Is Bansko Good for a Family Ski Holiday?

Planning a family ski holiday can feel rather more complicated than organising a trip for adults.

You need somewhere that works for beginners as well as more confident skiers, good ski schools for the children, manageable costs and – ideally – somewhere everyone can enjoy themselves off the slopes too.

Bansko ticks a lot of those boxes.

We’ve been running ski holidays here since 2008 and welcome families of all shapes and sizes, from parents bringing children skiing for the first time to extended family groups travelling with grandparents.

So, is Bansko good for a family ski holiday? Here’s what you need to know.

Is Bansko Good for Children Learning to Ski?

Yes. Bansko is a good choice for beginner skiers, including children.

There are dedicated beginner areas and plenty of gentle terrain to progress onto once they’ve found their feet. The ski area also has a ski kindergarten for children aged four and over.

There are lots of English-speaking ski instructors in resort, with both group and private lessons available.

For younger children or complete beginners, having lessons booked in advance makes the first few days much easier. During school holidays, particularly February half term, we recommend arranging lessons early as the most popular times can fill up.

If you’re bringing first-time skiers, our guide to Bansko for beginners goes into more detail about the slopes and what to expect.

What If the Adults and Children Ski at Different Levels?

That’s very normal on a family ski holiday.

Parents may have skied for years while the children are beginners, or you might have one confident teenager alongside someone who has never put skis on before.

Bansko works well for this because different abilities can ski separately for part of the day without everyone disappearing to opposite ends of a huge ski domain.

Children can head to lessons while parents ski together, and the family can meet again for lunch or later in the afternoon.

There are several mountain restaurants around Bunderishka Poliana and Shiligarnika that make convenient meeting points.

We’ve written a separate guide to Bansko for mixed-ability ski groups if your family has a particularly wide range of skiing experience.

How Expensive Is a Family Ski Holiday in Bansko?

This is one of Bansko’s biggest attractions.

Taking a family skiing is never going to be a particularly cheap holiday once you add flights, accommodation, lift passes, equipment and lessons, but Bansko generally compares very favourably with the major Alpine resorts.

Children receive reduced lift-pass prices and equipment hire is relatively inexpensive. Food and drinks are also generally cheaper than in France, Austria or Switzerland.

That can make a substantial difference when you are paying for four or five people rather than two.

We’ve put together a detailed guide to the cost of a Bansko ski holiday, including an example budget for a family of four.

School holiday dates will inevitably cost more, particularly February half term, so booking flights and accommodation early is worthwhile.

If your school Easter holidays fall while Bansko is still open, late March and early April can also offer particularly good value.

Do You Need to Take Skis and Boots for the Children?

No.

Unless your children already own their equipment, hiring it in Bansko is normally much easier than travelling with skis and boots. It is also possible to hire ski jackets and ski trousers, as well as helmets, gloves and goggles.

Equipment can be fitted after you arrive, so you don’t need to know exact boot or ski sizes before your holiday.

This is particularly useful with children, who have an annoying habit of growing between one ski season and the next.

Total Chalets guests receive discounted rates with the rental companies we work with, and we can arrange equipment hire and lessons before you travel.

We can also arrange your lift passes so they are ready for you when you arrive at the chalet.

Our Bansko ski hire, lift passes and lessons guide explains how all of that works.

Is Bansko Easy With Children in the Mornings?

Getting a family dressed, fed and onto a ski slope is rarely a serene experience.

This is where having breakfast, ski transport and your equipment organised makes quite a difference.

At our Bansko chalets, breakfast is included each morning and our private minibus takes guests to the ski area.

During busy periods, when conditions allow, we can also drive guests directly to the slopes rather than sending everyone to join the main gondola queue.

It saves having to organise taxis or walk through town carrying children’s skis, poles, helmets and everything else that comes with a family ski day.

Is a Catered Chalet Good for Families?

We think this is one of the nicest ways to do a family ski holiday.

After a day on the mountain, you come back to the chalet rather than having to think about shopping, cooking or finding a restaurant for everyone.

There’s freshly baked cake waiting in the afternoon, and on catered evenings our hosts prepare dinner.

We can also serve children’s meals earlier than the main evening meal, which works particularly well for younger children who aren’t going to make it happily through a three-course dinner at adult dinner time.

Parents with babies or toddlers are welcome to use the chalet kitchen to prepare food or warm milk too.

You can read more about what’s included in a catered chalet holiday.

Which Total Chalets Chalet Is Best for Families?

All three of our Bansko chalets welcome families, but the best choice depends largely on the size of your group.

Chalet Jora

Chalet Jora is particularly well suited to extended families and groups who want a chalet to themselves.

It sleeps up to 14 guests and has a large lounge with a log fire, games, TV and plenty of space to relax together after skiing.

Two of its bedrooms are quad rooms, which can work particularly well for families with children.

Chalet Mila

Chalet Mila can be booked either by the room or for private use and sleeps up to 18.

That makes it a good option for a smaller family that doesn’t need an entire chalet, or several families travelling together.

Chalet Garibaldi

Chalet Garibaldi sleeps up to 20 and can also be booked room by room or privately.

It works particularly well for larger family and friendship groups who want plenty of en-suite bedrooms.

You can compare all of our Bansko ski chalets here.

What Can Families Do in Bansko Apart From Skiing?

You don’t have to ski from first lift until last lift every day.

Bansko itself is a proper town rather than a purpose-built ski resort, so there’s plenty going on away from the slopes.

Families can go ice skating, horse riding, art classes, 4×4 rides, wander around the old town, stop for hot chocolate, enjoy a spa afternoon or visit one of the thermal pool complexes in nearby Banya.

A spa visit is included for guests staying at our Bansko chalets, which can be particularly welcome halfway through a week of skiing.

Non-skiing family members can also take the gondola up the mountain on a pedestrian pass and meet the skiers for lunch.

This makes Bansko a good option if grandparents are joining the holiday but don’t necessarily want to ski, or if one parent plans to spend less time on the mountain.

What About Airport Transfers?

Sofia Airport is the main arrival point for Bansko, with the journey taking roughly two and a half hours depending on traffic and weather.

For Total Chalets guests, return group airport transfers on our scheduled transfer days are included in our catered Bansko prices.

For a family, that’s one more piece of the holiday you don’t need to organise separately.

We can also advise on flights and arrival times before you book if you’d like to check what works best with our transfers.

Is Bansko Suitable for Teenagers?

Yes – and in some ways it becomes even easier as the children get older.

Teenagers who are confident skiers can have more independence on the mountain, while beginners can take lessons and progress surprisingly quickly during a week.

Away from skiing there are cafés, restaurants, ice skating and plenty going on around town.

Bansko also feels much more like a real town than a small isolated ski station, which tends to work well for families with older children who don’t necessarily want to spend every evening sitting in the chalet.

So, Is Bansko a Good Choice for a Family Ski Holiday?

For most families, yes.

It combines good beginner skiing and English-speaking instructors with comparatively affordable equipment hire, lift passes, food and accommodation.

Just as importantly, the logistics can be kept fairly simple.

If you’re staying with Total Chalets, we can arrange your airport transfers, daily transport to the slopes, lift passes, ski hire and lessons. Breakfast is waiting in the morning, cake is waiting when you get back from skiing and dinner is taken care of on catered evenings.

That leaves rather more time for the part you actually came for – enjoying a week in the mountains together.

Planning a Family Ski Holiday to Bansko?

We have three catered chalets in Bansko suitable for families, from individual rooms for smaller families to private chalets for larger groups.

Our holidays include return airport transfers, breakfast, afternoon cake, catered evening meals, daily ski transport and one complimentary spa visit per guest.

We can also arrange discounted ski hire and lessons and have your lift passes waiting when you arrive.

Take a look at our Bansko chalets or get in touch if you’d like us to help work out the best option for your family.