'Cheap' skiing holidays - Bulgaria etc

[cramman]

Right then people, I already have a decent trip planned for early Jan, and as I plan on getting away late Feb I was wondering if many people have skied the likes of Bulgaria (I'm thinking for new year with me mates).

Looking at the places available the skiing is limited, but cheap. Now this shouldn’t be a problem, there will be drinking and although I will no doubt get bored with the skiing, my mates have never skied, so something like this may be idea.

Any thoughts/recommendations? Decent skiing, cheap, decent drinking?!?
Also, does anyone know of good companies to look for good deals.

Thanks in advance,

Cramman.

[Nimbus]

you get what you pay for....

many people went there last year, when there wasnt even any snow.. except the locals rigged up the webcams, to make people think there was.. until it was to late of course..

I'll see if I can find the link on snowheads for you, makes 'interesting' reading..

Some friends were there at the same time, and said basically, there was a narrow strip of slush, that you had to queue for an hour at the drag lift, to get 30 seconds on...

[cramman]

Hhmmmm, sounds like scotland.

May give that a miss.

Any other options?
Basically my mates are tight and won't pay the cash.
It's fair enough as a beginer, I just need to get them away once, then I know they'll be up for it every year.

[Nimbus]

Here you go...

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=590...

Now, we all know that resorts might get unlucky with snow, and very few places are 'snow sure', but what got me about this period last year was this posting by a 'local'

local ski guy said:

Since the snow is so bad & I have personally seen tens of conflicting weather reports & out of date webcams (cams that show last years images) I thought I'd post an honest review.

The snow is so bad that I wouldn't even consider taking people out onto the hill, that'd be irresponisble and dangerous. So no, no commercial links there either (as someone correctly said it's actually damaging but not to my PERSONAL rep, just the resort) and no-one can be blamed for the weather surely?

Anyhow, seriously... if you want your mates to enjoy their skiing holiday, and possibly do it again, then take them somewhere decent, even if it costs more..

Their first weeks skiing will no doubt colour their opinion of skiing in general, so make sure they remember it for the skiing, not the drinking..

anywhere in the 3 valleys is a great place for begineers, and you can get cheap deals there without to much effort..

here's my favourite image from borovets that week



I was enjoying that from snow drift in Cervinia

Edited by Nimbus on Wednesday 8th September 15:44

[Nimbus]

cramman said:

Hhmmmm, sounds like scotland.

May give that a miss.

Any other options?
Basically my mates are tight and won't pay the cash.
It's fair enough as a beginer, I just need to get them away once, then I know they'll be up for it every year.

being tight, and skiing/boarding don't really mix

but you can do it pretty cheaply if you organise it yourself, say...

Drive and take eurotunnel...
book self catering accomodation at La Daille in Val D'Isere, or Tignes (pokey, noisey, but cheap)
book lessons and gear online well in advance for decent discounts
eat in every night ( spag bol or chillis )
buy lots of cheap beer before you get to the resort ( only go out in resort once beered up, as it is mega expensive with current euro rate...

They'll still have a great time, as long as they arent expecting luxury, and as long as they book lessons, ( preferablly all together so they can compete with each other ) then they should get bitten..

Oh, and being in Val D'Isere, you'll have a great time skiing while they have lessons

[astroarcadia]

If you want a cheap week then go somewhere you won't find in the Crystal and Inghams brochure. Forget the big resorts and try somewhere different. We had a week in Les Contamines last year it loved it. Four guys, one car on the chunnel. We had a self catering apartment for £40pp for the week, 100m to the nearest bar and 200m to the lifts. It was tight on space but was fine for four guys and had genuine French charm which can be hard to find.

Many big resorts are overrated and overpriced, especially in France. Try somewhere smaller where the French go to ski, Les Saises perhaps?

Try www.snowheads.com resorts review thread or www.welove2ski.com

Take your own beer...


Try somewhere off the UK tour operators radar for quiet pistes and no noisy brits......


Both pics Les Contamines, late Jan 2010

Looking forward to 2011 already!

Edited by astroarcadia on Wednesday 8th September 20:17

[cramman]

Thanks for the replies.

Aye, I know the crack with the cost of beers etc. A tenna a pint last year, Courcheval 1850 though, excellent skiing though.

I'll have a look for places not in the brochures and also look at the cost of using the train/car, may be worth a try for a change.

Cheers.

[evolution666]

Going Skiing most years and taking a break from 2002 till 2007 due to work commitments, myself and a mate decided to try the cheap route and going to Bankso, NEVER AGAIN.

Cheap drink yes, crap skiing, (not much snow) and the food was apauling. Obviously skiing all day your burning energy so at very least you need to eat well, not possible, we tried pretty much a different place every night in the hope of finding summit decent, and failed miserably. And whats more, the resort was like a war zone in the process of being rebuilt. The initial package worked out probably 400 quid cheaper than say Kaprun in Austria, but ad rather have paid alot more than that for decent skiing.

On the plus side, theres a great strip club / erm, well, less said bout that the better, and its cheap

[taffyracer]

Bulgaria is cheap but more importantly its really NASTY, went to Borovets in 2001 and it was ok but crap weather, Bansko in 2006 and it was the worst week's skiing of my life, never again, try Andorra for value, Pas De La Casa is great for groups of lads and the slopes are also pretty decent

[russ_a]

what about slovakia? I'm thinking about going back there this season.

[frosted]

Go to Bulgaria , make sure you stay by the Greece border , rent car , drive said car to Greece resorts

Happy days

[Chris71]

cramman said:

Thanks for the replies.

Aye, I know the crack with the cost of beers etc. A tenna a pint last year, Courcheval 1850 though, excellent skiing though.

I'll have a look for places not in the brochures and also look at the cost of using the train/car, may be worth a try for a change.

Cheers.

Pah! That's nothing, it was 22 Euros for a Kronenberg in Piggies when I worked in 1850.

Thinking about it, this is probably no cheaper than a European package tour, but Scotland has actually had two or three really good seasons lately. It's been virtually alpine conditions until well into the spring according to a couple of friends who have a place up there.

I've never been, but I'm led to believe Andorra might be a better than Bulgaria bet for budget skiing? And it's duty free...

Failing that, self catering looks cheap. As can be assembling your own 'package' - Queasy Jet sale flights, bus or train out to the resort and then a cheap hotel.

The last few years I've just gone last minute. Even with a large-ish group we landed on our feet this March with a 5 star hotel in Obergurgl for about £400 off list price.