Tipping on private tours

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Whenisournextcruise....

 

I want you to know that when I did a tour with 10 with my mom for our B2B and then my DH and I saved and manipulated our travel budget in other ways to do a tour just the both of us for our cruise....

 

It was the BEST travel experience we have had when it came to a private tour.

 

Worth every single penny! A total 19 hour immersion...1 on 1 with our guide. She took us behind the scenes to so many places...The Residence Rooms in the Hermitage, Catherine Palaces Carriage Museum. If we wanted something in a gift shop we gave her the exact amount she handed it to someone she knew that worked there and we were out the door, bypassing all lines. Bathroom breaks were whenever we needed them...and usually we would pop into a very high end hotel to do it!

 

She took us on our city tour 1st thing, so when we went to take outside pictures Church of the Spilled Blood...we were the only ones there...just us! and the same for Our Lady of Kazan! Also, they were celebrating the city's bday last year and were able to walk on Nevsky Prospekt and be a part of the Celebration..she said they wouldn't do what we did unless it was 4 or less people!!!

 

I promise you will never think twice about the cost once you return!

 

Bon Voyage!

Thanks so much for sharing your experience. We were feeling kind of selfish, not inviting anyone to go with us. But I really want to have our guide's undivided attention because it's the opportunity for a once in a lifetime adventure. We want to take all of her advice about what to see/do and not worry about conflicting opinions. As a matter of fact, we are so focused on St. Petersburg that we haven't booked anything in any other port - but must start thinking about that. Which group did you tour with? We are booked with Alla.

[California Native]

Hi!

We were with Red October.

Regarding your other ports, have you had a chance to look at our travel journal?

We have pictures, lists, tips etc etc.

If you haven't seen one of the posts with my link let me know.

BTW, just to let you know...I love a bargain...I am the dollar store, coupon clipping kinda girl...so you can imagine how hard a concept it was to even consider laying out this kind of money...when it would be so easy to do a roll call group...

and like I said we have never ever looked back in regret!

 

Keep in mind, guides are usually teachers/professors on summer break...they have a passion for travel and have been highly trained

they are also independent contractors..that sometimes work for several companies!

 

In advance, we let them know that my DH was passionate about architecture..so the guide we had, had taken additionaly courses

in architecture and held her own with my DH's knowledge which is extensive!

[murphysmum]

Hello...

 

I find tipping quite easy. I do a straight 20% of the price of the tour to the guide as well as the driver. If it's a private tour (two of us), the tip will be much higher as the cost of the tour is much higher, but it offsets the cost of the guide and driver focusing on keeping two people busy and happy for a full day.

 

If it's a group tour (which I try to avoid because I selfishly like to choose exactly where I want to go), I tip 20% but it's a much smaller amount because others will be tipping as well.

 

My husband and I have had some great interactions during lunch with guides and drivers. If we've developed a camraderie during the morning, I always invite them to lunch and we've had some very memorable conversations and cultural exchanges.

 

Happy traveling!

 

murphysmum;)

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Where2next,

I have not seen your postings and would appreciate the link. I'm certain they will be a big help! I like a bargain too but there are some things just worth the splurge. After all, life is about making memories and sometimes you have to pay a little more for the great ones. Shoes, I can get on sale!

 

And Murphysmom,

I agree with your idea of one-on-one with the guide. I've been in too many groups where one or two people dominated the group and you finally kind of wander off and do your own thing, which defeats the purpose of having a guide. One of our best excursions ever was just the two of us with a driver and carriage on the trails in Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. We had three hours and told the driver to take us to his favorite places. All three of us had the best time!

[California Native]

Hi

Here's the link to my homepage which has photo albums of the ports

http://when.do.we.leave.googlepages.com/

Here are my Baltic cruise experiences

http://when.do.we.leave.googlepages.com/balticcruiseportinformation

feel free to wander behind the globe, luggage, camera, and journal!

Bon Voyage

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Karen,

Great website and beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing. NOW I'm excited!

Cathy

[taschr]

My family has booked private tours with DenRus in St. Petersburg and Tours in Poland for our upcoming Baltic cruise. Anyone have suggestions or guidelines regarding tipping the driver and tour guide for their services? We're very generous when it comes to tipping for good service, but would appreciate any feedback. Also, I assume it's better to use local currency for tips.

Thanks!

Cindy :)

Trip Advisor recommends up to $10 a day for tour guides and drivers ($20 a day). Note the term up to. On tours with NCL last year, a friend of mine tipped a total of $10 on each day and he said that was more than anyone else on the bus tipped.

[Davesball]

It was a long time between between TASCHR's post and the previous one, but in the event there is still interest let me share the suggestion our STP tour company (ALLA) gave us. They recommended 10% of the total tour cost to the driver and the same for the guide. For our two-day tour this came to $60 per person. More than the $40 paid by TASCHR's friend, but ALLA limits the group size to 16.

[squaremimi]

Thanks everyone for the useful information. But my question is, when should we give the tip? Usually we have to pay the tour at the beginning of the second day (assume that's a 2-day tour), so should we give the tip at the same time or should we wait until the end of the tour?

[jtamchay]

we are going with TJ Tours and we asked them how the tip should be paid and when...

 

"We recommend 10-15 % of the tour ( it is for both the guide and the driver )

Separate tips are fine , and we recommend 1/3 to the driver and 2/3 to the guide of what you plan as the guide spends more time with you

Yes, sure , USD are fine and usually people tip them at the end of the tour when you say good buy to your wonderful team ( the guide and the driver ) "

 

It seems they have a system and I am glad we asked. Not sure who you are using but I would suggest asking them directly what their tipping policy is.

[squaremimi]

Thanks, Jo. We are going with TJ Travel as well, thank you sooooo much for you information.

[taschr]

My family has booked private tours with DenRus in St. Petersburg and Tours in Poland for our upcoming Baltic cruise. Anyone have suggestions or guidelines regarding tipping the driver and tour guide for their services? We're very generous when it comes to tipping for good service, but would appreciate any feedback. Also, I assume it's better to use local currency for tips.

Thanks!

Cindy :)

We tipped our tour guide at TJ $52, which was just over 10% of what the cost came to on our credit card ($505). The tour guide splits 2-1 with the driver. We found TJ's itinerary was less than advertised. We spent too much time at lunch the second day and never got to see the subway station promised in our itinerary. And it seemed we were whisked through SS Peter & Paul and Spilled Blood. Overall we probably got what we paid for. And their payment office is in the back of a very reasonable amber store in St. Pete. But it there, you won't find it cheaper anywhere else.

[hampshirelad]

We are UK residents and have recently come back from a Baltic cruise and in St. Pete we booked a 2 day tour with Alla whom I can recommend. The tour details from the company suggested a tip of 10% so we went with that. The tour was quoted to us in USA$ and as we keep a stock of USA$ for use on cruises we used some of that. The tour was paid for on the second day were we paid for the tour by credit card in a tourist shop who obviously have an arrangment with Alla. The sales slip was in Roubles, but the rate of exchange with £sterling was worked out in front of us and it was very fair and business like.

 

I am a very careful person when conducting card transactions abroad but everything has ended up on my card statement in £sterling as promised and there have been no surprises.

[luv2sail7]

We are UK residents and have recently come back from a Baltic cruise and in St. Pete we booked a 2 day tour with Alla whom I can recommend. The tour details from the company suggested a tip of 10% so we went with that. The tour was quoted to us in USA$ and as we keep a stock of USA$ for use on cruises we used some of that. The tour was paid for on the second day were we paid for the tour by credit card in a tourist shop who obviously have an arrangment with Alla. The sales slip was in Roubles, but the rate of exchange with £sterling was worked out in front of us and it was very fair and business like.

 

I am a very careful person when conducting card transactions abroad but everything has ended up on my card statement in £sterling as promised and there have been no surprises.

We are booked with Alla as well later in August. Did you tip at the same time that you paid for the tour or did you wait until the end of the tour?

[rdnpdx1]

Trip Advisor recommends up to $10 a day for tour guides and drivers ($20 a day). Note the term up to. On tours with NCL last year, a friend of mine tipped a total of $10 on each day and he said that was more than anyone else on the bus tipped.

 

The subject of tipping seems to come up each cruise season as you will find by searching the board. And there is always the same variety of opinion, but I must say, the Trip Advisor recommendation you quote seems awfully low.

 

For our group of six on a two day deluxe private tour with SPB in St. Petersburg each couple tipped between 15-20% of their total tour cost. I recognize this was greater than the 10% discussed here, but we felt the service of both Elena, our guide, and Slava, our driver, was exceptional and worthy of more.

 

If I had been in one of the larger 16 person groups, I might have tipped a bit less, my thought being that the total for the group would ultimately be greater than in our small group, and the service a bit less personal.

 

In the end, it is all up to you. We felt that Elena, Slava and SPB made our two days extremely memorable, and I don't think I would change what we tipped even if everyone else was tipping as Trip Advisor appears to suggest.

[rdnpdx1]

We are booked with Alla as well later in August. Did you tip at the same time that you paid for the tour or did you wait until the end of the tour?

 

I think the typical practice is to tip at the end of the tour when you are saying your goodbyes. By then we had already paid for our tour.

[SJ27]

It was a long time between between TASCHR's post and the previous one, but in the event there is still interest let me share the suggestion our STP tour company (ALLA) gave us. They recommended 10% of the total tour cost to the driver and the same for the guide. For our two-day tour this came to $60 per person. More than the $40 paid by TASCHR's friend, but ALLA limits the group size to 16.

 

My reading of the Alla recommendation was 10% split between the driver and the guide, not 10% each. Most recommendations I had seen said to tip the guide more than the driver. After all the guide is the one who takes you through everything and explains it all. We ended up tipping around 15%.

[jtamchay]

we are going with TJ Tours and we asked them how the tip should be paid and when...

 

"We recommend 10-15 % of the tour ( it is for both the guide and the driver )

Separate tips are fine , and we recommend 1/3 to the driver and 2/3 to the guide of what you plan as the guide spends more time with you

Yes, sure , USD are fine and usually people tip them at the end of the tour when you say good buy to your wonderful team ( the guide and the driver ) "

 

It seems they have a system and I am glad we asked. Not sure who you are using but I would suggest asking them directly what their tipping policy is.

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