Who should I tip? How much should I tip? Does it matter what country I’m visiting? We’re asked questions about tipping more than any other topic during the travel planning stages for clients. It shouldn’t be so hard, but tipping tends to be one of the most difficult aspects of travel to navigate. The information below has been compiled from a variety of sources including personal experience, advice from other industry experts, and avid travelers.
Guides: $7-$10 per person per day for a full day tour (8 hours or more). Pro-rate for shorter tours.
Drivers: $4-$7 per person per day
Shuttle van drivers at airports or hotels: $1-$2 per person.
Restaurant staff: 10-20% of bill if service fee or gratuity not already included.
Concierge: $5-$20 if real effort is made, e.g. getting you a table at an impossible-to-book restaurant or tickets to a sold out show.
Luggage porters: $1-$2 per bag
Housekeeping staff (probably the most forgotten staff when it comes to tipping): $1-3 per day. If multiple people are on staff, tip daily so the individual cleaning your room gets the appropriate tip.
Room service: 15-20% of bill, if not included.
Taxi driver: This one varies by country. If drivers are normally tipped, 10-15% of the fare is adequate.
Interested in an app that has a tipping calculator and advice for more than 200 countries? Check out GlobeTipping.