03 Dec Taking the Trouble Out of Tipping
![] Each country seems to have its own tipping protocol, which is challenging for travelers. ©Dave Dugdal, flickr](http://www.adventurecollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Dave-Dugdal-_flickr_Web.jpg)
Each country seems to have its own tipping protocol, which is challenging for travelers. ©Dave Dugdal, flickr
Tipping while traveling seems to continually perplex us. Here in the United States, most of us are baffled by the amount of gratuity to give to those who help us out while we’re away from home; everyone from a bellhop to a housekeeper and a driver to a valet. In fact to avoid all the fumbling and uncertainty, some of us skip tips (which stands for “to insure prompt service”) altogether.
Since tipping is heavily rooted in cultural context, it gets even more difficult when traveling to other countries. In some places, tipping might get a recipient fired; in others, it could earn you effusive praise. Ted Martens, marketing director for Natural Habitat Adventures, advises: “The most important thing you can do regarding tipping is to ask what the local standard is. In most cases, it’s generally around 10 percent, if the service is deserving. But, that can change, and referencing a guidebook or asking personnel at your hotel is a great way to get a feel for what’s right. You definitely don’t want to be that person that doesn’t tip when it is actually an important custom.”
In order to help you solve some of your tipping troubles on your next trip, our Adventure Collection member companies offer the following guidelines for showing your appreciation to the people you count on in the places you travel to:
Africa
According to GeoEx’s Africa experts, these suggestions will help demystify tipping in East African countries and in Southern Africa:
In cities: Most restaurants here include a 10 percent service charge in the bill. For hotel housekeeping, leave $1 to $2 (U.S.) per person, per day. For porters, a $1 tip per person, per bag is appropriate. Tip transfer drivers/guides $2 to $3 per person, while half-day tour drivers/guides should receive $5 to $7 per person. Give full-day tour drivers/guides $10 to $15 per person. Tip a taxi driver 5 to 8 percent, depending on the length of the ride and the final cost.
On safari: Wildlife, game lodge, and specialist guides should be tipped $10 to $15 per person, per day. Hand the tip directly to the individual. For trackers, allow $5 (per person, per day) for each paddler and tracker, and hand your tip directly to the individual if no tip box is evident. For general safari camp/lodge staff, give $5 to $7 per person, per day and place your tip in the communal tipping box (usually found in the bar/lounge) at each camp or lodge.
In Morocco: GeoEx’s Managing Director of Premier Access Kate Doty has just returned from Morocco and offers the following guidelines for this country: “In restaurants tip 10 percent (if a service charge is not included in the bill). Give your local guides $7 to $10 per day. For drivers, $5 to $8 per day is considered appropriate. For airport transfers, tip $2 to $3 per transfer. Hotel porters should receive $1 to $2 per bag. For hotel housekeeping, leave $1 to $2 per day.”
Central America
Adam Vaught, director of the Americas for GeoEx, says, “In general tips are not expected in Central America. At restaurants, a 10 percent tip is considered generous; and for other service industry jobs, any small amount is appreciated. Taxi drivers do not get tipped.”
Based on his own experience residing and traveling in the region, Vaught adds this special tip of his own: “Leave a small tip for the person who cleans your room each day (as opposed to a larger tip upon checkout), and you will often get little surprises, such as towels folded in the shape of animals or a handwritten note wishing you a nice day.”
In European restaurants, tips are considered a bonus, given to round up a total bill or to reward a server for exceptional service. ©Lea Latumahina, flickr
Europe
Although tipping in Europe isn’t as automatic and generous as it is in the United States, tips are appreciated in many European countries. The proper amount depends on the circumstances and your personal tipping philosophy. As Ted Martens advised, if you’re not sure whether (or how much) to tip for a service, ask your hotelier or a tourist information office. Here are some general guidelines:
In restaurants: Check the menu to see if service is included; if it isn’t, a tip of 5 to 10 percent is acceptable. In general, European servers are well paid, and tips are considered a bonus, given to round a total bill to a convenient number or to reward exceptional service. In many countries, 5 percent is adequate and 10 percent verges on excessive. Tip only at restaurants that have wait staff. If you order your food at a counter, don’t tip.
In Mediterranean countries, the service charge (service in French, servizio in Italian, and servicio in Spanish) is usually figured at 10 or 15 percent of your total bill. Sometimes the menu will note that the service is included (servizio incluso), meaning that the prices listed on the menu already have this charge built in. When the service is not included (servizio non incluso), the service charge might show up as a separate line item at the end of your bill. In northern and eastern Europe, the menu or bill is less likely to directly address the service charge, but you can usually assume that it’s included in the prices.
In busy places, it’s better to hand the tip to the waiter when you’re paying your bill than to leave it on the table. Servers prefer to be tipped in cash even if you pay with your credit card; in many cases, there won’t be a line on the credit card receipt for a tip.
In Germanic countries, it’s considered classy to say the total number of euros you’d like the waiter to keep (including the tip) when paying. For example, if the bill is €42, hand him or her €50 while saying, “45.” You’ll get €5 back — and feel very European.
Virtually anywhere in Europe, you can do as the Europeans do when pleased with service by adding a euro or two for each person in your party.
Taxis: For a short ride, round up to the next euro on the fare (to pay a €13 fare, give €14); for a long ride, round up to the nearest 10 (for a €76 fare, give €80). However, if you feel like you have been driven in circles or have been taken on the “long route,” skip the tip.
Hotels: For porters, pay a euro for each bag he or she carries; it’s nice (but not required) to leave a small tip in your room for the housekeeping staff when you depart.
Other Services: Tipping for special service is optional. In general, if you think someone in the service industry has done a super job for you, a tip of a couple of euros is appropriate, but it is not required.
Japan
Veteran travel writer and editor Don George, who will be leading a trip to Japan for GeoEx next spring, advises, “In Japan, it is still extremely rare to leave tips in restaurants, taxis, or hotels. Generally speaking, good service is considered part of an honorable bond between the customer and the server; and so in most establishments, tipping is not expected and is even in some cases considered a bit offensive.”
Tip the doorman if he or she brings carries your bag or flags down a cab for you. © Dion Hinchcliffe, flickr
United States
Here are some general guidelines when traveling within the U.S.:
• Airport shuttle drivers — $2 to $3.
• Bellhops — $1 to $5 per bag delivered to your room.
• Concierge — $5 to $50, depending on whether the service was minor (booking a restaurant reservation) or major (scoring hard-to-get tickets).
• Doorman — $1 to $3 if he brings your bag to the front desk or flags down a cab for you. Offer $5 if he hails a taxi for you in the rain.
• Housekeeper — $2 to $5 a day when staying in chain hotels or bed-and-breakfasts. For luxury resorts where rooms require more upkeep, tip $5 to $20 per day.
• Room delivery — $1 to $2 per delivery for items that don’t come with the room, such as a razor or a tube of toothpaste.
• Room service — 15 to 20 percent of the cost of the meal. If a service charge appears on your tab, the gratuity is included.
• Spa staffers — 10 to 20 percent of the treatment cost. Leave the tip with the receptionist.
• Valet — $2 to $5. Tip when you pick up the car, not when you drop it off. But if you just purchased a new vehicle, you may want to hand the first valet a few bucks, too.
With this guide in hand, hopefully your travel tipping troubles will be terminated.
If you have tips for tipping in the countries you have visited, please let us know, below. We’ll update this guide periodically to reflect the most up-to-date, on-the-ground information so that you’ll never be confounded by tipping again.
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