Bulgaria Ski discussion board
Experiences last week
Author:simongm
posts : 102 (Intermediate)Date : 01-06-09 17:01Experiences last week
All
Just got back from Pamps after staying over the new year and thought I would share some info/experiences.
Travelled from Gatwick to Plovdiv on Thomson fly (booked as flight only through Crystalski) on Sat 27thDec.
Returned Sat 3rd Jan (it was Plovdiv to Gatwick but delayed for 24hours due to snow and flew back from Sofia.)
Transfers: Orgonised these online with a company called Moto roads and I must say they were brilliant. There were 7 in our party including an 11month old baby ...
Just got back from Pamps after staying over the new year and thought I would share some info/experiences.
Travelled from Gatwick to Plovdiv on Thomson fly (booked as flight only through Crystalski) on Sat 27thDec.
Returned Sat 3rd Jan (it was Plovdiv to Gatwick but delayed for 24hours due to snow and flew back from Sofia.)
Transfers: Orgonised these online with a company called Moto roads and I must say they were brilliant. There were 7 in our party including an 11month old baby ...
All
Just got back from Pamps after staying over the new year and thought I would share some info/experiences.
Travelled from Gatwick to Plovdiv on Thomson fly (booked as flight only through Crystalski) on Sat 27thDec.
Returned Sat 3rd Jan (it was Plovdiv to Gatwick but delayed for 24hours due to snow and flew back from Sofia.)
Transfers: Orgonised these online with a company called Moto roads and I must say they were brilliant. There were 7 in our party including an 11month old baby and even after arriving at Plovdiv 5 hours late after a delay on the way out the guy met us with a board with my name on and a 12-14 seater private coach awaited us. Driver stopped on route at the Alaska supermarket in Pamps for us to stock up with provisions (this was at about midnight) before going up to our apartment at the Grand Monastery.
Whilst only limited runs open it snowed on 4 of the 7 days and we always found areas, runs to keep us occupied!
Plenty of bars sampled on the pistes and I would single out Peters Pub (by Silver Lake area above Studenetz) as being cosy with fire and seemed a fair bit cheaper than others. Lovely Irish Coffee and also Grape brandy Chocolates. Think they were about 6 Levs?
Large beers 3 levs.
Rossignol bar on run down to studenetz on left of piste also good . Spiders bar a bit more pricey but better facilities and walking distance on an evening from the Grand Monastery.
Taverna below Monastery 1 (at Studenetz area also very reasonable and lovely food, roaring fire on an evening.
Spent New Year in Spiders and then nightclub at the Grand Monastery, great fireworks at midnight and then we interupted the Bulgarians on the dance floor at 02.00 hours with our rendition of Auld Lang Syne. I think we left about 5.30 am and party still in full swing!!
Returning home on Sat 3rd Jan we arranged with Moto Roads to pick us up at 7pm for the 22.10 flight back from Plovdiv. Driver got there at 7.15 (which wasnt bad given the snow that was falling. Arrived Plovdiv about 1.40 mins later (again good time considering roads white over and ice!!!. Advised plovdiv airport was shut due to the snowfall!!. After headscratching and speaking to lady in information kiosk at the airport she advise that 2 coaches for this flight ( on packages to Pamps had set off from Plovdiv 45 mins earlier after being advised that our flight had diverted to Varna and was then due to go into Sofia and leave within 2 hours!!!
The moto roads driver was brilliant, his boss ( Micheal came on the phone, (spoke perfect English) and we agreed a price and then set off to Sofia.
Given the blizzard conditions and after overtaking several convoys of snowploughs on route we got there in 2hrs 10 mins ( which was quicker than I had done in a car in October!!.
Met up with several Crystal ski reps who advised due to conditions they were organising a hotel in Sofia for everyone and even though we were flight only they paid and put us up in the Kempinski and gave us breakfast the next day. We left there at 2pm Sunday and eventually got back to Gatwick at midnight and drove back up to the midlands.
No one can foresee the weather and it all added to the holiday experience. I cant praise the transfer company enough and will definitely be using them again ( hopefully going back in late Feb)
As far as prices in Pamps are concerned the only area where I felt the prices had spiralled over and above inflation, currency exchange etc was the taxi's in Pamps. In 2007 it was 3or4 levs from center of Pamps to studenetz area and this time round it was 18 (cheapest) or sometimes 20 levs for what in reality is about a mile. I think someone needs to set up a shuttle bus service and they will clean up given the amount of developments at Studenetz and above!! Someone could feed this back to the lady who asked for opinions on Pamps so she could pass them back to the resort owners ( cant find the posting)
All in all a very enjoyable break, Pamps and the locals were as friendly and helpful as always and if they can get the other red and blacks pistes bashed and open then everyone heading out will have a great time.
Apologies for the length but hopefully people who are venturing out for the first time will find the above of some use.
Cheers
Just got back from Pamps after staying over the new year and thought I would share some info/experiences.
Travelled from Gatwick to Plovdiv on Thomson fly (booked as flight only through Crystalski) on Sat 27thDec.
Returned Sat 3rd Jan (it was Plovdiv to Gatwick but delayed for 24hours due to snow and flew back from Sofia.)
Transfers: Orgonised these online with a company called Moto roads and I must say they were brilliant. There were 7 in our party including an 11month old baby and even after arriving at Plovdiv 5 hours late after a delay on the way out the guy met us with a board with my name on and a 12-14 seater private coach awaited us. Driver stopped on route at the Alaska supermarket in Pamps for us to stock up with provisions (this was at about midnight) before going up to our apartment at the Grand Monastery.
Whilst only limited runs open it snowed on 4 of the 7 days and we always found areas, runs to keep us occupied!
Plenty of bars sampled on the pistes and I would single out Peters Pub (by Silver Lake area above Studenetz) as being cosy with fire and seemed a fair bit cheaper than others. Lovely Irish Coffee and also Grape brandy Chocolates. Think they were about 6 Levs?
Large beers 3 levs.
Rossignol bar on run down to studenetz on left of piste also good . Spiders bar a bit more pricey but better facilities and walking distance on an evening from the Grand Monastery.
Taverna below Monastery 1 (at Studenetz area also very reasonable and lovely food, roaring fire on an evening.
Spent New Year in Spiders and then nightclub at the Grand Monastery, great fireworks at midnight and then we interupted the Bulgarians on the dance floor at 02.00 hours with our rendition of Auld Lang Syne. I think we left about 5.30 am and party still in full swing!!
Returning home on Sat 3rd Jan we arranged with Moto Roads to pick us up at 7pm for the 22.10 flight back from Plovdiv. Driver got there at 7.15 (which wasnt bad given the snow that was falling. Arrived Plovdiv about 1.40 mins later (again good time considering roads white over and ice!!!. Advised plovdiv airport was shut due to the snowfall!!. After headscratching and speaking to lady in information kiosk at the airport she advise that 2 coaches for this flight ( on packages to Pamps had set off from Plovdiv 45 mins earlier after being advised that our flight had diverted to Varna and was then due to go into Sofia and leave within 2 hours!!!
The moto roads driver was brilliant, his boss ( Micheal came on the phone, (spoke perfect English) and we agreed a price and then set off to Sofia.
Given the blizzard conditions and after overtaking several convoys of snowploughs on route we got there in 2hrs 10 mins ( which was quicker than I had done in a car in October!!.
Met up with several Crystal ski reps who advised due to conditions they were organising a hotel in Sofia for everyone and even though we were flight only they paid and put us up in the Kempinski and gave us breakfast the next day. We left there at 2pm Sunday and eventually got back to Gatwick at midnight and drove back up to the midlands.
No one can foresee the weather and it all added to the holiday experience. I cant praise the transfer company enough and will definitely be using them again ( hopefully going back in late Feb)
As far as prices in Pamps are concerned the only area where I felt the prices had spiralled over and above inflation, currency exchange etc was the taxi's in Pamps. In 2007 it was 3or4 levs from center of Pamps to studenetz area and this time round it was 18 (cheapest) or sometimes 20 levs for what in reality is about a mile. I think someone needs to set up a shuttle bus service and they will clean up given the amount of developments at Studenetz and above!! Someone could feed this back to the lady who asked for opinions on Pamps so she could pass them back to the resort owners ( cant find the posting)
All in all a very enjoyable break, Pamps and the locals were as friendly and helpful as always and if they can get the other red and blacks pistes bashed and open then everyone heading out will have a great time.
Apologies for the length but hopefully people who are venturing out for the first time will find the above of some use.
Cheers
re: Experiences last week
Good report Simonski. You've just confirmed our thoughts of last year where we have previously stayed at the Finlandia but the taxi prices were bad then & had decided we would stay further in town if we went this year cos we presumed they would go up but not by that much! Staying at Hotel Pamps this time.Glad to hear the snows sounding better & there's been more since you left so looking forward to going out on 18.1.09.
Sounds like you had a good time. Ta very much
re: Experiences last week
Nice one Simonski. Can you give us a run down on the Grand Monastery as I have a place there and would love to hear some update on it?Cheers Steve
re: Experiences last week
bumpre: Experiences last week
Nice to read a positive report of Pamps. Sounds like quite an interesting journey too!
