What do you tip your all-day-tour-guide-taxi driver?

[vfnelson2]

Hi

 

I'm just curious as to what others have tipped their tour guides used through Tours Plaza or Black Hat Tours in Cozumel when using them as personal taxi cab drivers/tour guides for the day.

 

I don't want to undertip, so trying to see an average. :D

 

Also, Black Hat Tours doesn't have their prices listed. Can anyone tell me what their prices are for the use of a van? Are they pretty much the same as Tours Plaza? $195 for 3 hours/$40 for each hour after?

 

Thanks!

 

Vicki

[crewsweeper]

how many people in your party?

 

$10 pp or 20% of total price, usually works for us. On larger bus excursions we usually tip $5 pp. Seems to be the norm there. Good day haul for the driver if you have 20-40 people on board.

 

If it's a small family group or just DW and I we typically chip in for driver's lunch if we're picking the spot. some beach clubs and restaurants will comp the driver's lunch if he's bringing them there.

[erinmarie424]

Hi

 

I'm just curious as to what others have tipped their tour guides used through Tours Plaza or Black Hat Tours in Cozumel when using them as personal taxi cab drivers/tour guides for the day.

 

I don't want to undertip, so trying to see an average. :D

 

Also, Black Hat Tours doesn't have their prices listed. Can anyone tell me what their prices are for the use of a van? Are they pretty much the same as Tours Plaza? $195 for 3 hours/$40 for each hour after?

 

Thanks!

 

Vicki

 

There were two of us and our fare was $80 for four hours. We tipped $30 total (we had planned to tip $20 total but my friend threw in another $10 last minute because she is an incredibly generous person.)

[tallyho8]

In Cozumel the locals do not tip the taxi drivers as is customary in the USA. When I hire one I usually tip 10% or a minimum of $1 on a short trip.

 

When answering "how much do you tip threads", most respondents answer 20, 30 or 50% because they want to appear as generous online when in reality their tip is much less.

 

The majority who tip 10 - 15% do not respond because they don't want to be viewed as pikers.

 

Mexican taxi drives would all be quite happy if all their fares tipped 10%.

 

Signed: A person who will get flamed by many for speaking the truth.

[Purvis1231]

Remember the drivers also get kickbacks from many of the places they take you.

[crewsweeper]

No flame from me tallyho. Our company limits how much we tip cabbies on business trips (5%) and you should see the scowls from cabbies (and Uber drivers) in Chicago and New York.

[PatyCake]

Remember the drivers also get kickbacks from many of the places they take you.

 

I live here in Cozumel and not ALL taxi driver nor ALL facilities do commission. Taxi fares are so cheap here compared to USA and Europe, a small tip of 5 or 10 pesos will not break you and will get a big smile. You can also ask and bargain with drivers for the day when you get here. I never heard of either of those tour companies. Please use local companies so that the money is left on the Island and not going to a company located elsewhere.

[PatyCake]

OK Black Hat is a local Driver, so that is good, he has just gone out on his own. Same goes for the other, so that is good.

[c-leg5]

I live here in Cozumel and not ALL taxi driver nor ALL facilities do commission. Taxi fares are so cheap here compared to USA and Europe, a small tip of 5 or 10 pesos will not break you and will get a big smile. You can also ask and bargain with drivers for the day when you get here. I never heard of either of those tour companies. Please use local companies so that the money is left on the Island and not going to a company located elsewhere.

 

OK Black Hat is a local Driver, so that is good, he has just gone out on his own. Same goes for the other, so that is good.

 

Not sure how long you have lived in Cozumel that you have never heard of these two companies but we have used ToursPlaza regularly since 2008, and we were by no means their first customer.

 

Cresencio, (black Hat) initially subbed for ToursPlaza but has been running his own company for several years now as well.

 

I don't suppose as a local you have need for a taxi tour. Local trips around town are not expensive but taxi tours, and taxis to and from outlying hotels soon mount up and not many day trippers pay the pesos rate.

[PatyCake]

I have lived here for 10 years and spending lots of time here since the early 80s. I asked others who also never heard of them. May be because they do not sell the full spectrum of tours and only do the Taxi or Van around the Island tours. They are not listed in any of the tourist type publications and hand outs that are found here.

 

I do use a taxi tour once in awhile when I have family in, but usually use a drivers recommended by friends here.

[vfnelson2]

All good information. We have 7 in our party. Paying $10/person for a tip is more than I am willing to tip after paying over $300 for the cab fare. I'm being honest. It is true that those that tip less will likely not reply because they don't want to look bad.

 

For those of you that are local, who would you recommend, and how do I find them to pay early? Tours Plaza & Black Hat both have great reviews online. I prefer to work with a company that is also online where I have a paper trail of information.

 

Thanks!

 

Vicki

[maldenmusic]

When we used Hiring a driver for the day, my daughter and I both gave Alberto, our driver, $20. This was about 4 years ago.

[rum & monkey]

Not cut & dry. Both my husband & I worked in the service industry in our early 20's so we tend to tip more than I see most (not all) on group tours just because it makes me feel better. (Not saying there aren't people tipping more, just saying when we get off a tour bus I see people tip none or just a couple dollars, or $5 for their whole group) if it is a bus tour we usually do $20 (for two of us & an additional $5 per kid if travelling with the kids). If it is a private tour as you are talking usually about 20% if it is less than $100, if it is more somewhere between 10-15% whether it is just the two of us or our family of 5. If it is just a short cab ride generally $1-$2 depending on their personality (If I find them totally rude I am fine leaving no tip).

[rum & monkey]

All good information. We have 7 in our party. Paying $10/person for a tip is more than I am willing to tip after paying over $300 for the cab fare. I'm being honest. It is true that those that tip less will likely not reply because they don't want to look bad.

 

For those of you that are local, who would you recommend, and how do I find them to pay early? Tours Plaza & Black Hat both have great reviews online. I prefer to work with a company that is also online where I have a paper trail of information.

 

Thanks!

 

Vicki

If you're paying $300 depending on the service I would give them most likely $30, maybe $40 if the service was exceptional but not $70.

[AmberCascades]

We have booked two independent (as far as I know) taxi/guides in South America. They seem to be working for themselves. When the fare is between $300 and $400 do you still tip? This would be for 2 to 4 people. If it ends up being just the two of us, I guess I have a hard time with paying out even more, although we are usually generous tippers.

 

I'm just wondering, if I guy is working for himself, and thereby making up his own fees, do you still tip?