Bansko: how to get to the resort and go around there

The closest airports

Airports encircle Bansko.

The most commonly chosen way to Bansko is to go through Sofia air terminal, which is located 95 km from the resort and through Plovdiv Airport 114 km away. You can also find cheap flights to Thessaloniki Airport (“letishte” in Bulgarian) which is 235 km away. But you must have a valid Schengen visa.

You can buy tickets here.

Intercity transport to Bansko

From Sofia

You can go from Sofia to Bansko by bus, which departs from Central or Ovcha Kupel Bus Station. Tourists often get to the resort through the Central Bus Station. There are a lot of routes – you don’t have to wait for a long time. You’ll spend 3 hours enroute and pay from 13 leva for a ticket.

Keep in mind the fact mentioned by Maria and Katerina on the It’s all trip to me:

The last bus from the Central Bus Station in Sofia leaves at 14:00. So those arriving on a later flight will have to spend the night in Sofia and go to Bansko on the following day.

You can buy tickets for some routes online.

Buses from Sofia make a short stop in Bansko, so be careful.

You can get from Sofia to the resort by train too. It will take a long time but the window views are worth it. In Septemvri, you have to change to the narrow-gauge train (“tesnolineyka” in Bulgarian). If you find a seat beside the window, you’ll enjoy the view of a beautiful mountain all the way (7 hours).

 writes about catering and facilities on the Bansko to Septemvri train:

There is a cafe carriage on the train, it’s possible to buy coffee, beer and some snacks. This has been possible since 2018. However, taking a picnic and a good bottle of Bulgarian wine is a fabulous way to spend the time on this glorious little train!

Trains run from the Central Train station to Septemvri 3 times a day. One ticket costs 11 leva.

Visit the website to check the schedule.

From Plovdiv

Buses from Plovdiv to Bansko depart 3 times a day. You’ll spend 2,5-3 hours on travel and from 10 leva on a ticket.

From Plovdiv, a train also goes through Septemvri – it means you can’t avoid the narrow-gauge railway. You’ll give from 8 leva for tickets and spend 6-7 hours of your holiday time on the road.

From Thessaloniki

If you arrived in Thessaloniki, you’d get to Bansko by bus with a change in Blagoevgrad. You’ll get from Thessaloniki to Blagoevgrad in 4 hours, and then you should go another 1 hour. All the tickets will cost about 55 leva.

If you like the railway very much and one of your main goals is to travel by it, use a train to get from Thessaloniki to Bansko. From the train station, go to Sofia, then get to Bansko on the train, which runs with a change. You’ll spend all the daylight hours on the road (at least 14 hours).

Rent a car

If you are more than 21 years old and have a driving experience from 1-3 years, you can rent a car. Every rental company has its requirements, but, in any case, you should present your foreign passport and a card to pay a deposit.

writes:

Renting a car is a great option if you want to have a car when you’re in Bansko to be able to travel around the region easily. Driving in Bulgaria is not particularly difficult, and the road between Sofia and Bansko presents no major problems as it’s rather well-maintained by Bulgarian standards.

Make sure that there are snow chains on the wheels: they will be very useful on a mountain road. The Bulgarian law obliges to use them from November 1 to March 31. Meanwhile, the maximum allowed speed is not more than 50 km/h.

Taxi and transfer

You can get a taxi at the airport, but there’s no guarantee you immediately will find a car with the needed capacity to fit all your luggage and ski gear.

In that case, the most convenient way is to book a transfer in advance. If you are traveling in a large group, the most economical option is renting a minivan for 6 or 10 passengers. Split it among all of you – it’ll be more money-saving than a taxi ride, and, in some cases, even cheaper than using public transport.

Public transport in Bansko

There is no public transport in the town. Free ski buses run from some hotels to a ski lift.

Ms. Thorell confirms this fact at her blog Anavaspana:

We got in line at 8.00 and at 8.30, 12 shuttle buses came. If you do not get on these buses, they come again every 45 minutes.

The time of arrival and stop should be specified in place. That there is a schedule, does not, however, guarantee you can get to the lift.

To get to the ski lift, you have to adjust to the schedule of the ski bus. Don’t want to lose time – rent a car. There are some routes to the resort. What should you prefer? It depends on your budget and on whether you have any ski equipment or are traveling light.