See the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Bansko!
Initially, it is worth noting that it is the most famous ski resort in the Balkans, visited by tourists from Greece, Turkey, Russia, Romania, Skopje, England and of course Bulgaria. The reasons are many and we will briefly mention them… Cheap and luxurious hotels Ultra-modern ski resort of Austrian standards 70 km of slopes for all skiers (experienced and beginners) Safety in the ski resort with ultra-modern means of care Excellent service in renting equipment from Tsakiris ski rental Very good road network for access from all neighboring countries Possibility of air access to Sofia, which is less than 2 hours away and there are daily buses that transport you here Nightlife with many clubs Good food in both Bulgarian and Greek taverns
By road from Greece with the L.A. travel snow buses, which depart 3 times a week from both Athens and Thessaloniki, while during the festive periods there are almost daily departures. By train from Greece via the OSE to Blagoevgrad and then by private taxi (distance of approximately 60 km). By air to Sofia either from Athens or from Thessaloniki with Aegean and Bulgaria Air flights. Sofia is 160 km from Bansko and there are daily buses at a cost of approximately €10 per trip.
Luxury hotels in Bansko that have indoor heated pools, with complete spas such as sauna, jacuzzi, hammam and massages such as Premier, Kempinski, Regnum, Lion, Perun Lodge, Sunrise, Royal Towers, Vihren, Grand hotel, etc. Apartments at very affordable prices which offer the ideal choice for skiers visiting Bansko for many days. Luxury hotels with complete natural spas in the Pirin Golf area (7 km from Bansko) which are at very affordable prices and offer free transportation to the lifts by van.
In the many pubs that you will find near the base of the gondola-cable car, such as Queen's pub, Lion's pub, Penguins pub, Euphoria bar, Happy End,... In the nice clubs where you will hear both Bulgarian and house music, while of course there is also Greek old folk music, such as The Club, Jack's house, Tzar club, disco Amnesia and Oxygen club.
In traditional Bulgarian taverns called Mehana and some nights they have live music like Becelo Thelo on the corner opposite Tsakiris ski rental In Greek traditional taverns that also have Greek live music like Glykanisos which also offers free transportation as it is located at the entrance of the village In nice restaurants where you will eat very well and not particularly expensive such as the Italian Victoria (opposite the Kempinski), the Bulgarian La Skara where you grill the meats you want to eat yourself on an individual grill and the Amvrosia restaurant which you will find inside the luxurious Premier luxury mountain resort hotel.
50m from the base of the gondola is the only Greek rental shop, Tsakiris ski rental, which belongs to the family of champions from Drama, Athanasiou and Panagiotas Tsakiris. In the shop you can find new equipment for rent for both skiing and snowboarding, while it also has sleds for mountain rides and even snowmobiles for speed lovers…
Almost all hotels have minivans that take you free of charge to the base of the gondola to go up to the ski resort. These routes run continuously until 5:30 p.m. when the ski resort closes. At night, you can walk as the distances are short, and there are also some taxis, but before you get in, you should agree on the cost of the trip.
The local currency of Bulgaria is the leva, which is equivalent to about half a euro, so keep in mind that 1€ is 2 leva. There are many exchange offices to exchange money, but the ideal is to go to a Greek bank such as Piraeus, which is located 100m uphill from the Kempinski Hotel, while there is also an Alpha Bank in the center of the village. You will get the best exchange rate at Greek banks, and you will find them open daily until 4pm except on Saturdays. Also, most shops accept euros, but it is better to pay in leva so that shopkeepers do not steal from you. However, you must pay for lift cards in leva. Finally, if you have any extra leva, make sure to convert them back into euros, as Greek banks do not accept leva... You will also find exchange offices at the borders of Promachonas, so if you go up with the L.A. snowbus travel, then on the way back there is a stop there for those who were forgotten and took them with them...
