Hi sooze29,

Tonyt is the Albena expert - check out his posts from last May/June in this search result, regarding restaurant changes, etc. - Peter's & Izvora are no more, among other changes.

Most tour operators, including many of Balkan Holiday's flights from regional airports, have been enticed into flying to Burgas airport, rather than Varna, for the last couple of seasons which means a 2-3 hour coach transfer for holidaymakers flying from at least some UK airports to the Northern coastal resorts.

I suspect that the pressure is so great to try to fill the massive overcapacity of hotel/apartment beds in Sunny Beach and the other Southern resorts, that incentives to fly to Burgas, rather than Varna, make more commerial sense to tour operators at least for the present.

Baldur

That's really sad because it was such a nice resort, the people were lovely, it was clean and safe.

That's really sad because it was such a nice resort, the people were lovely, it was clean and safe.

I'm sure that Tony will give you an update when he visits next, I know that, after visiting Albena for many years, he was less enamoured of the resort after his last visit but has booked again for the latter part of next May, if I recall correctly.

I popped down from my village once or twice last year, with visitors who arrived during my extended summer stay, but ended up walking down the beach to Kranevo, rather than remaining in Albena.

I only walked up to the Beer Kartel (beyond the ship & fisherman's hut restaurants) and had one drink last year, whereas it had been a favourite haunt of mine in previous years. The resort was very quiet, when I visited, apart from a few locals and lots of Romanian visitors - I presume that most of the foreign tourists were taking full advantage of their AI status.

It is still the best maintained and managed of the large resorts but, unfortunately, the management appear to want to dictate to visitors that they want AI, rather than catering for what their decreasing number of visitors actually want.

Baldur

Have you thought about organising your own holiday? There are lots of privately owned apartments on the Black Sea coast.Then you can choose exactly where you want to go.

There is that possibility, we just loved Albena and think it would be a shame to go back to find nothing opened and everyone staying in AI. We may reconsider next year perhaps, possibly look at Kranova.

sooze29, as Baldur has already pointed out, there has been big changes, for the worse, in my opinion. The following is as how it was when I left in June, things can change, but as many know I do not spend a lot of time on Resort, I am out and about seeing Bulgaria as it is.
Peters Bar now a Mexican
Izvora. Flattened
Mumbi's Pizza House
Poco Loco. empty because of Flamingo Hotel opposite
built where the old Bratislava Hotel was.
Arrabella (Ship) still going, but looked very tatty
Fish Restaurant opposite above closed.
Karibee Bar, other end of Beach, lack of atmosphere since Zak left.
The other Restaurant near to kids playground and Bazaar (name escapes me) flattened.
Chinese has gone, now a Green Apple Restaurant.
There are still some good eateries, ie, The Olde House, Irish Bar,
Outside the Drouzbha Hotel. and off course past the Arabella.
I stay in the Drouzbha, although was moved to the high rise Dobruja last year, as Drouzbha did not open till middle of June.
With Drouzbha, You take your meals in the Slavinkia Restaurant next door.
Your say about Kranavo, along the beach from Albena, this you will have to organise yourselves, and since you were last in the area, it has grown in size, with both apartrments and Hotels, these being visited by former Eastern bloc countries. Anything else, just ask. Tonyt

first person in Albena in 2009 please see if Moby Dicks is still open thank you

Hi lal,

first person in Albena in 2009 please see if Moby Dicks is still open thank you

Tonyt's there from late May, and will no doubt update us all about the state of play in Albena.

Baldur

P.S. The Beer Kartel & Moby Dick restaurant are technically not in Albena, as they are past the 'You are now leaving Albena' sign, which is why their prices tend to be more reasonable than those in the resort itself.
In fact, the Beer Kartel's business cards say that they are open all year round (unlike Albena resort).

Today's announcement (see Sofia Echo report) regarding a planned €35 million investment in Burgas Airport doesn't bode well for people looking for flights to Varna, I suspect.

Baldur

Baldur - Thanks for posting the article. Great news for Bourgas but so disappointing for Golden Sands fans like me.

Hi Baldur,

I believe that tourists, who spend their holidays in Albena or Golden Sands, will fly to Varna and not to Bourgas. Because it takes you two and a half hour to go from Bourgas to Golden Sands.

Regards
Manfred

Hello Manfred

Sorry to say that is not always the case. We always book with Balkan and it used to be that you would fly into Varna for these resorts . For example, no Edinburgh or Glasgow flights to Varna anymore. I think Leeds Bradford has also been withdrawn.

There is a note if you are trying to book online saying that these flights land at Bourgas now and then you are coached to Varna for Golden Sands/Albena which involves the 2 + hours transfer. It has been like that for some time now.

Hi Manfred,

I believe that tourists, who spend their holidays in Albena or Golden Sands, will fly to Varna and not to Bourgas. Because it takes you two and a half hour to go from Bourgas to Golden Sands.

As per my post of 20th January above and as morh says, most Balkan Holidays UK flights have been re-routed to Burgas, rather than Varna. Their flight information only shows four UK airports serving Varna this summer, as opposed to nineteen serving Burgas and this has been increasingly the case for the last couple of seasons - so many holidaymakers who wish to go to the Northern resorts ARE being subjected to a 2 to 3 hour coach transfer after their 3 to 3.5 hour flight and the same on their return.

Most (if not all) other UK tour operators are no longer offering holidays in Albena, Sveti Konstantin or Golden Sands - only the Southern resorts.

Regards,

Baldur

I dont know why Balkan dont alter their website. When trying to book online they offer Varna as an option but it is only when you proceed that it shows the message about landing at Bourgas. It would be better if they simply put Bourgas as the arrival airport and then people would know at that stage of booking.

Its not as though it is a recent change. Its a few years now since they stopped Edinburgh to Varna. We got round this by going Glasgow to Varna. Now that option is no longer available. AGH!!

morh and Baldur,

thanks for your replies,

do you know why

Most (if not all) other UK tour operators are no longer offering holidays in Albena, Sveti Konstantin or Golden Sands - only the Southern resorts.

?

Regards

Manfred

Hi Manfred,

do you know why ?

I can only speculate, as I did above:

I suspect that the pressure is so great to try to fill the massive overcapacity of hotel/apartment beds in Sunny Beach and the other Southern resorts, that incentives to fly to Burgas, rather than Varna, make more commercial sense to tour operators at least for the present.

I suspect that there are significant business & political interests at play in this situation.

Regards,

Baldur

Thanks Baldur dont get on this site much but love the beer Cartell and Moby Dicks, any one wanting to fly from manchester to Varna is welcome to park their car in our drives

and so do I. Tonyt

This does not make promising reading but perhaps flights from a London airport (Gatwick or Stansted) will fly direct to Varna. Reading some of the threads/posts here it seems visits to Albena and other northern resorts are in decline. I can only see things getting worse if the transport time from the airport is too long. That coupled with the credit crunch can only spell problems for some.

We visited Sunny Beach 3 years ago, loved the prices, loved the people but didnt enjoy the huge expanse of this resort. There seemed little Bulgarian about it. Our visits to Nessebar and Szopol were terrific as these had a feel of Bulgarian culture and history. Are there any resorts in the North that are similar?

Any info on Albena or other similar northern resorts and accommodation gratefully received.

Pete