There are several things to consider when planning a ski holiday to any ski destination. The two main things you have to plan beforehand are the transport to your hotel and your accommodation. Everything else can generally be bought on the spot, but you can save time and money by booking in advance. In this article we will be talking about ski vacations in Borovets, but most of the advice can be applied to any resort.
Getting there from the airport
Flying into the country is only your first step of the journey. Few resorts have an airport next to them, so most of the time it’s best to book a transfer to the resort beforehand. What we suggest is to hire online a private or shared shuttle. These offer the best quality to price ratio as they will take you from the airport to your hotel for the least amount of money. There are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, always make sure you book with a licensed operator. Many people and companies offer such services in Bulgaria, however not all are legally allowed to do so. This is important only if something goes wrong as you will be better protected. It’s the little things like that can ruin your trip and the worst place for something to happen is on the road. Always check before hand if the service provider is licensed, has an emergency phone line and if they keep an eye on the ever changing flight arrival times.
You can read more about the different ways to get to Borovets in this detailed article.
All-in packages for skiers and snowboarders
A great way to save time and money is to book your equipment, ski lessons and lift pass in advanced. This way you can save up to 20-50% from on the spot prices. What we always recommend is booking from a reputable ski hire shop that is within walking distance from the Gondola. You can always check on google street view exactly how far away the shop is.
Always be informed on where you book from, as there are a lot of websites, blogs and other entities that offer such services without being legally allowed to do so (that is websites of property managements companies, hotel websites etc.). If something goes wrong, you could be a in trouble from booking through a random website. Definitely don’t rent from the hotel you are staying at, as almost all of the time they have old and not maintained equipment and the person serving you is not specialized to do so and may have even less knowledge of ski equipment than you. This can lead to skis not being serviced or setup correctly and that can lead to injury on the slopes. Also, never leave your ID or passport as insurance that you will return the skis to the shop. This practice is illegal and you can notify the police.
Just below the top gondola station
Another extra that you should look into is if the shop has a boot dryer. This is a big raft where all the boots used through the day are air dried. This is pretty much a must have, as by the second day your boots may be soaking wet, which can cause blisters and actually put an end of the active part of your holiday. Boots can hardly dry in your hotel room, so please consider this option when searching around the Internet.
Finding a place to sleep
There are many hotels in Borovets that you can choose from. We would suggest you look into the offers on booking.com and then check those with the reviews on TripAdvisor. Always check exactly where your hotel is located. Some hotels are advertised as being in Borovets, when in fact they can be a few kilometers from the lifts. Google maps and street view also help in this case. If you are staying further than a normal walking distance from the lifts, make sure your hotel has a frequent (and free) shuttle service back and forth.
If your hotel offers swimming pools, saunas and other spa procedures we highly recommend checking the reviews in TripAdvisor. Sometimes swimming pools are not heated, saunas are not working or paid extra and other stuff like that which can leave you disappointed.
The Hotel Rila has been recently renovated and is a true ski-in/ski-out accommodation.
For more information on Borovets, download our FREE guide. Click Here.
Traventuria Ltd. (www.SkiBorovets.bg) is one of the leading providers of lift passes, ski and snowboard equipment hire, ski and snowboard school tuition and airport transfers for Borovets area. Traventuria Ltd. is fully bonded tour operator and holds tour operators license No PK-01-6434. With several thousand customers per year, our ski shop is one of the best. Book ski deals online HERE.
