22 Nov 2019
With increased capacity out of East Midlands and Newcastle this Winter, more guests can take advantage of Balkan Holidays’ ‘City and Ski’ option.
Those flying home to Bristol, East Midlands, Manchester and Newcastle can spend their final day in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria.
Sofia is Bulgaria’s bustling, cosmopolitan capital and a compact and characterful place. It is young, lively and appealing, with numerous bars and cafes. Churches, treasure-filled museums, art galleries and leafy parks could keep visitors busy for a week. Once checked out of their ski resort, Balkan Holidays guests will be driven the couple of hours by coach
08 Nov 2019
According to the Post Office report for 2019, Bansko, Bulgaria is the Best-Value Ski Resort for families. The report compares the cost of a lift-pass, tuition, lunch and drinks on the mountains and skis and boot hire for a family of four. In all, 25 resorts were compared.
The cost of all the items in Bansko was £1529.72, a reduction of 0.3% since last year.
Head of Marketing for Balkan Holidays, Louise Newton said, ‘It is no surprise that Bansko tops the list, as the resort offers incredibly low-priced items. That makes it perfect for families, especially those with children who are learning to ski and need an entry-level
21 Oct 2019
Great decision, you want to return to the slopes! With Balkan there is a loyalty bonus of 5%, so you’re already saving.
Our advice for year two is to lower your expectations of what you learned last time, and take it slowly. Definitely prepare by getting fit (see our previous blog article). It’s a good idea to keep a Trello.com list of ‘stuff you’ll need’ for each day to help you avoid forgetting anything.
Lessons are great at any level, especially if you are unfamiliar with the resort you’ve chosen. You’ll get to know the slopes in safe company and then have spare time to explore your favourites.
You may want to
16 Oct 2019
Preparation for a ski/board trip is key. This is especially true if you are a beginner, as there will be many falls (on soft snow!), and lots of physical demands, such as carrying skis. So, to get most enjoyment out of your trip, the best advice is to prepare your body for a week on the slopes.
One of the key challenges is the strain put on your thighs as you ski. After a day many will find their legs complaining and shaking, and you can avoid this by being prepared. Core stability is also key, for balance, for a good ski posture, and to get up when you fall.
As with all sport, warming up and stretching at the end of the day are
08 Oct 2019
Your choice of ski destinations is vast, from Japan to Scotland, from New Zealand to Lebanon. (According to Wikipedia, a Lebanese engineering student returning from studying in Switzerland brought back the sport of skiing in the early twentieth century.)
Why choose the Balkans?
What Bulgaria offers is unique. It’s a down-to-earth, fun and great value ski/board destination. Many are sceptical, then return year after year, having fallen in love with the place.
It’s the ideal place to learn to ski, everything is easy and straightforward and you are not competing for slope time with many advanced skiers. There is a warm welcome from
01 Oct 2019
The first thing to do is to get your trip booked well ahead of time to give you plenty of time to get ready. Here are our top ten things to thing about:
1. UK indoor ski slopes
It’s very worthwhile to book lessons at an indoor slope. There are different sorts of slopes, from very old and decrepit to new and pristine.
Highly recommended is a trip to a ‘real snow’ slope, where snow is made and the temperature is kept low.
It makes a fun day out, especially as often you’ll find the slopes positioned close to shops, cinemas and restaurants. It is possible to get a feel for skiing in one day, but many slopes
25 Sep 2019
Is this an expensive hobby? Well, it’s certainly more expensive than knitting or running. But as with all things, you can pay a little or a lot. You might compare a week in Romania skiing with a week in Japan, and you will guess that there’s a clear difference.
Overall, if you choose carefully, you’ll find a great value ski trip. Here’s one we’ve costed up from start to finish for Borovets, Bulgaria.
Item
Cost
Ski package
£350 (3* half board,
17 Sep 2019
Skiing is a sport which most people would like to try. But many don’t. Some get as far as a dry slope in the UK, but nowhere near the mountains. After all, there are so many reasons that might be off-putting. In our handy guide, we advise you on all the basics, so you know exactly where to start.
1. Do I need to be fit?
Skiing is a sport and a general level of fitness helps. The old adage is ‘get fit to ski, don’t ski to get fit’. The truth is you will enjoy your skiing much better if you have energy and muscle strength. The good news is you can build on this with ski fit exercises. The fitter you are the less likely you’ll
05 Apr 2019
With the pound continuing to fall against the euro, the cost of a skiing holiday in popular French, Swiss and Austrian resorts has drastically increased with unfavourable exchange rates meaning holidaymakers could pay up to 26% more than last season.
In this year’s Ski Resort Report, compiled by Post Office Travel Money, the relative costs of ski passes, equipment hire, lessons and refreshment on the slopes was compared across a range of skiing resorts, finding that Val d’Isère was the most expensive French ski destination.
The survey found that the cost of a holiday at Austrian ski resorts including Kitzbühel have risen on
05 Apr 2019
Bansko Ski Holidays offer a unique combination for holidays to a modern winter sports resort and a living town, offering an affordable holiday alternative to the Alps at a fraction of the price. Skiers and Snowboarders of all abilities are well catered for as Bansko has over 70 kilometres of marked pistes, which are easily accessed by a fantastic network of lifts. As the day draws to a close, the apres-ski is centred around the local 'Mehanas', a friendly taverna type restaurant serving traditional Bulgarian cuisine and drinks, often with roaring log fires and live entertainment. Recently voted by Post Office Travel Money as the
