Informations about Kopaonik
UPDATED INFOS (27/12/2005)
Dear fellows,
The reason for replying to my own post is simple : To inform other non-serbian speakers about Kopaonik resort for this period.
We managed to go to Kopaonik from Dec 17th till Dec 24th 2005.
So, here they're the replies to my own questions
1) Which is the price for daily ski pass for season 2005-2006?Any discounts for more days?(eg 3,4,5,week?)
The price for the ski pass is 1100 dinars/day.Plus 400dinars for getting the card(which they will be refunded to you when you'll return the magnetic card).Extra discount for 2,3,4,5 and so on days.
Personal example : For 5 days i paid 4300 dinars(50 euros- 10 euros/day) for the pass+400 for the card
2) Hiring ski/snowboard equipment : Average cost day?Are available some extra discount for hiring equipment for eg a week?
--Ski rental (skiis,boots,polls) is for 850 dinars (~10 euros) /day.Snowboard (boots,board) rental is 1200dinars(~13,9 euros/day).
For hiring equipment for more than 2 days there're some discounts.And of course there's also special discount for each shop (ski service) who co-operate with the hotel you're staying.
Personal example : Snowboard cost for 5 days : 4100 dinars(47,6 euros instead of 6000dinars/69,7 euros)
3) Which is the official date announced by the ski center for the openning of season 2005-2006?
It's already open.And for the quality of snow.... :O (<--pleasantly surprised in order not to get misundestood)...A lot of fresh snow.At the base the last day we were there was almost 60+cm's and at the top around 75+cm.Everynight (almost) at least 5-6 cm's of new snow.
4) Since we're going to kopaonik using train from Solun, according to your opinnion,which is the best way of reaching kopaonik?
The best solution to go to kopaonik from other big cities of SCG, is via bus.During the ski season, extra routed buses are scheduled to Kopaonik.
Real examples :
1) From Novisad at ~05:30 every Friday,weekends.Passing through Beograd at ~07:15.Duration of trip : Around 5 hours from Beograd.
2) From Nis : Every saturday and sunday at 05:50 (the solution we personally preffered). Cost of one way ticket : 450 dinars(5,2 euros).Normal duration of trip: around 3 hours.
Personal Example /Abnormal duration of the trip cause the bus driver didn't had chains to put on wheels : 8+ hours......
Departure from Kopaonik :
Every Friday at 16:00 : Bus to Beograd, Novisad,Krusevac only.
Every weekend at 16:00 : Same as above plus bus to Nis.
5) Any available and reliable sites about snow forecast for Kopaonik?I tried to retrieve some infos from international ones, but i think that they're not reliable.
Haven't found yet, but as you can see from the below pictures, finding snow wasn't such difficult case....
http://www.aegee-athina.gr/kopu/1_small.jpg
http://www.aegee-athina.gr/kopu/2_small.jpg
http://www.aegee-athina.gr/kopu/3_small.jpg
Personal opinnions/Facts:
1) The didn't managed to operate lifts at pista number 5 (the one that goes to the top, i think the 2chair main lifts.).Official excuse : Maintenance wasn't over (yet).Unofficial excuse (thanx to our friend from Novisad, Milos) : Not enough people and incoming from the sales of ski passes to operate that lift...That gave us a bad impression though:(...
Solution : Hiring a snowmobil(ski-doo) and ask them to drive you to the top. :D
2)The whole mountain was a-m-a-z-i-n-g and very beautiful.All the "Xmas trees"(i don't know the word) were in white....
For sure we're coming back at the (near) future to explore it more.
3) Great night life beside the fact that weren't a lot of visitors around (~300 people at the hotel's complex also known as Konaci).I believe that this place during the high season is really crowded.Perhaps the winter Ibiza of SCG during Jan/Feb/March?
4)The whole place is really very well organised.If you're staying to the one of the nearby hotels, everything is 5 minutes walking from your room.We're talking about supermarkets,bank,post office,a lot of shops,coffee-shops,night clubs,apoteka's (baker shops),kiosks,even a bookstore to kill some time reading while waiting during the night anxiously to go to the top (again).
1 vote from me to kopu, and i'll strongly suggest that place to my friends for "all-in-one" winter vacations.
Pozdrav!
Avgerinos from sunny Athens