We really wanted to go on a week long ski holiday this year. A few weeks ago I wrote about my experience booking our first ski holiday and now it has been and gone! We had a wonderful time so I really wanted to share it with you.
We chose to go to Bansko, Bulgaria as the resort had a really good reputation for beginner runs and affordable prices! We booked through sno.co.uk and they organised our trip through Balkan Holidays. I can only say positive things about Balkan Holidays (and no, this post is not sponsored) as our reps were super helpful, they were always where they said they would be and made sure we got the best out of our holiday. We were also offered excursions (which we didn’t go on because we were so tired from the skiing) such as ice skating, hot springs and a day trip into Sofia. We would definitely use Balkan Holidays again (feel free to send me away to do reviews for you, Balkan Holidays!)
We stayed in the Premier Luxury Mountain Resort hotel which was amazing. Our room was spotless and a decent size with a beautiful view of the mountain.
The hotel is about a 15-20 minute walk away from the gondola and a shuttle bus service is provided everyday. There are spa facilities (including a free 15 minute massage) and two restaurants and bar (which also served food). We never ate in the buffet restaurant for dinner but we went to the a la carte restaurant which was very tasty. Breakfast was definitely my favourite part! I had chocolate pancakes pretty much every day. There was so much choice, including freshly made omelettes!
The gondola was always busy but we were lucky to have fast track. I read that if you go in the peak of the season, the queues are unbearably long so I was really pleased that we booked to go when we did. We chose to have a lot of ski lessons as my confidence really needed building and we had an amazing instructor who managed to get me on a red run! The first time we went to the top of the mountain it was incredibly cloudy which was probably for the best as I would have freaked out if I had seen how high up we were. By the time we went up the second time, the clouds had gone and the view was incredible and I managed to ski down panic free knowing that I had already done it once.
The town of Bansko was busy and bustling with ski-goers ready to have a good time. I felt our hotel was in a perfect location – close enough for us to walk to the restaurants but far away enough to enjoy the peace and quiet on a night time. We never struggled to pick somewhere to eat and I enjoyed everything I ordered. I was worried that every menu would be meat based but there were lots of fish options and vegetarian options. On our first evening, I had one of the best veggie burgers of my life at Smokey Mountain Bar & Grill and later in the week we ate at a beautiful restaurant which played great live music called The House Restaurant. We never paid more than £50 for a three course meal for the two of us and most evenings we spent around £30. The food on the slopes wasn’t expensive either but I found I had less veggie options up there. These are some pictures of what I ordered but you can see more on my Instagram page. Overall, we didn’t spend as much as we expected to and we came home with Bulgarian Lev to change back!
On our last morning before flying home, we went for a walk around the old town of Bansko which was filled with quaint shops, trinkets and fridge magnets and restaurants. It was nice to have a relaxing morning instead of rushing to get on the slopes in time.
One thing I would do differently next time is have less lessons. Although they were fantastic, it was quite tiring getting up early every morning to be on time for the start of the lesson. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing.
We both had such a wonderful time, it was a bit of a come down waking up in Newcastle on Sunday morning.
10/10 would recommend Bansko. Please get in touch if you have any questions about our trip! Have you been to Bansko before? Is there another resort that you would recommend? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
Related posts you may find useful
Tips for booking a ski holiday
Packing ideas for a ski holiday
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Sounds like such a good time! It’s really helpful to hear that this was such a good experience for you guys because you never know which travel sites are reliable and which ones aren’t… thanks for testing this one out 😛 I hope to use it next year!
OMG! Looks like you had an amazing time! Bulgaria is a place on my bucket list – great read!
Thank you so much! I only wish we could have seen more of it!
I’m not much of a skier but this look it was such a fun trip!
Thank you! I’m only a beginner myself, it was very fun!
Gorgeous pictures and the food looks amazing! I can’t ski but I would still love to visit. It sounds like you had such a good time and your reps did a really good job!
xx, Shar
The food was delicious and I would highly recommend going even if you don’t ski. The town is quite nice and it’s possible to go up into the mountains even if you’re not skiing. Even better if you can get a hotel with a spa! Thanks for reading!
You took some amazing pics! So jealous ahah
Thank you! They were all taken on our mobile phones – you don’t need a filter when nature is that pretty!
True ahah!