Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Gah!
They are NOT commission free!!!
I can't believe how many people fall for this. Why on earth would they do it for free???? They'd earn nothing and stand to lose a lot of money if rates suddenly changed. Think about it - at the very least they have to make enough profit to pay the people manning the kiosk.
When they state "commission free" it just means that they won't add an extra charge on top of the advertised rate - but the rate they advertise ALREADY has commission factored in.
The actual spot rates last week were ~2.34-2.37 so depending when you did it you were charged between 2.5% and 4%. That's not at all bad, but many kiosks are much worse than that. I've seen more than 10% quite often (in Spain, not in Bg to be fair). If you want to know roughly how much they are charging then you need to look at the buy and sell prices, and divide the difference by 2. (ie half what would it cost you to change from £ to lv, then back to £, assuming there are no buy back offers).
So there is nothing wrong with cash, but it is NOT commission free. ATMs are also not commission free, but you'll never get charged 10% (unless you take out £10 or something small like that) and it's so much more convenient/safe. Better still - pay for as much as you can on credit cards (still not commission free, but probably the cheapest option).

P Pete - agreed, I always take some £ with me as well for emergencies, but keep it for that!
Matt

Hi All
Am due out on the 3rd Feb so this is my first time to Pamps.

Have made a few savings on the Holls price:
1st Booked back in Aug my ski packs from Bulgaria Ski,
and paid before end of Oct got 10% discount.

Total cost: 778 Euro - 10% discount = 700.20 Euro for various ski packs. (7 persons)

Booked apartment 3 Bed Direct £465 for 8 Nights (7 Persons 3a / 4Kids)
Transferes direct with jorden Euros 195 Return.

Also told from this website that The castel bar/restraunt give discount if you mention this fourm. As I am staying in the castle this should be good!.

But the best saving I have found is for next year.
I have used my tesco points to pay for next years flights, How?
This feb there is a bonus offer on avios(old air miles) £2.50 of tesco vouchers in Feb will get you a total of 1000 miles (£50 in tescos vouchers ) gets me a BA return flight to sofia + £27 taxs ect. but still very worth it.
hope this has been of help.
Regards
Ian

I've been on about airmiles (now avios) for years now.

I'm flying for free on Sunday, (well £27 taxes because I didn't get organised enough to book my flight before the changeover).

In recent years I've used airmiles to fly to Budapest, Barcelona, Sarajevo, Dubrovnik, and part-paid a flight to Cape Town for my daughter.

They are a brilliant way of getting flights pretty much for free.

Get a Tesco credit card which also gives you clubcard points, and buy everything you can using it. Of course pay it off each month to avoid charges and fees!

I've been saving my clubcard vouchers for ages now to convert to avios in February, getting all those bonus miles!

When you buy things online, at major companies like Comet, John Lewis, ebay, and loads more, connect to those websites VIA the link on the airmiles/avios website and you get points for doing that, plus the points you get for using your Tesco credit card to pay.

It is so easy, and once you get your thinking round the system and realise you have enough miles to fly to wherever, you become converted and a fanatical collector!

Hello,
This is my 1st post here. My apologize for my bad english.
About the exchange rates - the best one you can find in the center of Sofia, it is 10 km away from the airport. NEVER exchange money if someone offer you better rates on the streets - it is 100% scam. Anyway, i think the rates in the Borovets banks is good enough.
+1 vote for Roger's advice about the chocolate bars - everytime i go snowboarding, i have 2 with me
If you can ski with a backpack - buy everything you need from local shops (bottle of water, croissants, chocolates etc.). Avoid buy anything at the top of the resort - the prices in the restaurant on the top of Borovets gondola is twice as the regular restaurants. Same in Bansko - as higher you are, the higher you pay. The only exception is hotel "Izvorite" in Bansko. It is situated close to "Chalin Valog" slopes, below medial gondola station. Old fashioned and ugly hotel, but clean and its restaurant is cheaper than most down in Bansko. Never been to Pamporovo.
If you have car, you can sleep at a place cheaper than the resort and close enough not to forgot you are at ski holiday. For Borovets it is Samokov, 10 km away . For Bansko it is Dobrinishte, Bania or Razlog, all them 6 km away. For Pamporovo it is Stoykite village or Chepelare. Usualy all the prices in such a "subresorts" are twice cheaper.
If you get tired - you can sell your ski pass, not later than 1 pm and for less than it half price. Just look around the desks and you will find someone who want half-day pass.
If slow lift is not a problem for you or you dont have stamina for full day skiing in modern resort - try low cost ski center. There is never queues and the prices even on the piste or the top of the lifts are inexpensive.
1. Bezbog. It is situated near Bansko, above Dobrinishte. There is lift, starts at GPS 41.760, 23.547 . The lift takes you up to 2360 m altitude to Bezbog hut (Bezbog means No God or Godless in bulgarian). The piste is 6 km long and there is excellent conditions for off piste skiing. Full day ski pass is 25 levs or ~10£ .
2. Seven Rila Lakes - the lift starts at 42.240, 23.325. On the top of the lift is Seven Rila Lakes hut, like 2300m altitude. Long, not very wide piste, excellent off piste skiing too. Full day ski pass - 28 levs.
3. Chepelare - 10 km away from Pamporovo. There is new lift (since 2009) , fast like the Bansko/ Boro/ Pampovo lifts. Several good pistes, always maintained better than any other bulgarian resort. Not very good for off piste. There is lot of excellent family hotels where you can have 3* HB bed for ~30 levs. There is several big 4* hotels too. Full day ski pass - 38 levs.
There is few more ski centers like Uzana, Osogovo, Kartala, Govedartsi, Maliovitsa, Kom and Vitosha. Except Vitosha - dont go there without a local guide.