Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Hi there,

You will have no problems getting up to Bansko at this time of year. Stay away from the sat nav, they just don't have them updated with the new roads, and you could get lost using it. The motorway is finished so it is now much quicker to go the main roads. We used to go up the mountain through samokov but last time we were there we used the motorway. The hardest part is getting out of Sofia and onto the motorway. You take the ringroad,and it takes about 45 mins to get to the motorway. But they are working on improving these roads so i think it will get better. Here are the directions we used. I wanted to go up through the mountains but dh insisted we take the motorway and (surprisingly) these directions were great and we didn't get lost.

When you go out of the airport keep strraight on the main road, which eventually joins the ringroad of Sofia. First you will pass a McDonalds on the right of you, then on the left a big supermarket (HIT) and pass the Bussiness Park Sofia. There the road is very bad for about 1-2 kms and you are on the ring road. Turn right and keep it straight on. You will pass a bit with dual carriage way (another McDonalds on the left) and when you see the EKO petrol station on your left you will need to turn left on the trafic lights. Imediately you get on the cobbled road out of Sofia that drifts in and out of dual carriageway. You come to a right turning for 'E79 Kulata' which takes you under a bridge and onto main nicely tarmaced dual carriageway . Continue on E79 about 15 km past Blagoevgrad turn right (signposted) to Razlog/ Bansko etc , keep going on the mountain road and eventually onto Razlog straight and into Bansko.

On the way back is fine except you can easily miss the turn off the sofia ringroad.

The way back should be easy as you would have taken the trip once. The only problems should be in Sofia, so i will try and explain that. When you get in sofia you follow the main road and when you get on the cobbled road on the first street lights you need to make a turn right and follow the main road. the triky thing is when to turn off from the ring road to the airport. I have a bit ridiculous advice, but you can never go wrong - after following the ring road for about 10 km. you will usually pass some ladies of the night and then there is a man with a old blue Moskvich that sells potatoes right on the sight of the road, oposite of him is a truck tyre center (there always are a lot of big tyres out) - when you pass them you need to take the first to the LEFT - it is not very well marked at the moment. You will see the bussiness center again and the HIT supermarket on the right and about 5km. before the airport you will see the first sign SOFIA AIRPORT.

(these directions are put together from some helpful guys on another site and i used them to get up and back without getting lost).It helps if you have a passenger to read them out to you.

Enjoy your trip,

River