Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Just returned from a week in boro and 10 of us were in ski school with Boro sports.
Near the end of our trip we were gently advised by another ski instructor that it is customery to tip your ski instructor.
We had previously planned to get a bottle of wine and box of choc's, however we were told that the money is expected and the average is normally £10 or 30 lev's per person!!
We found this a bit excessive and was a bit annoyed that it was put to us like this
We ended up giving 10 lev's each and bottle of champers (only for our instructor to hand the champers straight back to us saying 'you might as well drink it cos i dont like wine!') She then left the room (prob to check her enevlope!). When she returned she didnt seem too happy and made her excuses and left!!
Were we being tight.........?

If you consider the average Bulgarian salary is 200 Lev per month, and you gave your instructor half a month's salary as a tip, I don't think she was hard done by. If you consider the prices in the resort are hiked up big time, you instructor could afford to live very well on this money outside the resort. In a town outside the tourist areas, it is possible to have a 3 course meal with drink for 10 Lev! Ski instructors are known to be greedy and whinge about tips. They must have one of the best paid jobs in the country. Even a bank manager only earns less tham 300 Lev per month.

We had the same problem, the instructor even asked for a tip!!!!! this happened in 2 other ski groups last week in Pamps, i'm afraid alot of the older instructors are just getting greedy these days. I know their tips are low this year due to the poor conditions and people not attending ski school everyday. But most instructors have been teaching for over 15years and I guess are probably getting towards the end of their teaching carreer so perhaps they dont care anymore... they are not all bad though, we have kept in touch with a lot of the good ones over the years!!

Last year we tipped our instructor pretty well, but didn't mind at all as he'd been fantastic. It was our first time in Bulgaria and, although we weren't quite beginners, we were 'older' skiiers and I was extremely nervous. Ou instructor, Chris, really encouraged us to push ourselves and he skiied with us every day from 9.15 until the bus went at 4.20.
This year the instructor we got was not a patch on him. She was slow to start (between 10 and 10.30) and very eager to take as many breaks as she could. She also finished at 3 - it was 2.15 on the last day! We did tip her, but certainly not anywhere near as much and then only because we felt it was the 'done thing'.

I have commented on this many times but for the record -here's another angle.

All forms of tipping are a very personal thing - not to be expected or asked for, but as a gesture of how you felt you had been treated or served.

It's also very odd who we traditionally tip. For example....

We tip the Bin Man - but rarely the Postman.
We tip a Waiter - but not a Doctor or a Dentist.
We tip the Milkman - but never the Ice Cream Man.
We tip the Paper Boy - but not the man who cuts the grass.

Why? Just seems strange who we pick out to tip.

Back to your question though, I have alway had great instruction in Pamporovo over the years and but for them, I would never have had the enjoyment or confidence free-skiing has given me since I gave up ski school 8 years ago.

Only you can value what contribution they made to your week, and if you feel they deserve it then tip them - if not don't! You only learn to ski once - and after that you just get better and better every year - but it all stemmed from that very first week with your instructor.

But if you are going to tip, things like chocolates, gloves, hats etc. are not really appropriate to give to people who are on a pretty low wage and remember their earning opportunities in their winter job is restricted to just 4 months of the year.

I believe their skills, and the fact that they in most cases keep you safe whilst bringing you from a novice to the level of a competent skier deserves reward for a job well done.

£10 each for 5 days - @ just £2 a day that doesn't seem OTT to me.

PP

I'd have to say it depends on the level of service that you have received. I unfortunately had an awful snowboard instructor in Borovets. I was a complete beginner, on my own in lessons, and very scared. When I didn't do so well at snowboarding , he told me "I don't know why you keep falling, you are too scared!" I quit with him after the first day as I felt humiliated and upset. There was never any chance of him getting a tip from me! And after speaking to another girl who was in my group, only 4 of our group stuck with him for the duration, and only two of those actually tipped him.

Ski instructors in Bansko last week were being paid 20 levs per day regardless of how many in the group.

They are loaned their ski gear and have to return it at the end of the season.

They get a free lunch and 10% of what ever their group spends in the restaurants.

Most of the instructors are their to ski themselves outside school hours. Ours skied from 8 till 10 then took classes then skied again after 3. Ski school was 1-3 this season because the warm weather was making the snow deteriate quicker.

The average wage in Bulgaria is aproximatley £2000 per year. Therefore there an awful lot of people earning less than this.

Electricity although cheaper than UK is expensive as is petrol by Bulgarian standards.Only 1 or2 major cities have Gas.

Therefore the TERRIBLE smell is in fact wood smoke because it is a very cheap fuel and readily available.

This corner is an area of Bulgaria where the bulgarians are traditionally not a smiley people (read the guide books) this means they are happy and are pleased to see you they just don't show it!!!!!

PS Personally I love the smell of wood smoke.

I have another slant on this.

I tip when I receive good service.

I always tip the instructors because although they are teaching me and that is pre-paid by definition they are also guiding me around the mountain safely (well no broken bones yet!!!).

They probably earn a month what I spend in Pamps every 2-3 days so I have no problem giving them between £10 and £20 per week

I must admit though, I have never been approached by another instructor advising me to tip another Instructor. I would find that a bit cheeky to say the least.

In closing I would say that if you feel you have had a good week and your instruction was good, then tip. If not don't give them a penny.

DW

The chambermaids are the ones that most people forget about when tipping. They do an excellent job in any hotel in Bulgaria I have stayed in and are generally very honest.In the past 25 years, I have left money in the room which has not been touched. I stayed in the Elina hotel 2 years ago and accidently left £200 on the bed intending to take it with me to change into Lev before going skiing. When I returned that night, the room had been cleaned, the beds made and the money left on top of the bedside table.