Tipping for Excursions - Please advise

[superdave57]

Curious to know what people tend to tip for excursions outside of cruise lines. We have several day excursions that run about 500 euros and I really have no idea of how much I should tip. Most of these excursions are where you pay the driver directly. There are four of us and I don't know if it is by the person or just a percentage of cost of excursion. I read one post where someone tipped 85 Euros on a 350 Euro excursion. I don't want to overtip but I also don't want to be rude by under-tipping. Can someone provide feedback?

[Earl Rosebery]

Curious to know what people tend to tip for excursions outside of cruise lines. We have several day excursions that run about 500 euros and I really have no idea of how much I should tip. Most of these excursions are where you pay the driver directly. There are four of us and I don't know if it is by the person or just a percentage of cost of excursion. I read one post where someone tipped 85 Euros on a 350 Euro excursion. I don't want to overtip but I also don't want to be rude by under-tipping. Can someone provide feedback?

 

our TA arranged some private tours and accompanied us. She gave 10% to the guide and 5% separately to the driver. Remember, sometimes your life is literally in the driver's hands.

[Keith1010]

I think the 10% and 5% is about right.

 

We adjust based on the quality of both tour guide and/or driver.

 

Keith

[helpthejuggler]

http://www.whototip.net/tipping-in-italy

 

...suggest 5e per person for each half day, so 10e for a full day per person.

 

I'll temper this by considering the group size, the level of tour-guiding performed.

Small group with a dedicated guide a little more.

A 50 seater bus with just an tannoy guidance less.

 

I do not tip on a ship organised tour, not that I take many of them anymore. The mark-up is high enough already to include the guide.

[dalgirl]

We usually tip 10% for a private tour - and if an extra guide is provided and they do a great job, 10% to them. If it is a large guided tour, then it is usally what we have in our pocket - 10-20 euros - if they did a good job. If it was a cattle call with little or no extra info, then nada.

 

I figure out the tip BEFORE leaving home and put it in the envelope with the tour fee (most tour operators ask for cash, not credit). Then if it was really wonderful I can pull out extra cash to go with it.

[luvtheships]

Curious to know what people tend to tip for excursions outside of cruise lines. We have several day excursions that run about 500 euros and I really have no idea of how much I should tip. Most of these excursions are where you pay the driver directly. There are four of us and I don't know if it is by the person or just a percentage of cost of excursion. I read one post where someone tipped 85 Euros on a 350 Euro excursion. I don't want to overtip but I also don't want to be rude by under-tipping. Can someone provide feedback?

10% or 50E in total. That is what we Americans do, we always tip.

 

the driver/guide is expecting something but usually knows that we know overtipping is frowned upon and will be happy with 50E. I have given US dollars in Turkish ports, but in main ports of Europe it is Euro.

 

Turkish excursions will usually take dollars for payment as well, so just bring it with you from home.

 

so if I like the driver and he went out of his way for us...10%....if he was just average....5%

 

no need to go overboard here because remember they are getting paid, it is not like on the ship, they are not the stewards or waiters, they are working in their own company or for someone else who pays them and you are already covering the costs by paying the 500E.

[helpthejuggler]

10% or 50E in total. That is what we Americans do, we always tip.

 

the driver/guide is expecting something but usually knows that we know overtipping is frowned upon and will be happy with 50E. I have given US dollars in Turkish ports, but in main ports of Europe it is Euro.

 

Turkish excursions will usually take dollars for payment as well, so just bring it with you from home.

 

so if I like the driver and he went out of his way for us...10%....if he was just average....5%

 

no need to go overboard here because remember they are getting paid, it is not like on the ship, they are not the stewards or waiters, they are working in their own company or for someone else who pays them and you are already covering the costs by paying the 500E.

 

.... but this thread is about Italy..... surely we should adopt the practices of the country we are visiting

[luvtheships]

.... but this thread is about Italy..... surely we should adopt the practices of the country we are visiting

well of course..

 

not sure what your point is, but if we want to adopt the local practices we would either give no tip on an extremely small tip.

 

A local friend of mine in Barca would not allow me to leave a tip in a restaurant saying it was not expected.

 

if a driver has a british pax, they may well expect no tip at all

 

if a driver has an American pax, they certainly do expect a tip

personally, I would love to tip like a Brit or an Italian, it would save me money.

[congpert2]

Everything is going to be all right now.

[helpthejuggler]

That is what we Americans do, we always tip.

 

I have no problem that Americans always tip in the US or onboard a US oriented ship. It seems reasonable to do so. Other nationalities should try to adjust to the local customs in the US or on US oriented ships.

 

I have difficulty with the notion that anyone's home customs trump those of the country they are visiting.

 

no need to go overboard here because remember they are getting paid, it is not like on the ship, they are not the stewards or waiters, they are working in their own company or for someone else who pays them and you are already covering the costs by paying the 500E.

 

Exactly - there is a different system in place to which we should all try to adjust when in port.

 

well of course..

 

I assume this means that we are in broad agreement that 'local' customs are important.

 

not sure what your point is, but if we want to adopt the local practices we would either give no tip on an extremely small tip.

 

If that is the local custom it is detrimental to that culture to ignore it.

 

A local friend of mine in Barca would not allow me to leave a tip in a restaurant saying it was not expected.

 

Your friend was attempting to follow local customs, surely the best approach.

 

if a driver has a british pax, they may well expect no tip at all

 

if a driver has an American pax, they certainly do expect a tip

personally, I would love to tip like a Brit or an Italian, it would save me money.

 

In my view the wrong way around.

 

An tour driver in Britain with pax from wherever may expect no or little tip.

An tour driver in Italy with pax from wherever may expect no or little tip.

A tour driver in the US with pax from wherever will expect a higher tip

 

It is not about where you are from, but where you are visiting that should determine your behaviour.

 

If you visit a religious site e.g. St Peters which needs modest dress, then you should attempt to comply. There are not separate rules for visitors from each country.

 

The mantra "When in Rome.." is often cited to berate non US passengers to adopt a US tipping mind-set when on-board.

 

For US passengers to ignore that same mantra ironically when they are "in Rome" would be hypocritical. That is my point.

[dalgirl]

When tipping in Europe (Italy) we tip as we usually do. We gave one tour guide a very large tip and believe me he was not frowning from it;) Mutual regard and respect should influence what someone tips - not strict local practice. People are people everywhere - if you get great service, tip well if you feel like it and if you get poor service, even in the US, your tip (or lack of) can reflect your displeasure.

[luvtheships]

I have no problem that Americans always tip in the US or onboard a US oriented ship. It seems reasonable to do so. Other nationalities should try to adjust to the local customs in the US or on US oriented ships.

 

I have difficulty with the notion that anyone's home customs trump those of the country they are visiting.

 

 

 

Exactly - there is a different system in place to which we should all try to adjust when in port.

 

 

 

I assume this means that we are in broad agreement that 'local' customs are important.

 

 

 

If that is the local custom it is detrimental to that culture to ignore it.

 

 

 

Your friend was attempting to follow local customs, surely the best approach.

 

 

 

In my view the wrong way around.

 

An tour driver in Britain with pax from wherever may expect no or little tip.

An tour driver in Italy with pax from wherever may expect no or little tip.

A tour driver in the US with pax from wherever will expect a higher tip

 

It is not about where you are from, but where you are visiting that should determine your behaviour.

 

If you visit a religious site e.g. St Peters which needs modest dress, then you should attempt to comply. There are not separate rules for visitors from each country.

 

The mantra "When in Rome.." is often cited to berate non US passengers to adopt a US tipping mind-set when on-board.

 

For US passengers to ignore that same mantra ironically when they are "in Rome" would be hypocritical. That is my point.

 

I guess what you are saying is when in Britain Americans should not tip. I agree. I would bet that Americans do tip when in Britain though. My dd just returned from England and their local guide most certainly took a tip from the American group. I plan to not tip in london

 

 

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[agabbymama]

I am an American from California USA. A "tip" is totally up to me as to how pleased I was with the service period, NO MATTER WHERE I AM TRAVELLING.

 

If I stay at a hotel, I ALWAYS tip the maid. If I take a tour, I USUALLY tip the tour guide. If the guide points out a tip jar or makes some comment, they don't usually get one. But sometimes if I've really been impressed that tip is LARGE. BUT IT IS TOTALLY UP TO ME. Not what someone else thinks or does.

 

That is why it is called a "TIP".

[cruisemom42]

When tipping in Europe (Italy) we tip as we usually do. We gave one tour guide a very large tip and believe me he was not frowning from it;) Mutual regard and respect should influence what someone tips - not strict local practice. People are people everywhere - if you get great service, tip well if you feel like it and if you get poor service, even in the US, your tip (or lack of) can reflect your displeasure.

 

I have to disagree a little bit with this.

 

Often I hear the rationalization that "Well the guide accepted the tip without any problem." To me, that's not a valid reason to tip. Someone might very well accept a bribe, or a kickback, or even stolen goods -- but that doesn't make it the right thing to do.

 

I am a firm believer in being a respectful traveler who causes a minimum of disruption and change when I travel. I try hard (probably not always successfully) NOT to impose my own customs and habits because those often have a downstream effect on the places one visits. That includes abiding by local customs when tipping.

 

I think of it this way -- why should I go into a place with my American tipping habits and change things for the locals who live there? After the Americans leave for the season, the expectations have changed and now locals are being expected to tip (or tip more) than previously.

 

The rationale of small tips is indeed to reward good service. But the rationale of the kind of generous tipping accepted in the US as a result of staff being underpaid does not apply in Europe.

 

I am an American from California USA. A "tip" is totally up to me as to how pleased I was with the service period, NO MATTER WHERE I AM TRAVELLING.

 

If I stay at a hotel, I ALWAYS tip the maid. If I take a tour, I USUALLY tip the tour guide. If the guide points out a tip jar or makes some comment, they don't usually get one. But sometimes if I've really been impressed that tip is LARGE. BUT IT IS TOTALLY UP TO ME. Not what someone else thinks or does.

 

That is why it is called a "TIP".

 

So you do not care about local customs at all when you travel? And would you be happy if other travelers came to the US and completely ignored our local customs? :confused: