tour guide tip question (in Italy)

[jalynn]

Is there a typical percentage that one should plan to tip a driver or a guide on tours? If not, would you share what you consider a good, fair tip for a "reasonably good" tour and for an "excellent" tour? (After reading reviews for the company we're using, I'm assuming we'll have excellent service.)

 

Thanks in advance!

[CoralReef]

Tips are not necessarily expected in Italy... although folks who deal primarily with North Americans may expect a tip. 5-10 euros would be a nice tip for a guide. 2-5 euros would be a good tip for a driver.

[samavarcruiser]

The tipping etiquette in Europe is pretty similar from country to country, but here is a short breakdown. There are three or four situations where tipping comes into play; restaurants, hotels, drivers and guides.

 

France:

* Restaurants: If you see the words "Service Compris" on your restaurant bill it means that the tip was included. The rest of the time, leave 10% in coins. Tipping at the bar is not expected.

* Guides and Drivers: Professional guides get about 25 Euros per person per day which would include the tip. A driver who takes you around would get about half of that plus the car fare if any. Give a Euro or two for a taxi driver - more if they are really helpful.

* Hotels: One Euro per bag, one or two Euros for a housekeeper, a concierge would get 5 to 15 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform. For restaurant reservations or tickets to a show, pay them half when the service is performed and the other half when you return from the event.

 

Germany:

* Restaurants: Ten to 15% to the bartender or waiter.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 25 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. A taxi driver would receive 10% of the fare - more if they are really helpful.

* Hotels: One or two Euros per bag, one or two Euros for a housekeeper for one night more if you are staying for three or more nights, a concierge would get 5 to 15 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform; for restaurant reservations or tickets to a show, pay them half when the service is performed and the other half when you return from the event.

 

Greece:

* Restaurants: Round up the total on the bill to the nearest 5. If the bill is 22 Euros, leave them 25 Euros and call it good. If the service was better or totally over the top, you could add another 5 Euros.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 20 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. No tip expected for taxi drivers. If you tell them to keep the change, they are happy.

* Hotels: One Euro per bag, one for a housekeeper, a concierge would get a small tip if they really did something difficult to perform.

 

Italy:

* Restaurants: Ten percent and nothing more.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 20 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. A taxi driver can keep the change.

* Hotels: Three to five Euros per bag, one Euro for a housekeeper for one night more if you are staying for three or more nights, a concierge would get 5 to 10 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform.

 

Turkey:

* Restaurants: Ten percent or a tad more. You can't add the tip to the credit card bill so have a little cash.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 20 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. A taxi driver can keep the change.

* Hotels: Two Euros per bag, a concierge would get 10 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform.

* Turkish Baths: Masseur would get 10 Euros or 10% whichever is greater.

[carlmm]

Tips are not necessarily expected in Italy... although folks who deal primarily with North Americans may expect a tip. 5-10 euros would be a nice tip for a guide. 2-5 euros would be a good tip for a driver.

 

These numbers are very reasonable. Even they are not necessary or mandatory in any way but can be a nice sign of appreciation.

The huge numbers given in the other post before are far to high for most European standards.

[samavarcruiser]

These numbers are very reasonable. Even they are not necessary or mandatory in any way but can be a nice sign of appreciation.

The huge numbers given in the other post before are far to high for most European standards.

 

In Italy there is no commonly accepted percentage for tips as in the US. When eating out it is common to leave up to 10 percent of the cost of the meal as a tip, but no more. The situation with cab drivers is similar. If the cab ride costs you 8.80 in euros and all you have is a 10 euro bill let the driver keep the change, but no large tips are expected. For private, or smaller, tours things are a little different. A driver for a long private tour (4 or more hours) should be tipped at least 20 euros. In hotels it is important to remember that a typical housekeeper tip is 1 or 2 euros a night. Italians may at first refuse your tip, but this a common courtesy, not an indication that you have offended them.

[edtorious]

The tipping etiquette in Europe is pretty similar from country to country, but here is a short breakdown. There are three or four situations where tipping comes into play; restaurants, hotels, drivers and guides.

 

France:

* Restaurants: If you see the words "Service Compris" on your restaurant bill it means that the tip was included. The rest of the time, leave 10% in coins. Tipping at the bar is not expected.

* Guides and Drivers: Professional guides get about 25 Euros per person per day which would include the tip. A driver who takes you around would get about half of that plus the car fare if any. Give a Euro or two for a taxi driver - more if they are really helpful.

* Hotels: One Euro per bag, one or two Euros for a housekeeper, a concierge would get 5 to 15 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform. For restaurant reservations or tickets to a show, pay them half when the service is performed and the other half when you return from the event.

 

Germany:

* Restaurants: Ten to 15% to the bartender or waiter.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 25 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. A taxi driver would receive 10% of the fare - more if they are really helpful.

* Hotels: One or two Euros per bag, one or two Euros for a housekeeper for one night more if you are staying for three or more nights, a concierge would get 5 to 15 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform; for restaurant reservations or tickets to a show, pay them half when the service is performed and the other half when you return from the event.

 

Greece:

* Restaurants: Round up the total on the bill to the nearest 5. If the bill is 22 Euros, leave them 25 Euros and call it good. If the service was better or totally over the top, you could add another 5 Euros.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 20 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. No tip expected for taxi drivers. If you tell them to keep the change, they are happy.

* Hotels: One Euro per bag, one for a housekeeper, a concierge would get a small tip if they really did something difficult to perform.

 

Italy:

* Restaurants: Ten percent and nothing more.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 20 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. A taxi driver can keep the change.

* Hotels: Three to five Euros per bag, one Euro for a housekeeper for one night more if you are staying for three or more nights, a concierge would get 5 to 10 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform.

 

Turkey:

* Restaurants: Ten percent or a tad more. You can't add the tip to the credit card bill so have a little cash.

* Guides and Drivers: Private tours tip 20 Euros for half day and 50 Euros for a full day. A taxi driver can keep the change.

* Hotels: Two Euros per bag, a concierge would get 10 Euros per task depending on how difficult it was to perform.

* Turkish Baths: Masseur would get 10 Euros or 10% whichever is greater.

 

Sorry for bringing back this old thread alive but looking for advise on tipping private tours, guides, drivers, restaurants and etc. This seems like a good advice but I wonder if this is still true nowadays? I was going to assume that tips work by percentage on total tour cost but I guess not. We have hired private tours but nothing luxury, just your average typical private tours on all these countries except for Germany on which we are not going. We are going in Spain too and so anybody knows the tipping guide for Spain? I'm not really a big tipper but would like to leave a fair tip as much as possible but we still need to manage our budget on tips :o

 

Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[mina]

Wow. Is this true? 50 euros for turkey for a tour guide? The cost of our private tour in Ephesus is only 120 US dollars. Istanbul is 150 US dollars and both include admission fees. How can 50 euros be expected?

[cruisemom42]

Wow. Is this true? 50 euros for turkey for a tour guide? The cost of our private tour in Ephesus is only 120 US dollars. Istanbul is 150 US dollars and both include admission fees. How can 50 euros be expected?

 

I think some of those estimates from samavarcruiser are on the high side, particularly for private tours.

 

Europeans do not tip like that. (Then again, perhaps Europeans also don't take 500 euro private full day tours....) You certainly needn't ever feel you HAVE to tip if you aren't happy with the tour, and even if you are very happy I wouldn't exceed 10%.

 

I was talking to one of my Italian teachers a few weeks ago -- she is from Rome and goes back there every summer with her family. She was lamenting the fact that everyone expects a tip now, due to all the heavy tipping from American tourists.

[CoralReef]

This is a thread from 2009! Please start a new thread, you will get better responses.