Bulgaria Ski discussion board

sounds like some people didnt have a good time?
but thet are also the same complaint you will hear on any summer hol.

poor weather conditions
useless reps
poor food
over booked
trips rubbish
3 star not good (3 star is basic where ever you go)
taxi drivers rip off
loutish behaviour (normally the reps)lol
costs more in the hotel
reception not open all night

this could be any holiday in the world,
go out with low expectations,make friends relax,drink,ski,have a laugh,
and remember the good times.
because i am sure we will all have some.

nothing wrong with constructive critisism and forwarning people but lets have all
your good experiences as well .
come on tell me how nice it is i am going in three weeks.
all the best
steve

I agree, I am always amazed by brits abroad who complain about foriegn food !!!!! whats that about, what do you expect ! and as for the Bulgarians speaking a differant language, well that really takes the biscuit !
Ive had a number of holidays and Business trips to BG and sometimes theres snow sometimes theres grass, ive always skied, ive never had the trots, ive always got drunk (cheaply) and ive always had great food, my one gripe though and this applies here as well is that a large porportion of the population seem to smoke and passive smoking in BG is quite severe, (hard to understand if your a smoker) otherwise I really prefer the total atmosphere in BG to france or austria

Hi Steve, i skied in Borovets in 1984, still iron curtain then, stayed at the Rila which was virtually brand new . You were hasseled in the street by black market guys trying to sell you currency, standing in a queue at the CORRICOM shop to buy any luxury goods (good soap, shampoo etc), no real tourist bars, only hotel bars that tended to fill with Russian soldiers gambling using live ammo as chips.
There were kids at the weekend sliding down the slopes on steel trays or handmade snow skates wearing only shirts and jumpers with no gloves. The only cars around were either Trabants or Polski Fiat which in most cases had no wiper blades and bald tyres. We had travelled down from Plovdiv via Sofia and had not really seen any life, the middle of Sofia was deserted, i will accept that it was night
but it was still very quiet.
To witness the transition now is quite amazing 20 years on. Sofia is bussling full of
good bars and restaurants, busy streets full of cars (shame). On my last visit i went to Bansko with an overnight stay in Sofia staying at the Grand Hotel (£40.00
twin room, bargain). Bansko is fantastic though i feel it will get even better over the next few years. They are competing for the 2014 winter olympics so the requirements for that will mean massive expansion in accomadation and piste.
The Bulgarian people were friendly even on my first visit, generally they still are,
i even saw a restaurant in Bansko welcoming Brits as their EU brothers. Perhaps in the future this will change when our bad element find their way there but at the moment the resort is attracting ski/board minded people who are the best element
accepting their drinking habits (i do, i am the same)
Sorry to go on but i picked up the thread and could not stop...

Hi Steve, i skied in Borovets in 1984, still iron curtain then, stayed at the Rila which was virtually brand new . You were hasseled in the street by black market guys trying to sell you currency, standing in a queue at the CORRICOM shop to buy any luxury goods (good soap, shampoo etc), no real tourist bars, only hotel bars that tended to fill with Russian soldiers gambling using live ammo as chips.
There were kids at the weekend sliding down the slopes on steel trays or handmade snow skates wearing only shirts and jumpers with no gloves. The only cars around were either Trabants or Polski Fiat which in most cases had no wiper blades and bald tyres. We had travelled down from Plovdiv via Sofia and had not really seen any life, the middle of Sofia was deserted, i will accept that it was night
but it was still very quiet.
To witness the transition now is quite amazing 20 years on. Sofia is bussling full of
good bars and restaurants, busy streets full of cars (shame). On my last visit i went to Bansko with an overnight stay in Sofia staying at the Grand Hotel (£40.00
twin room, bargain). Bansko is fantastic though i feel it will get even better over the next few years. They are competing for the 2014 winter olympics so the requirements for that will mean massive expansion in accomadation and piste.
The Bulgarian people were friendly even on my first visit, generally they still are,
i even saw a restaurant in Bansko welcoming Brits as their EU brothers. Perhaps in the future this will change when our bad element find their way there but at the moment the resort is attracting ski/board minded people who are the best element
accepting their drinking habits (i do, i am the same)
Sorry to go on but i picked up the thread and could not stop...

I agree with all you say. If you don't want things different then stay at home. I spend money to go on holiday and have a good time and usually succeed. Like mixing with the locals and sampling their food and drink. Only one really bad ski holiday in Andorra when I picked up a bug that was going round the resort and spent most of the holiday lying on the bed clutching my stomach. I am thoroughly looking forward to my first trip to Bulgaria and will keep an open mind. The local bars and restaurants in Bansko sound great so we will eat out most of the time if necessary. Roll on 26 Feb!!