Bulgaria Ski discussion board

OK you guys, I'm back so here goes ...

Firstly, with the exchange rate, you're looking at 1 lev being 40p ish.

Pretty much every bar in Pamps town itself charges the same prices, along the lines of ...

Beer/Cider - Small 330ml/Large 500ml
Kamenitza, Stella, Becks ... 3 lev small, 4 lev large
Imported (Guiness, Strongbow etc) ... 4 lev small, 7 lev large

Spirits - Not an exact science in the measuring department but probably what you'd consider a double in the UK
Local whiskey, gin, vodka etc ... 4 lev straight, 6 lev with mixer
Imported spirits ... 7 lv straight, 9 lv with mixer

You do get the occasional 2-4-1 offer but these weren't widespread. There is a little bar in the Perelik that had a "This week special" where the beer prices were half that as described above for the local stuff.

As for the softer stuff, bottles of coke, sprite etc average 3 or 4 levs, coffee was 2 lev or 4 lev with milk - weird that it cost 2 lev for tea but if you wanted milk with it it was 3!!! Hot chocolate was more like 3 or 4 lev and with brandy added, 6 lev.

On the slopes (At mid station, for example) the coffee, hot choc prices were pretty much the same, beer was around a lev more expensive and hot wine was around 6 levs. You could get the same drinks at the ski depot in the bottom for a lev less and chocolate pancakes were 3 lev and very delicious!

Talking about food - we were half board so didn't eat out very much but, generally, mid station prices were about 30% more expensive than in the town ... eg a pizza was about 16 levs, but only around 12 levs in the Italian at the Perelik. Same with pasta and burgers ... 10 or 12 levs mid-station, 8 or 10 levs in the town.

On the whole, prices were pretty consistent but you could find cheaper food and drink prices by trying a few of the smaller places and giving the bigger places a miss - that goes for both on the slopes and in the town. For example, I found a pizza for 8 levs at mid station next door to a place where it was 16 levs!

Speaking to others, once you got away from the main parts of the town or the slopes, prices dropped dramatically and you'd be paying 2 levs for a beer instead of 4 although I can't confirm this because I'm a lazy arse and didn't venture out that far!!!

Anyway, hope that helps you out.

Rich
You should go to a place called Bar Ilia. Run by a 30stone+ Russian called Leo. He has a great English speaking waiter called Michael, who is fantastic. Not trendy, very 'rustic' you will have a great time there and the prices are the cheapest in Pamps. He love English 60's pop music You find it on the corner as you turn down to Hotel Pamporovo. Half way from Ski Center 1 and the Mugavets Hotel. From the ouside doesn't look much just a wooden hut, but great for a cheap start to the Evening. Tell him Jody sent you...Cheers

Hey Kim

Bit of a nightmare ... transfer from Pamps to Plovdiv on Saturday but told 30 mins before setting off that Plovdiv airport was closed due to fog and we all had to go to Sofia instead.

Set off at 6:15pm, arrived Sofia at 10:30pm and, surprisingly enough, that was also closed due to fog ... sat in the airport for 3.5 hours then got bussed to Boro and put up in the Samokov for the night (arrived there at half 3 in the morning).

Next day, picked up at 12 to go back to Sofia ... arrived there just as the airport was being evacuated due to a bomb scare! Finally got on the plane at 6pm Sunday.

And we all thought that the 11 hour transfer from Greece to Pamps going out there was bad enough but compared to that ... ???!!!