Going from Sofia to Borovets by bus
by hekate
If you have to stay on a budget or you do not want to drive to Borovets going by bus is the alternative since there is no train to Borovets.
To do that you need to go to South Bus Station (Avtogara Yug). There is a bus and a shuttle minibus to Samokov every 30 minutes. It takes about an hour to get to Samîkov Bus Station. The price of the ticket is BGN 3 (EUR 1.5).
Then you can either take a van or a taxi to Borovets.
There are vans leaving for Borovets every 15 minutes. In Borovets, they stop in front of Hotel Samokov. Again, the price of the ticket is BGN 3 (EUR 1.5), as far as I remember.
I did go by taxi and I think it cost me something like BGN 8 (EUR 4). So if you prefer to be more comfortable you might as well do that :)
Just an idea for a souvenire
by hekate about Rakia (Bulgarian brandy)
Well, actually it is a small shop that ha a sign on the front saying it is a supermarket :) You will find it on the street that goes from Samokov to Rila hotel. If you are going up to Rila hotel you will see it on your right almost across Samokov hotel. What you see on the picture could be an idea for a gift to your friends :) It is basically a small decorative bottle of rakia (Bulgarian brandy). I think it was about 200 ml.
You have different flavours to choose from - grape, apple, etc. But the classic Bulgarian rakia is made out of grape, although sometimes from other fruits like plums and apples. I did not llok at the price but I would not pay more than BGN 5 for such a bottle.
Going from Sofia to Borovets by car
by hekate
If you choose to travel by car you have to take the following rout:
Sofia – Gorubliane – Pancharevo – Samokov - Borovets.
The distance is not long at all - only 72 km away from Sofia or a 45 min – 1 hour drive. The road is not that good around Gorubliane and Pancharevo, so pay attention for halls on the road during this part of the trip. Otherwise it is a pleasant drive trough a very picturesque area.
The good thing about Borovets is that the resort offers enough parking spots. The largest guarded parking is situated by the entrance to the resort. The Rila and Samokov hotels also have parking areas guarded round the clock. Of course, you should pay to leave your car there :)))
A great experience--skiing limited though
by chrishc
"It has to be done"
Briefly, really enjoyed stay here in the Samokov Hotel, it reminded me of a Hilton I stayed in but the carpentry did not quite join anywhere . . .quaint.
There was not a lot of skiing for anything above modest intermediate level but everything was treated with fun.
Nightlife was good and I will have to expand on how we got drunk on 80p in the White Magic Bar.
Forum Posts
Borovets hotels
by memika
does someone know what would be the cost in Borovets *** hotels?
thanks
Re: Borovets hotels
by chrishc
Nearly 10 years since we stayed in the Hotel Samokov but everything was really cheap. The Bulgarian beer was half the price of the likes of Amstel but very nice, as was the local vodka and brandy. The water supply suffered a bit and apart from the Samokov, which was state owned all the others seemed to not have water at some time during the week, but only for an hour or so.
A nice resort.
Chris
