Getting to Bansko
Getting to Bansko from Sofia
The holiday rental apartments of Top Lodge & Neon Complex are in the town of Bansko. Bansko is in the Razlog valley in the municipality of Blagoevgrad. It is approx 160 km from the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. To transfer by car or minibus from Sofia to Bansko takes about 2 hours 15 mins in normal traffic conditions, however in extreme weather during winter months this can take a little longer.
The main E79 highway linking Sofia to Kulata (Bulgarian/Greek border) is being upgraded to motorway and several sections are now complete. Already this has taken 15-20 mins of the transfer time and when completed to the point of Simitli (where you leave the E79 to take the mountain road towards Bansko) it should take another 20 mins off. Making the transfer well under 2 hours from airport to the apartment door!
You can hire a car or arrange a transfer with many operators that we can recommend. For those on a tighter budget it is also possible to catch a bus from Sofia to Bansko. This takes only a little longer than by car or minibus but will save you a good few euros! See all the transfers options for more details.
Airlines
There are many flight options available to get to Bulgaria, with Sofia being the airport of choice. Sofia is approx 160 km from Bansko.
Here are some of the most widely used flight providers and information about their services can be found by clicking the links:-
British Airways (London Heathrow) www.ba.com
Bulgaria Air (London Heathrow) www.air.bg
EasyJet (Edinburgh, London Gatwick, London Stanstead or Manchester) www.easyjet.com
Wizz Air (London Luton) www.wizzair.com
Ryan Air (Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, London Stansted) www.ryanair.com
Lufthansa fly from Manchester and Heathrow to Sofia via Munich, Frankfurt or Dusselfdorf.
As this is indirect it can take a little longer but they do offer very convenient flight times compared to other airlines. www.lufthansa.com
Other flight option sites include:-
www.skyscanner.net
www.cheapflights.co.uk
www.ski-flights.com
There are indirect flights from many UK cities to Sofia, a search using some of the options we have suggested should be a great way to find a deal. Note that some of the budget operators only run some services for the winter ski season.
There are many car hire firms to choose from should you wish to drive from Sofia airport to Bansko. The route is pretty easy to follow once you have navigated out of the city. Use googlemaps for directions.
All the usual brands are represented including Europcar, Avis, Hertz, etc
We have also used Zest Car Rental several times and they usually beat the prices of the big names.
The above options are just a selection of what is available.
For those on a tighter budget, travelling via bus offers great savings over car hire or private transfer. The overall journey time is not that much longer and all adds to the experience.
You can take the local buses from Sofia to Bansko from either Central Bus Station or Ovcha Kupel Bus Station. Taking a taxi from the airport to either of these bus stations is the easiest way to get to them but in rush hour not neccesarily the quickest.
A good alternative is to take the Sofia Metro Line 1 from Terminal 2 and a change to line 2 takes you to Central Rail & Bus Stations.
Alternatively take a bus from the airport to the city centre, then change bus or tram to either Central or Ovcha Kupel bus stations.
The buses in Bulgaria are comfy and reliable, offering daily services between Sofia and Bansko, besides almost any other desitination in Bulgaria.
Check time tables at BGrazpisanie.com, simply enter your starting city, destination city and date of travel.
Or Bansko.org shows a bus timetables summary but it is always best to check actual times via the first link.
Perhaps the easiest and most relaxing option to get from Sofia to Bansko is via either a private or group transfer service. There is plenty of choice available depending on your budget, private transfer working out more expensive than a group transfer.
We have used many transfer companies over the years and it all depends on how many people are travelling as to which company offers the best deal.
They all offer pretty much the same service. Collection from the airport along with all your bags, skis, boards or bikes etc. Transfer to Bansko and drop off at the apartment door. Then collection and return to the airport at the end of your stay. Some will provide a drink, whilst others may stop at a service station enroute for a comfort or coffee break.
Here is just a selection of those available