Bansko, Bulgaria
Discussion
Yeah, went last year, utter cr** hole. nothing to do whatsoever, roaming packs of dogs, open sewers, horrid food, big building site......cheap for a reason. Do PH search for 'Bansko'.
Wouldnt recommend it to worst enemy. Plane cheered as we took off from equally horrible airport, Plovdiv I think?
Wouldnt recommend it to worst enemy. Plane cheered as we took off from equally horrible airport, Plovdiv I think?
snotrag said:
Anybody been? Any good?
How developed is it?
Been several times now, and driving down on Friday.How developed is it?
It depends on what you want. If you've got plenty of dough, and enjoy the company of dentists or accountants, go to the alps. If you're looking for good value, it's worth considering.
Generally speaking
Hotels aren't as good as a European equivalent, unless you are going top end of the market.
Apartments are good value, £200-£300 a week, ideal for a couple, but could accommodate a family at a squeeze (one bed with sofa/bed obviously).
Food in hotels is "acceptable", but much better fare can be had if you wander into town and sample on of the many "mehanas". The town went through a lot of development over the recent years, although this has died off as the market has dropped. It was a building site for a while, I've not been back since to see what has changed. It is a town connected to a ski area by the gondola, not a ski resort in the traditional sense.
The open sewers that the other poster refers to are manhole covers that haven't been installed yet, or at least hadn't been back in March. I'm reliably informed that a lot of work has gone on since.
Bansko only has about 60Km of piste, so if you are a good skier, you'll probably have ski'd it all by the end of the week.
It really does depend on what you want. One poster on my forum summed it up nicely.
If you want a ski Holiday then you will probably be better off in the alps.
If you want a ski holiday then it is a good option.
I'm biased, and love the place, but realise it's not to everyone's taste.
Go with an open mind, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
disco1 said:
Yeah, went last year, utter cr** hole. nothing to do whatsoever, roaming packs of dogs, open sewers, horrid food, big building site......cheap for a reason. Do PH search for 'Bansko'.
Wouldnt recommend it to worst enemy. Plane cheered as we took off from equally horrible airport, Plovdiv I think?
Going there this Friday as it turns out for a short weekend break.Wouldnt recommend it to worst enemy. Plane cheered as we took off from equally horrible airport, Plovdiv I think?
disco1 - people cheering on the planes is common in these areas & austria, basically they have this odd happyness/relief that the plane has actually taken off. Seen many have a cheer & clapping when its landed very un UK like.
As for nothing to do?
2 x Casinos
1x ten pin bowling
4 x night clubs - one being Amnesia
Beers can be bought in pubs for 1 lev which at 2.30 levs to the £1 which is £0.40 per pint. Food well if you into meat then you should love it the Seche is fantastic & the meat Skewers are really good. I opt for a lot of offal meals i.e. plate of chicken hearts for starters/trying out different things. My favourite starter is a toss up between a shopska salad or roasted peppers filled with feta cheese.
The "open sewers" are due to the whole village installing brand new mains, sewers, and all electrical cabling under the roads. Which will then be resurfaced - most of this had already been done by Apr08 when I was there last.
I'd fully agree that plovdiv is a sh&thole of an airport - why didnt you fly to Sofia where they have a brand new terminal in the style of Stanstead its just as far/time wise to get to Bansko.
note my flights rtn incl taxes are £40 for this weekend.
http://www.ski-direct.co.uk/Bulgaria/resorts/bansk...
Just found this so its a fair review of the skiing conditions & activities available.
In the summer there is the Jazz festival & a 2 week beer festival, also you can go hunting for real your60km from Greece and the Med is a fraction of that distance to get there again.
Just found this so its a fair review of the skiing conditions & activities available.
In the summer there is the Jazz festival & a 2 week beer festival, also you can go hunting for real your60km from Greece and the Med is a fraction of that distance to get there again.
http://www.crystalski.co.uk/destinations/bulgaria/...
Looking at the actual prices your looking at £250 per person peak season whereas even somewhere as lowly as Slovenia is £550, try Banff and your at £1K++ Val desere.. mid £1.5k's.
You get what you pay for - its a great place to learn to ski and has many places to eat and lots to do.
Stag party chap - did you go on their paint balling? Also just like Poland thereare com[panies which allow you to shoot real guns in caves and the guns being AK46's Gloc's, 9mm, shot guns etc - all great stag do things + there is paint balling there.
Looking at the actual prices your looking at £250 per person peak season whereas even somewhere as lowly as Slovenia is £550, try Banff and your at £1K++ Val desere.. mid £1.5k's.
You get what you pay for - its a great place to learn to ski and has many places to eat and lots to do.
Stag party chap - did you go on their paint balling? Also just like Poland thereare com[panies which allow you to shoot real guns in caves and the guns being AK46's Gloc's, 9mm, shot guns etc - all great stag do things + there is paint balling there.
Welshbeef said:
Going there this Friday as it turns out for a short weekend break.
disco1 - people cheering on the planes is common in these areas & austria, basically they have this odd happyness/relief that the plane has actually taken off. Seen many have a cheer & clapping when its landed very un UK like.
As for nothing to do?
2 x Casinos
1x ten pin bowling
4 x night clubs - one being Amnesia
Beers can be bought in pubs for 1 lev which at 2.30 levs to the £1 which is £0.40 per pint. Food well if you into meat then you should love it the Seche is fantastic & the meat Skewers are really good. I opt for a lot of offal meals i.e. plate of chicken hearts for starters/trying out different things. My favourite starter is a toss up between a shopska salad or roasted peppers filled with feta cheese.
The "open sewers" are due to the whole village installing brand new mains, sewers, and all electrical cabling under the roads. Which will then be resurfaced - most of this had already been done by Apr08 when I was there last.
I'd fully agree that plovdiv is a sh&thole of an airport - why didnt you fly to Sofia where they have a brand new terminal in the style of Stanstead its just as far/time wise to get to Bansko.
note my flights rtn incl taxes are £40 for this weekend.
Sorry dude, can't agree with you on this one. I've never been somewhere so rubbish in all my life, the town was horrible, nothing finished, horrible pubs/clubs, horrible people (especially the men), everyone trying to rip you off, donkeys tied up, horrible roads all the way from airport, horrible fake clothes, horrible food, poverty everywhere, junk/rubbish everywhere, skinkin' lingering burning smell.disco1 - people cheering on the planes is common in these areas & austria, basically they have this odd happyness/relief that the plane has actually taken off. Seen many have a cheer & clapping when its landed very un UK like.
As for nothing to do?
2 x Casinos
1x ten pin bowling
4 x night clubs - one being Amnesia
Beers can be bought in pubs for 1 lev which at 2.30 levs to the £1 which is £0.40 per pint. Food well if you into meat then you should love it the Seche is fantastic & the meat Skewers are really good. I opt for a lot of offal meals i.e. plate of chicken hearts for starters/trying out different things. My favourite starter is a toss up between a shopska salad or roasted peppers filled with feta cheese.
The "open sewers" are due to the whole village installing brand new mains, sewers, and all electrical cabling under the roads. Which will then be resurfaced - most of this had already been done by Apr08 when I was there last.
I'd fully agree that plovdiv is a sh&thole of an airport - why didnt you fly to Sofia where they have a brand new terminal in the style of Stanstead its just as far/time wise to get to Bansko.
note my flights rtn incl taxes are £40 for this weekend.
I can clearly recall our disbelief as we apporached the town on arrival, none of us wanted to get off the coach.
The plane cheered because we were leaving the country, everyone mentioned how horrid their resorts where whether it be borovets or Bankso.
The same guys have been to the costal areas of bulgaria plenty of times and they where shocked by the state of East Bulgaria.
[/quote]
Sorry dude, can't agree with you on this one. I've never been somewhere so rubbish in all my life, the town was horrible, nothing finished, horrible pubs/clubs, horrible people (especially the men), everyone trying to rip you off, donkeys tied up, horrible roads all the way from airport, horrible fake clothes, horrible food, poverty everywhere, junk/rubbish everywhere, skinkin' lingering burning smell.
I can clearly recall our disbelief as we apporached the town on arrival, none of us wanted to get off the coach.
The plane cheered because we were leaving the country, everyone mentioned how horrid their resorts where whether it be borovets or Bankso.
The same guys have been to the costal areas of bulgaria plenty of times and they where shocked by the state of East Bulgaria.
[/quote]
You cannot have been there recently - the first time I went to bansko Aug 2005 the road from Sofia to bansko was dire massive deep potholes most of the way and tiny B roads up the mountain. There is now a brand new dual carridgeway all the way from Sofia to beyond the bansko junction - from that junction up to bansko they have cut a pretty much straight road through the mountain its wide and brand new.
There is only one market once a week and thats Sunday IIRC and yes from that side its just like Turkey selling kit. But go into the proper ski shops and thats genuine kit - not sure on the value of that kit or not as I'd got kit in the UK.
Which places did you eat at & what food did you have? From our many stays Ive not had one bad meal the vast majority have been very very nice with only 1 being something I'd not have again but i switched with the Mrs who liked what I had.
If you ate in the square those two places are really nice & there are plenty of places to eat all over town many very very old places/non tourist which are exceptionally cheap & they cook the food in front of you. Failing that maybe you didnt like the style of the food which if so why didnt you eat at the Lion Bar24hr bar that has burget/steak/fish fingers pizza etc all the std british foods and thats indifferent to the UK & yes Ive tried it, we were staying there for 2 weeks in the summer and just fancied Steak & chips for a change.
Stray dogs - there are usually 4 in the square area if you notice these have pins in their ears so they are steralised. They are not vicious in any way but clearly you dont stroke them + they are scared of humans (I guess the locals give them a good kicking hence the fear of humans).
Poverty everywhere - well yes most normal people there earn £250 - 500 per year with doctors earning £2k p.a., most people going to these developing countries would see the traditional i.e. non material aspect of their houses & the fact noone has lawns they have veg gardens round their house as very cultural.
As far as the local men go - well I have only really spoken to my ski instructors, hotel bar & reception staff, normal bar & food dispensing premesis staff. In fact one of the places in the square the first day we went there we tipped him 10lev - we'd been there from 6pm to 2am.. lots of drink etc and very good service 10lev at the time was £3.40. Everytime following that that we went there on that trip and every time since and we pop in we are always greeted well always given great seats & have a chat with him - best bit from my perspective once my beer gets down to 1/3 full without asking there is another on the table.
As for rubbish - in the Glazne with low water flow there is too much IMHO. But saying that Reading in places is equal if not far worse - go figure.
The clubs - well the Happy End is a huge big wooden building in the traditional Ski property look. Ive been there quite a few times and it is much more expensive than other places but it has prime position. I think a beer in there was £1 whereas in town its £0.40.
My friends go to Val desaire and a beer there - a half beer 2008 season was 6 euros, and thats not in the clubs thats in the bars. Up the slopes its much more and in Bansko up the slopes a beer was 4lev which at the time was £1.20 ish - much more than the resort but they have prime position like all other ski resorts + getting the beers up the mountain has additional labour/costs vs off the wagon in town.
Can you say on here which year & month you went?
Interesting discussion guys... I've heard many good things.
I'm asking, because I've been offered a chance for a cheap Week with some friends - Friend of a friend has an (apparently superb) apartment that wil be £&5 for the week, flights are cheap, beer is cheap once we get there, Pistes are supposedly much, much improved recently. None of us are experts, just after a bit of a giggle...
I'm asking, because I've been offered a chance for a cheap Week with some friends - Friend of a friend has an (apparently superb) apartment that wil be £&5 for the week, flights are cheap, beer is cheap once we get there, Pistes are supposedly much, much improved recently. None of us are experts, just after a bit of a giggle...
Welshbeef said:
http://www.crystalski.co.uk/destinations/bulgaria/...
Looking at the actual prices your looking at £250 per person peak season whereas even somewhere as lowly as Slovenia is £550, try Banff and your at £1K++ Val desere.. mid £1.5k's.
Sort out a few friends, rent a chalet on Gites de France .com, book a cheapo £60 ferry crossing and drive down somewhere gorgeous for considerably less than £250 per person.Looking at the actual prices your looking at £250 per person peak season whereas even somewhere as lowly as Slovenia is £550, try Banff and your at £1K++ Val desere.. mid £1.5k's.
Surely only planks book package skiing trips these days?
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