Bulgaria Ski discussion board

As much as we have wome fantastic holidays to Bansko and Borovets I have to say that due to the high resort prices and such big lift queues when we have been we thought we try France this year. We love the charm of Bansko but we have to say after virtually having the lifts to ourselves with one or two people in fornto of us for the gondola we would now not go back to Bulgaria unless they intoduce more skiing and sort out their lift queues and high prices. I really think that Borovets last year was on line with France this year for drink prices and food on the slopes. Come on sort it out!

I've just had a few weeks in Serre Chevalier and the Milky Way - indeed the lift pass is the same price (25 euro for Briancon, 38 for the whole Serre Chevalier of more than 40 lifts and 100 odd runs). Food is much the same - lunch on the mountain can be had for around 10 euro which makes it slightly more expensive than BG and dinner in town around 20. The only thing that's dramatically different is alcohol and that differential will only last whilst the BG side has the excise rate exemption from the EU. And the pistes are well groomed, the whole place well thought out and with a hire car you're in easy striking distance of more than a dozen resorts. Even ski classes were 10 euro per person per day.

Sorry if it bores but here is a copy of a report I posted on Skidvd just after my French trip last November.


Oh what a week !!

I had a great time skiing in VT and have now (nearly) forgotton the drive there and back and have only the memories of the laughs and thrills of a wonderful ski week.

We had sunshine every day. The thermometer stayed low and the piste conditions remained good all week. In fact despite lack of snowfall for 7 days the length of piste actually grew during the week with the aid of the hundreds of cannons there.

As for prices ..... I believe that for me there are 2 types of ski holiday. There is the 'Cruise and booze' holiday which is best taken in a Bulgarian resort with good friends. Oh Bulgaria where bars on the slopes are plenty and nightlife beats the pants off Val Thorens.

Then there is the 'Fit and fast' holiday where skiing takes priority over 'on piste bar hopping'. This is better suited for Val Thorens where perfectly groomed piste awaits you. You drop out of the back of your apartments into your skis and straight onto the snow. This resort wants to burn through your thighs and whisk you around a huge ski area until you can ski no more. You return to your digs skiing back to the door if the conditions allow. You have a few drinks as you gently unwind and relax the weary legs. You drift into a short sleep and drag yourself up to get ready for the beautiful home cooked food before the evenings self made entertainment. (usually begins with taking the mickey out of the days chalet bitch)

Get it !! 2 types of holiday which can't be compared with each other.

French ski holidays need not be expensive. I have proved this twice now. Ok it was end of season and beginning of season bit all the same they were both 'Fit and Fast' holidays.

I spent LESS money in France than I would have done in BG. I spent LESS money overall than I would have done on a BG holiday. I drank LESS in France than I would have done in BG. I ate LESS in France than BG. My liver doesn't even know it has been skiing. It knows it has been abroad now due to the cheap wine that was bought back over the water.

Now I bet not many people would believe this but the cost of 1 weeks skiing in France for us was around £ 308.

Nothing special in that ! OK let me tell you that this price included return travel from Tonbridge, a fantastic ski in ski out apartment overlooking the pistes,all fuel and tolls, the obligatory off road parking and even the 6 day lift pass.

The cost of being there ? Next to nothing.... It could have been cheaper if we had had more room in the car to take provisions up from the valley. OK I know we took a few odds and sods from home but really not that much. In a week (between 4 of us) we spent £167 on food and drink. Ok lets be honest here .......included in that £167 was 10 litres of wine,24 bottles of beer, 2 bottles of vodka and a bottle of something for the hip flask. We didn't eat out in the evenings once. We had a few snacks during the day £ 8 for a spag bol at 2950 metres. £9.30 for a lasagne at 2350 metres £7.15 for a pizza. Lisa had a lovely looking salmon steak at a restaurant for £10.30.

Ok it's not cheap but it's not exactly extortionate is it? A beer in the evenings was £3.93 to £4.29 where we went. OK that sounds really high but lets face it £3 a pint at home is now commonplace. I saved money here by going out later (knackered remember) and taking it easy when I got there.