Adequately tipping guides?? Any guidelines??

[GREENVIEW1]

Will be on private/semi-private/group tours throughout our cruise and want to tip appropriately for good service. Is there any guidelines we should be aware of (i.e. Egypt, Israel, Turkey)??

Appreciate suggestions...thanks!

[c-to-sea]

Here is what I found for Cairo - would also apply to rest of Egypt. Don't know about the

other countries.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294201-c83628/Cairo:Egypt:Visa.Money.Tipping.html

[smeyer418]

Here is what I found for Cairo - would also apply to rest of Egypt. Don't know about the

other countries.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294201-c83628/Cairo:Egypt:Visa.Money.Tipping.html

 

 

this information is extremely old as the one visa stamp was put into effect more than five years ago. Given that 1 LE is about 15 cents, its also on the let me say light side in my opinion. If you substitute 1 dollar for 1 LE(egyptian pound) its probably closer to a fair tip. I would never tip a bellman at a major hotel 1 LE but the washroom attendant at a tourist site that is ok.

 

On tours especially private ones, the tour guide is paid NOTHING by the tour company they rely on tips exclusively. One of the reasons they take you to shopping stops is they are paid about 40% of the amount you pay to buy things. I don't particularly like this system but that is the way it is in Egypt.

 

Frankly recently with the drop in the dollar they prefer Euros anyway. and finally no coins except Egyptian money...if you can find them....

 

People can disagree with this but if you are from a wealthy country a good tip is expected. If a guard permits you to take a picture where prohibited(we can discuss whether you should or not anyway) or a picture of them a tip(baksheesh) is expected...and it can be a few LE's or a dollar. I know that in some countries tipping is a form of bribery but in Egypt besides being the custom is how they subsists.

If you enjoy the tour tip well. If not at least provide a minimum tip. If the guide is terrible and rude feel free not to...IMO anyway.

[OreetS]

Contrary to the previous post guides in Israel are paid by the tour company. They receive a set rate, the same as a guide on a bus, etc. If they do take you shopping they often receive a commission but nowhere near 40% -- 5% is much closer to the truth.

 

That said, if you feel you had an excellent guide, a great tour, etc. by all means tip the guide - 10-15% would be considered a nice tip.

 

Oreet

[cruisemom42]

On tours especially private ones, the tour guide is paid NOTHING by the tour company they rely on tips exclusively. One of the reasons they take you to shopping stops is they are paid about 40% of the amount you pay to buy things. I don't particularly like this system but that is the way it is in Egypt.

 

 

This is certainly not true of all guides -- not of the ones we had either on our overnight cruise visit nor our land tour later!

 

Perhaps your guide was just telling you this to up the tip ante!?!?! Egyptians are born negotiators. ;)

[OreetS]

Please note - my post referred to guides in ISRAEL and not Egypt - I'm sure that your information about Egypt is accurate. I was simply pointing out that the situation in Israel is different.

 

cheers

[smeyer418]

This is certainly not true of all guides -- not of the ones we had either on our overnight cruise visit nor our land tour later!

 

Perhaps your guide was just telling you this to up the tip ante!?!?! Egyptians are born negotiators. ;)

No its not all guides but its pretty much most of them. and it wasn't from the guides. Although they confirm they "bid" for jobs....and the bids include them kicking part part of the shopping....

[smeyer418]

Please note - my post referred to guides in ISRAEL and not Egypt - I'm sure that your information about Egypt is accurate. I was simply pointing out that the situation in Israel is different.

 

cheers

 

 

It does vary by country. You can't get the tours as cheaply in Israel as you do in Egypt and its mostly in the labor costs... I saw our guide being paid the money and the calculation at one of the shopping places(the owner offered to adopt me)...

 

He is the one who does the cartouches for the tourist pretty much for all the places. we went and watched them make them(make mine in fact). I started a long conversation and the price we paid included the markup....I bought 10 and negotiated them down and the guide had to agree because part of the discount came from his share....

 

The cartouch maker had learned his trade from a lansman of mine.

 

http://www.youtube.com/smeyer418#p/u/50/2IrJDeJ02ys