Bulgaria ski holidays from £399 average price per person

• Great value luxury
  Stay at the award-winning 5* Kempinski in Bansko for a fraction of the cost elsewhere in Europe.
• Cheap and lively après
  Party into the night in Borovets with après to rival any Austrian resort - but with drinks for a fraction of the cost.
• Resort with a view
  Check out Pamporovo from the observation deck in Snezhanka Tower - you might even see the Aegean Sea.

So what's it like?

Bulgarian ski holiday are a little different - and a lot less expensive - than the Alps. It’s a great place to learn skiing, with excellent English-speaking ski schools and loads of tree-lined beginner and intermediate slopes.

These two points make the country’s resorts good for first-timers, and younger groups also flock here for its cheap, lively après scene.

Popular resorts

Best for families – Both Bansko and Pamporovo have a range of well-appointed and family-friendly hotels, with easy transfers and plenty to entertain children away from the slopes.

Best for après – Borovets has a large selection of quirky and lively little bars, shops and places to eat. The Rila Hotel even has its own nightclub, so you don’t even have to venture outside to party.

Best for beginners – Pamporovo’s 37km of piste is mostly green and blue rated – and when combined with a superb ski school, this is the perfect place to get started.

Best for intermediates – Bansko has lots for intermediates to explore across its 75km of piste – with great tree-skiing possibilities and a small terrain park to add some fun for thrill-seekers.

Accommodation options

Four star hotels with good facilities are the norm in Bulgaria – so your stay will be comfortable and relaxed – and there are also some reasonably priced five-star options if you’re after a bit of luxury.

Many of our properties are ski-in, ski-out and learn-to-ski packages start from under £150 – you’ll have your lessons, lift pass and equipment all included – so that first foray onto the slopes is even more affordable.

Local culture

Bulgarians take Christmas and Easter pretty seriously, so if you go at these times, prepare to enjoy plenty of decorations, folk dances and feasts. In fact, pretty much anytime you go during the winter, someone will find an excuse for a celebration – with all the traditional music and merriment that involves.

Food and drink

The bars and clubs are modern and lively, with your spending money going a lot further here. It’s not unusual to find a pint of for as little as £1.20, or a three-course meal for just over £10.

In terms of cuisine, all tastes are catered for – pizza, pasta, burgers and chips are widely available – but it’s well worth trying some Bulgarian delicacies. There’s plenty of grilled meat on offer – from lamb kebabs to deer sausages – to be eaten alongside fresh local breads and pastries, feta cheese, hummus and yoghurt dips.

Don’t forget to sample some of the local fruit brandy, Rakia, as an aperitif or digestif in the evening.