Questions and answers about skiing and snowboarding in Bansko

Because this saves you time and cash! Our online prices are up to 60-65% lower than ski service prices in the resorts. On the other hand, if you have everything booked already you won’t have to wander among the numerous overpriced shops or queue for hours, but will only need to meet our representative, who will give you the ski/snowboard packs you have ordered. We need your data well in advance to prepare your services. Once in Bansko, you can not take advantage of the online rates. They need to be booked in advance!

Our ski shop (Ski & Board Traventuria) is located just in front of the Gondola (see a map here). It is at the northern border of the Gondola Parking Lot (Nayden Gerov St.). We are located at the Pirin Palace Hotel (by the side of Euphoria Bar). In case you have booked transportation with us, our drivers will drive you by to show you the exact location. If you have arrived earlier, we advise you to come by and visit us, that will save you a lot of hassle from the first skiing day.

1: Please complete your reservation online, choosing the first date of skiing, the type of the package, and followed by assigning ski/snowboard services to each particular name from your party, your address in Bansko and a phone number of yours just in case.
2: During the ski package booking you can book a return group transfer under the name of the first passenger on the list, with a 10% deduction applied from our semi-private transfer rates.
3: You will immediately receive an automatic confirmation from our reservation system at the email address used during the booking process, incl. an invoice (payable by bank transfer or online by credit card via our secure system for online payment, (processed by Realex Payments and settled by EMS Card), our booking conditions and ski/snowboard fitting instructions. Using the login details in this confirmation email you can access your reservation online anytime if you wish to make amendments, to pay by card, to cancel it and so on.
4: Mind the details inside the “Important Instructions” file you have received at the time of booking, incl. the contact details of our local representatives.
5: No photo is needed for the lift passes.
6: If you are booking airport transfers only, note that you need to make one reservation for each direction, while including your full flight details and correct address/hotel name in Bansko or the area.

1: You will have to come to our ski shop in Bansko (see a map here) in the time slot you have chosen during the booking process. It is very important to follow your time slot in order to avoid the queue. Please remember the booking confirmation number (can be shown on a mobile device as well, or printed).
2: Upon presentation of your booking confirmation to the ski rep, you will receive an envelope with your ski packs, which will consist of (depending on your purchased items) lift passes, vouchers for ski/snowboard equipment, ski/snowboard school and a reference number /the same as your reservation number/; please check if the contents of the envelope correspond to your order and if there are any discrepancies please talk to our rep immediately; Note that even the most basic ski/snowboard packages including tuition cannot be used any later than 10:00 on the first skiing/snowboarding day as ski/snowboard classes will already be underway and cannot be joined later. This means (based on the Gondola queue) that you need to be ready with the ski fitting between 07:30 and 09:15 and leave enough time for the queue and the Gondola ride itself to the ski pistes (30min).

1: You will receive your envelope at the ski shop /desk number 1/, then you will go to the boot fitting area /number 2/, where a member of the staff will help you choose your boots. Then, you go to the ski/board adjustment desks /number 3/ keeping your booking/reference number handy. A member of the staff will assist you with the ski/board fitting. If you have storage booked with us you process to the second floor /storage area/, where another member of the staff will assist you /make sure you have your lift pass handy to access the locker/. In case you do not need a storage in our shop, please process to the cash desk /number 4/ to sign your rental agreement.
2: Don’t leave your equipment unattended! Please note that stolen equipment has to be paid even if you provide as a substitute for someone else’s equipment instead!

1: The meeting point for the ski and snowboard schools is at the top station of the cabin lift, at the ‘Meeting point’ sign. Newcomers are assigned to different groups according to their skill level until 10:00 every day. The ski school runs between 10:00 and 12:00 and then again from 13:00 to 15:00. Snowboard schools run between 10:00 and 12:00.
2: Lunch breaks are between 12:00 and 13:00. Food is not included, so you can use one of the local restaurants to grab a sandwich, or eat your own lunch pack.
3: If you intend to join the ski/snowboard school later than normal please speak with the ski teacher the day before and arrange details directly with him/her
4: When your package has started already, ski tuition and equipment cannot be changed with snowboard tuition and equipment (and vice versa). We do offer superior packages, where changing of skis and snowboards (or different brands among them) is possible every day. However, if you have booked a package with tuition, this cannot be changed from ski to snowboard or vice versa. In this case, you’d better book a 3-day ski pack followed by a 3-day snowboard pack. Contact our office staff for details.

The booking confirmation (considering your order has been paid as per the payment deadlines mentioned inside) you have received in your email at the time of booking is all you need to present to our representative. Read carefully the details inside the “Important Instructions” file you have received at the time of booking.

Generally yes, but the on-spot rates will certainly be higher and always subject to availability! Further to that, you should consider a lot of time lost for negotiating and be queuing on different places for lift passes, equipment hire, lessons etc. The pre-booked services we sell help us to maintain very low price levels. If you only need to hire equipment, helmets, goggles or clothes you are welcome in our ski shop to make your choice on the spot.

All ski and snowboard packages we offer, including a lift pass, also include mountain insurance (valid for the ski official runs only, but not for off-piste skiing!), which in case of injury covers your transportation down to the medical centre and a doctors check, but not any further treatments (which is normally covered by your common medical insurance). We do advise however our customers to come prepared with extensive winter sports insurance, which will also cover any further expenses if your injury needs medical treatment. For this purpose, we recommend World Nomads.

It depends on what you have booked in terms of equipment quality. Some packages and supplements allow you to change skis, snowboards and even different brands every day. However, packages, where group tuition is also involved, do not allow tuition itself to be changed between ski and snowboard (or vice versa). In this case, you may consider booking a ski package with tuition, followed by a snowboard package with tuition. Check the details with our office staff.

At Ski & Board Traventuria you will find the best selection of winter sports equipment for hire: more than 600-700 pairs of skis and snowboards, new models of ski boots, helmets and goggles produced by HEAD, Nordica, Fischer, Rossignol, Stockli, Dynastar, Elan, Dalbello, Alpina, Burton, Nitro, Imperivm, Nevica and more. Our helmets and goggles are produced by Alpina, Elan and HEAD according to the latest safety requirements. The choice of brands (and age of equipment) will be dependent on the packages you have booked (which will reflect on the ski shop where you will get fitted).

It depends on what you have booked in terms of equipment quality. Some packages allow you to leave the boots or skis only, while others allow you to leave all of your equipment (incl. boot drying) for a small fee. Please be very careful to take always your pair of skis and not someone else’s, as in this case your pair will be considered missing and you will have to pay for it as per the official prices on the spot (even though you have returned a pair of the same skis, which are not yours!). Ski lockers, incl. boot drying can also be booked at Ski & Board Traventuria by clients, carrying their own equipment.

American Express cards can be used via PayPal to make your reservation online. Note, there is no additional charge of using PayPal (American Express), compared to other credit cards. Once at the shop in Bansko, we accept American Express,  Visa and MasterCard.

We use Ulen ski school, which employs some of the best of Bulgaria’s ski and snowboard instructors. Most of the groups are taught in English. Russian- and Greek-speaking tutors may potentially be available, but this is not at all guaranteed! For private lessons, we may also use some of the local ski schools.

Kids up to 4 years old use the lifts free of charge. The lift pass for children between 4 and 6.99 years old costs 1 lev per day and can be bought at the cash desk at the bottom Gondola station. Only kids between 7 and 12 years (but younger than 12) can take advantage of our child rates for ski school (although we do offer equipment hire for children as young as 5 years old as well). For kids between 4 and 7 years, you can refer to The Junior Ski Club, which can only be booked on the spot at the lower Gondola station (not in our ski shop!). The Junior Ski Club is open daily from 09:00 to 16:30 and is located right by the slopes, at the top of the Gondola lift. The program includes snow play, ski equipment, daily 1-2 hours tuition “first steps on ski” as to teach and improve skiing, lunch and an all-in atmosphere, where the accent is on fun; free lift pass. The prices are from 30.00 Euro for one day to approx 140.00 Euro for 6 days. Kids, who are to be booked in the Junior Ski Club should obtain a document from the lower Gondola lift station (the office of Ulen), allowing them to use the Gondola free of charge in order to get to the upper lift station, where the ski club is located. We have received conflicting feedback about the services of this business. Unfortunately, there is no real alternative to this type of on-slope childcare. Our advice is to pay for one day only and see if your kid/s likes it. Then pay for the rest of your holiday.

Generally, no. Our experience shows, that tuition of children and adults requires a different approach (for example children get tired in a different way), so whenever possible we try adults and children to be split in order to progress faster. Having been said that, please kindly note, that in low season or in exceptional cases, sometimes groups could be mixed, due to ski instructor availability or closure of ski areas. Families, insisting on having a mixed tuition as a closed group (adults+children) should look into booking private lessons.

You can book private ski or snowboard tuition in Bansko with us online ON THIS LINK. Private tuition gives you a great opportunity to learn the basics or improve your abilities under the guidance of your personal English speaking ski/snowboard instructor.
We offer 2-hour slots with a variety of starting hours for the service.  You can book from one-day tuition to up to a 6-day package. For longer periods please contact us well in advance. Prices start from 27 Euro per person.