Where is the gondola in bansko

However, the queue does build up very fast and if you arrive at opening time, the queue is likely to be well over an hour during busy times of the year. When we visited Bansko, we were staying in a small Boutique hotel around a mile from the gondola. The earliest shuttle was at 9 am, so this meant starting early was not an option.

When arriving anytime between 9 am and am we found a simply massive queue. Waiting for 90 minutes in degree temperatures is no fun. So after three days of queueing, we decided on a different approach. We had a lazy morning and arrived at the gondola at am. To our surprise the queue was tiny. It only took around 15 minutes to get on, and by the time we were up the mountain it wasn't that much later than on previous days. Now I understand arriving on the slopes at midday is not some people's idea of a good day out on the hill.

To be fair I felt a little cheated that if we didn't want to queue for hours this seemed like our only alternative. However, there are other ways.

One of the most frustrating things as you move into the building and climb the steps for the gondola is the fast-track VIP lane on the left. People just wander up there and push past everyone onto the gondola. This makes the wait longer and is very frustrating to watch. So how do you get yourself on this VIP list? Well, it's not easy, you have to book into one of the exclusive 5-star hotels in the resorts such as the Kempinski Grand Arena or the Hotel Premier.

These hotels offer the VIP passes but they are pricey. There were rumours you could purchase the VIP passes separately without staying at the hotel but we didn't find any way of doing this. So unless you're feeling rather well off the VIP lane may not be an option. Although the gondola is obviously the main way up the mountain, there are other ways of getting up there.

One way is the bus service. After am the queue is starting to die out as most of the people with ski lessons are already at the top gondola station — Banderishka Polyana. Ulen buses from the bottom gondola station to the top gondola station In peak times Ulen is organizing transport with minibuses to the top gondola station. A good initiative, but not very effective. The line for the minibuses gets long very quickly and equals the one for the gondola.

After am is the rush hour on the mountain road to Banderishka Polyana and it is difficult to make the right decision to queue at the gondola or for minibus transport that may take even more time than taking the lift. However, they are free! The parking 12 leva per vehicle per day fills up quickly and you may be left with the disappointment of not finding a place to park.

Use a taxi This is a more expensive way of reaching the top gondola station. Negotiate the price before you start your journey! Book a shared or private shuttle bus Some hotels and ski shops are offering shuttle buses to the top gondola stations. The price is usually set to 10 leva per person. You may need to wait a bit till the minibus you will be travelling with fills up.

Again, it is better to take the shuttle bus before am in order to reduce to a minimum the waiting time in the traffic. Without traffic, the shuttle will take you for minutes to Banderishka Polyana. Bansko is the premier ski resort in Bulgaria and there are many good reasons for that.

Gondola Lift - Ski Bansko. Ski Bansko. Pirin Street , Bansko , Bulgaria. Review Highlights. Reviewed April 9, Reviewed March 12, Gondola Lift. Review of Ski Bansko. Date of experience: January Ask antdej about Ski Bansko.

See all 2, reviews. Quick View. Snowmobile Adventure in Bansko. More Info. Bansko: Fishing. Ski and Snowboard Equipment Rental in Bansko. Horse riding experience from Bansko. Shop Now. Outdoor Activities. Reviews 2, Write a review.

Filter reviews. Traveler rating. Excellent Very good Snow reports Bulgaria. Only open ski resorts. Ski weather Bulgaria. New lifts Bulgaria. Planned lifts. Ski deals including ski pass. Ski holiday tips. Ski lifts Bansko Accommodation All ski lifts at the ski resort Bansko. Test result Evaluation criteria Awards. Current snow report Weather report Webcams. Rental stations Bansko.