Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Ive never been skiing anywhere else apart from Bansko and this coming season will be my 3rd week on the powder.

Why? We can only go half term and I looked around so hard for other places but at those times it is upwards of £1300 each.. for the flights & accomodation... then add in lift pass and ski hire & pole hire and the high expense of food & booze it makes it a very pricy holiday I could imagine for the two of us the total would easily be £3,600 give or take.

Now Bansko - yes accomodation is "Free" as we own the pad so its not exactly apples with apples.
Flights £225 with BA rtn transport c£50 each lift passes, ski hire & pole hire £150 each.
So thats £850 plus food & booze lets say £300 which is a massive budget so £1,150 all in.

Hmm - not sure of the point of this post Do It Man.
Why so sarcastic?
All you've really said is Bulgaris isn't as cheap as it was. France is more expensive but there are still bargains around, and extra cost of lift pass is made up for by the fact that there are more runs.
All well and good, and perfectly valid (in my opinion). Just not sure why such a negative tone?

Saying Bulgaria isn't cheap anymore is a bit stupid coming from someone who knows better. And using an example of finding a bar in France that sells beer for 3.5 Euros is a very odd example, given that it's 4 times the price of some of the bars in Bansko (only resort I can comment on). So saying Bulgaria isn't AS cheap anymore seems reasonable. I guess you're a bit miffed that it used to be unbelievably cheap and now isn't, but unfortunately that's global economics for you and super cheap resorts seem to be dissappearing fast. Romania might be the last option (hopefully next year...).

Matt

To the original poster just noticed you stated you did manage to find 1 bar selling beers for E3.5.

This converts to 6.85Levs.
Now on the slopes in Bansko last year I was paying 5levs for a beer ... in the town most plaes were 1.2-3.5levs and within that range most were really 2levs.

The E8 you state for in most bars & this is common as I havefriends who go there and the resorts are pricy is 15.65Lev. If you compare resort beer to on slope beer in Bansko your getting over 3 to 1 and if you changed that to resort to resort then that 15.65lev would easily get you 7-8 beers .... hmm makes quite a diference.

Food wise - from my understanding in France most people take up sandwiches as its very pricy on the slopes whereas in Bansko its more than the village for sure but Im happy to pay the extra as it really is minimal relative to the UK.

Hmm interesting points, but like Matt not sure I agree with all of them.
Firstly Bulgaria cannot and will never be able to compete with resorts in France,Switzerland,Austria etc in terms of Ski able Km so for the life of me I do not understand why people insist on comparing it to them? It's a bit like comparing a Skoda to a Jaguar.

What it offers is something different, from the norm of pristine resorts with miles and miles of motorway skiing. It is a great place to learn to ski and also for intermediates,if you like extreme slopes and pushing yourself hard all day then maybe none of the resorts will be suitable for you.Although Bansko does offer some good off piste if you are in the know.

So we come to cost. Yes no denying it you can get some great deals across Europe that on paper do seem to offer better value than BG. But it all comes down to what you want from a skiing holiday. If you want miles and miles of ski able piste and are quite happy to sit in your catered chalet every night or your Half board Hotel and sup a couple of beers a night then that's great they are good deals and will appeal to a lot of skiers.

What it boils down to is what you want from your holiday? I myself want to be able to ski a bit then go out and have fun in the evening without worrying about cost and for me Bansko is perfect. I am a 1 week a year skier, not very good just happy to potter around and then go and have a good night with some good food and cheap beer. THATS WHAT I WANT. Someone else may recall in horror at this. In Basnko it is entirely possible to get a beer for 2 levs and shorts. It is also possible to eat very well for 10 Levs. Now this may no longer be the case in Pamporovo or Boro as they are purpose built resorts,but you can still eat and drink for less than France etc.

My trip to Bansko this year for 2 for 8 nights will cost £200 for flights £340 for a 2 bed very large Penthouse apartment in a nice complex opposite the Gondola. Much larger than we need but it's my partners 30th so I thought sod it! I could have got a Studio for £99 if I had wanted. Oh and I will have to pay Steve C for transfers I suppose. I think that's great value.

Now lift pass prices are a concern especially In Bansko were they have risen once again and quite frankly I think Ulen are taking the piss charging full price when only half the runs are open. But can we stop comparing cost per Km with other resorts it just does not makes sense because if you do the math Bulgarian resorts would have to charge a few pounds for a weekly pass and that would just not pay. Also some great package prices are available for ski hire and lessons and a pass if you book with a tour op.

Now and if anyone is still reading well done. back to the forum and rose tinted specs. I agree that this is a problem on here. I got particularly fed up with certain posters last season banging on about Pamporovo making it sound like some bloody winter Mecca(mainly the posters who have a business in resort) It was even claimed Pamporovo will become a 6 month a year ski resort! It is struggling to be a 12 week a year resort. That is not only misleading to people reading the forum it shows a complete lack of knowledge and quite frankly ignorance on the posters behalf.

Ah I will shut up now. Bulagaria is what it is a bit like marmite. Stop comparing it to the rest of Europe and go with an open mind and as a wise poster once said. "I go to Bulgaria for a ski HOLIDAY and to the rest of Europe for a SKI holiday!"

I thought i needed to comment too. This is our fifth year skiing (one week each year) We first met a family on our first weeks skiing four years ago, and met again the next year, simply because everyone enjoyed themselves and we had a great instructor from Albena ski school called Michael (Mischo Voinov) who we still meet every year and have at least one meal with him and his girlfriend. Why i am posting is because most of the people i know in the uk who ski are all 'posh people ' who i suppose i do not 'hang out with!!!
I have longed to ski all my 43 years and can do so now with my family, who all love Borovets and feel as though they know the place off by heart. I think along with others that because it is not a huge resort where you would not bump into others from the year before that it adds to its attraction. Everyone bleats on about 400 or 500k of piste but for me its not for me at the minute, especially with kids 14 and 11 who feel safe to wander off together.
Yep in a couple of years i will try Italy or France but at the minute Boro will do for me, 'and its cheap' (shhh but especially in Samokov)

Tateyheed

Do it Man, very few can disagree with all that you have written. However, as noted, Bulgaria (All resorts) cannot be compared to The Alps in relation to Kms of skiing etc. I would point out though that as finances becoming tighter for many more people, there may be a need to book to ski in Bulgaria to make it affordable. Yes they will have to take their chances. The alternative will be to save and ski every other year in the high Alps. I think you will find that for many, they will continue to pay the affordable price for Bulgaria and run the gauntlet with the weather.

I won't go to Boro in Jan anymore unless I get a last minute deal and the snow is there. That said , Feb /Mar when the snow is there I don't think you can beat it if you have children or are a beginner. As already said it's great to be in a small area and know the older kids can pop to the shop or watch the footie on their own. My disappointment last year was a ski instructor who couldn't give a poop and that annoys me as there are many there who are excellent instructors.The ones who can't be bothered should not be working - they spoil the reputation of the ski schools and Bulgaria. I plan to go in March this year, I may not be able to ski due to a accident , but I find most of the people in and around the resort friendly and look forward to seeing them all again soon.
Caz