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Go skiing in Bansko and four more Greek ski resorts by train

15 December 2014 / 18:12:28  GRReporter
3797 reads

The Greek railway company TRAINOSE offers easy and affordable access by train to four Greek ski centres and the most popular winter resort in Bulgaria, Bansko.

The management of the Greek state railway has already started negotiations with the management of BDZ (the Bulgarian railway company) and will soon be offering a comprehensive package to visit the highest mountain peaks in Bansko, one of the most attractive ski resorts in Bulgaria due to the long-lasting snow cover (from December to April) and to the modern ski facilities.

The ski centre is located only 10 km away from the town of Bansko, in the northeastern part of Pirin Mountain, and its ski-runs are easily accessible thanks to the new lift that connects it to Bansko.

Talks are also underway with the winter resorts served by the Thessaloniki-Florina railway line, namely Kaimakchalan, Seli, 3-5 Pigadia and Pisoderi (Vigla) in order for them to start offering complete packages with accommodation, meals and use of the ski centres.

Let us recall that last year TRAINOSE dynamically entered winter tourism, turning to all lovers of skiing with packages, including accommodation, a map of the ski centre and train transport to three different ski resorts, costing only 50 euro for two days. It all started with Pisoderi ski centre where the package included an overnight stay and the total cost per person was below 50 euro.

As stated by chief executive officer of TRAINOSE Athanasios Ziliaskopoulos before Immerisia newspaper, "The company continues its efforts to offer its passengers special packages during the winter season with daily lines to four ski resorts at affordable prices."

Kaimakchalan

Voras (or Kaimakchalan) is the third highest mountain in Greece. It is located in the northern region of Pella at the border with the region of Florina and crosses the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Its highest peak is Kaimakchalan, 2,524 m. In the west, Voras connects to Tzena (2,182 m) and Pinovo (2,156 m) Mountains, which are part of the same mountain range. Voras ski resort is one of the most popular in Greece and the snow cover lasts for a long time: it usually starts snowing in November and there is snow until the beginning of May. The ski centre has ultra modern facilities and wide ski runs with gentle slopes suitable for both beginners and experienced skiers. There is also an airboard trails track. The facilities start at a height of 2,050 m, where there is a chalet, ski and snowboard schools, a parking lot, ski runs for beginners and equipment rental stations, and end at a height of 2,480 m, where you can find the last lift station Kremasi, which is the highest in Greece. The nearest railway station to the ski centre is in the village of Arnisa, from where you can continue by road.

One-way train tickets from Thessaloniki bought online cost 9 euro and two-way 15 euro. The trip to Arnisa lasts approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes and the distance from the station in Arnisa to the resort is 25 km and can be travelled in 36 minutes by car.

Seli

Seli national ski centre is located in the southwestern part of the Vermio Mountains, at an altitude of 1,520-1,900 m. The village of Seli (Kato Vermio) is 1.5 km away and there are major urban centres nearby. Seli is the first organized ski resort in Greece. It was founded in 1934, when the first Pan-Hellenic Winter Games were organized. It is located 24 km away from Veria, 20 km from Naoussa, 95 km from Thessaloniki and 74 km from Kozani. The nearest railway station to the ski resort is in Veria. The distance from the railway station to the ski centre is 29 km that you can travel in 37 minutes. You can go from Thessaloniki to Veria in about 45 minutes. One-way train tickets from Thessaloniki bought online are worth 5 euro and two-way tickets cost 8 euro. You can go from the station to the centre of Veria using the public transport and from the city centre to the ski resort by a special bus.

3-5 Pigadia

3-5 Pigadia winter resort is located in the western part of the Vermio Mountains, at 1,430-2,005 m above sea level. It is 17 km away from Naoussa and the asphalt road is open throughout the winter period. The excellent infrastructure of the ski centre offers not only winter sports but also various other activities. The system of artificial snow, which is unique in Greece, provides excellent snow quality throughout the winter season. The nearest railway station to 3-5 Pigadia is in Naoussa. The journey from Thessaloniki to Naoussa lasts approximately 1 hour. One-way tickets from Thessaloniki bought online cost about 5 euro and two-way 8 euro.

Vigla - Pisoderi

Pisoderi is a modern ski resort with many ski lifts and runs. It has 10 Olympic size runs that can serve all categories of skiers and snowboarders, and five ski lifts. The nearest railway station to the ski centre is in Florina. A one-way ticket from Thessaloniki bought online costs 10 euro and two-way 16 euro. The distance from the station to the ski centre is 18 km, which you can travel by bus or car within 16 minutes.

Customer loyalty programme

TRAINOSE has introduced a loyalty programme for regular customers to promote the trip by train. By registering on TRAINOSE website, regular customers can enjoy a range of special privileges such as priority access to cheap tickets worth 9 and 19 euro along the Athens-Thessaloniki route. In addition, the company offers free lunch to first class passengers. Since it has introduced this service, 90% of first class seats have been occupied compared with 40% prior to that.

Tags: Skir resortsGreek railway company TRAINOSEBulgarian railway company BDZ
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