Ski Holidays in Bulgaria on a budget...

Skiing holidays in Eastern Europe are always cheaper than the more popular resorts in Italy, France, Austria and Switzerland. Skiing in Bulgaria is a popular budget choice.

The most popular budget resort with British skiers is Borovets. The town is fairly small and lies at approximately 1,300 metres in the Rila Mountains. It is comprised of three different zones. The upper half of the mountain is mainly above the line of the trees and has plenty of wide open pistes. Most of these are gentle which is ideal for beginners and intermediates. One of the big attractions of Borovets is the nightlife. Free or cheap drinks fuel the fun and there are plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs.

Pamporovo and Vitosha have also received much needed upgrades, but the pick of the bunch is Bansko which has seen huge investment in its facilities and hotels. Prices of course have inevitably risen as the quality of the resorts improves, but choose a travel company that can negotiate the best rates on ski rentals, lift tickets and other items and you can still get a bargain.

Booking and paying for everything in advance is often better than paying at the resort as prices tend to be fluid in Bulgaria in a way that they are not in North America or Western Europe.

The locals are friendly and the ski schools are of a high standard whilst being much cheaper than in the Alps. Eating out is also reasonable, although Bulgaria is not exactly known for its cuisine.

Bulgaria is in the south east of Europe so flights and transfer times tend to be longer and the road network is not that good. The exchange rate in the resorts tends to be poor and often there is a high commission charge. It is recommended that skiers take hard currency such as sterling or withdraw money from their UK bank account as required.

To find the best deals on skiing in Bulgaria packages visit several websites and follow the links to ‘Ski Holidays Bulgaria’.

Are you adequately insured for your ski holiday?...

Many who take their annual ski holiday are under the mistaken impression that they do not require to take out additional cover as their normal holiday insurance will be adequate, or worse still that the European Health Insurance Card, which is the reciprocal arrangement for emergency health treatment will be adequate, which it most certainly will not!

If you have taken out annual holiday insurance for your usual two week jaunt with the family to the Mediterranean, together will the other odd holiday you may embark upon, you should ensure that this also has winter sport cover added to the policy for yourself or any other members of the family who may be going to enjoy a skiing holiday with you. Often the better way is to take out specialist winter sport holiday insurance for your trip to the Alps or to North America. Many ski holiday specialists will be happy to arrange this cover for you, or you could search through a broker or by a comparison site. If you choose the latter way to find winter sports insurance, please make sure that it covers all eventualities and has a minimum medical expenses cover which should be not less than £5million.

Another useful tip is to make sure that you always carry a credit card stowed safely in your ski suit as more often than not you will be asked to pay up front for the trip down the mountain and in the ambulance, in fact in Austria this will cost you around €230 and the ambulances there are equipped with a machine to take card payments on the spot. Happily just about everyone comes home with fewer bruises than they might get playing football!

Group Ski Holidays Take Planning...

It may seem challenging enough to try to plan ski holidays for a couple or a family, but how do you go about organising one for a larger group of people? It may seem a bit daunting at first, but there are resources available to help you.

When planning group ski holidays, look for resorts offering special rates for groups of guests. If no information about group discounts is posted on the resort’s web site, contact the manager directly to ask about special pricing for your party. You can always move on to another option if the management is unwilling or unable to give you a break on the price.

Look online for companies catering to groups interested in ski holidays. They can help to make organising the trip a lot easier. If you have people who will be coming in from different destinations and then travelling to the resort, be sure to ask whether any group discounts you are being offered on air fares will apply in that case.

There are a number of accommodation options available for people going on group ski holidays. Depending on the number of people going, you may want to consider staying at a chalet or booking a block of rooms at a hotel. That way, everyone can stay together while enjoying their ski holidays.

The idea of booking a holiday for a group of people to go skiing together is for everyone to get some exercise and enjoy the fresh air. Ask about the possibility of a discount and the facilities the resort offers to groups. That way, everyone will have a wonderful time they will remember for years.

Skiing holidays on a budget...

OK, so we all know that skiing isn’t the cheapest holiday in the world but with a bit of planning ahead and lateral thinking you can make your spending money go a long way. So, before you dismiss ski holidays as too expensive why not consider doing the following?;

Go Self Catering - Full board is fantastic and eating out every night is a real treat but if you book accommodation with a kitchen you can save a lot of money. Stocking up at the local supermarket or local market and cooking the majority of your own meals will leave you enough money for a couple of really good meals out. Don’t forget to take provisions out with you on the slopes too so you are not spending too much on apres ski goodies .

Local Transport – Find out if the local bus can get you to the slopes or if your resort runs a cheap shuttle bus service. Or investigate other options such as taxi sharing.

Book a later date - Avoid the school holidays and the usual busy periods and you could bag yourself a bargain. If you plan your trip for late spring you may also be able to take advantage of non-holiday rates at resorts. The snow is often better at that time of year too which makes it perfect for ski deals.

Gen up - Try and found out as much as you can about your resort before you go so you get an idea of where to shop, eat and hang out. The internet is a great way to source bargains and offers, especially out of season deals. When you arrive make sure you pick up the local paper and also keep an eye out for signs and flyers advertising 2-for-1 meals and happy hours.