the lack of snow last year still had a fantastic holiday. my experience of the people is they make you feel like part of the family. a huge amount of work was put in last summer to improve the pistes, which was unpaid for most as i personally know some of the volunteers. even in half term I've not had a problem with the queuing or rather lack of it. theres a good verity of runs and this year the off piste was world class!many people i spoke to said they've been to america and canada for good off piste and BG this year beat any of those. as far as not knowing whats in the food, do we really know whats in our fast food at home, if it tastes good and doesn't give you deli belly then who really cares.
i could not afford to take my whole family at half term to the popular european resorts paying there extortionate prices, with rudeness and snobbery Borovets for me means i can give the family a fantastic ski holiday and actually not worry about money, more often than not come home with money left over, which i never do on any other holiday. the only thing that could be improved is the lift passes so you don't have to keep getting them out of your pocket as mine always ends up bent. apart from that its all good good good.love it. roll on next year and many many more.
Paul

I think that mr m has made his arguement re Bulgaria quite clear and I have indeed met many people who would not choose to ge back to Bulgaria for sking. I do ,however ,feel that he makes many automatic assumptions . Many of the formum persons do go elsewhere ( I have read that Pete goes elsewhere as well as Pamporova). Driving for some obviously makes a holiday cheaper but not everyone wants to drive that far or indeed has the right vehicle, not everyone wants to go self catering either. I myself learnt to ski in Bulgaria and by getting my technique right over the years have been able to continue with a sport that I love into my seventies-some of these instructors that I met along the way have become my best friends, have stayed with me in England and I have indeed stayed with them in Bulgaria.I did enjoy my holiday sking on Bulgaria this year and am aware that if the snow had been rubbish would have wished I was in the French Alps. I have also skied in Canada, Italy, Austria and many times in the 3v all of which had their own advantages and disadvantages but have not found the enduring hospitality and friendship from the people in these countries. There is just something special about Bulgaria-the fact is that people 'get 'it and some do not.My grandaughter (11) is looking forward to have her Bulgarian friend (10)to stay with us at Easter-she 'gets'the Bulgarian magic and was impressed when we were invited by a successful bulgarian business man home to meet his parents. My brother, in fact did not choose to return. The booze is not attraction for me (I prefer not to drink when I want to ski )-personal choice and have been there and done that in my younger days. I think mr M we have to agree to disagree.

With referance to mr h comments, im a little p---ed off with people slatting Borovets simple answer is if you feel like that keep your comments to yourself and dont go there, personaly we as a group (15 this year) have never had a bad meal and have never met a rude bulgarian we have always been made to feel welcome and have made some good friends over the years as for the referance to The White house being an ugly building just because it dosen't fit into someones ideal dosen't make it ugly for others, try getting a beer at the top in the Alps for anywhere near there price. I for one will continue to go to Bulgaria skiing as no matter what others may say or think it's still excellant value for money.