Tipping driver and guide

[doemichael]

We are booked with Ramses group of 18 for one day tour. Can I ask what is normal for tips for driver and guide?

 

Thanks

 

p.s. I did search but found little info on tipping, maybe I missed it lol

[smeyer418]

$5-10 per day pp for the guide half that for the driver.

[doemichael]

thanks for that

[Fblack]

While that $5 or $10 pp works well for a large group, I tipped more when we had a private day long tour with Ramses. The driver and guide worked very hard so we tipped more.

[Marie-Claude]

I agree with Fblack!

 

Tip depends largely on how many people are in the group and service you received. On our tour with Ramses, there was only 2 of us! So I can assure you that we left more than 5-10$...

 

MC

[doemichael]

Thanks for reply. We are a group of 18.

[California Native]

There's a base price suggested of 5-10 dollars

and please dont follow Rick Steves suggestions because quite frankly he is cheap.

However, we've had guides that far exceeded any expectations we've had

We have had drivers that have saved our lives with their defensive driving skills and that have found ways to get us closer to places that we want to go to, instead of the standard drop point.

We hire private guides for the more intimate experiences..

that give us more than we could ever read in a text or guide book.

We gladly tip 20% or more the cost of our private tour

which is usually for 2 people

and we NEVER skimp on the driver if as I mentioned above has kept us alive.

Our experience in St. Petersburg, Russia traffic comes to

mind ..those drivers there are crazier than SFO Bay Area, LAX area and Boston are rolled into one

Our driver earned waaayyyyy more in tips than any

suggested formula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on the same token...

There was a very bad experience with our tour in Capadoccia,Turkey he blantantly didn't follow the itinerary we booked with his company. On one of days we were used to train a guide which caused a myriad of issues including lack of information extended to us. We were taken to a "factory" and because I wasn't right next to my DH (who isn't shopping savvy) when he purchased an item..it wasn't until 3 minutes after the transaction that I realized DH was hustled. Our guide would not go to bat for us, because of course he was getting a commission from this store...

and then beginning 45 minutes prior to the end of the tour

he began hard core solicitation of tips

We had never not tipped in our lives...

but we felt so screwed over that we decided his "store" commission just became his tip...

I know you asked what is normal and don't think there

is ever a normal amount to this...

The best way to tip a private tour is to use your discretion.

Was the tour what you booked? Did it far exceed what you

expected? How accomadating was the guide/driver to your wishes once on the ground??

That is HUGE consideration with tipping too.

Did your guide answer all of your questions graciously?

I'm not sure this helps if you were looking for a specific

amount guideline, but I have found that just isn't the case

in my experiences.

Buon Viaggio

K.

[smeyer418]

There's a base price suggested of 5-10 dollars

 

and please dont follow Rick Steves suggestions because quite frankly he is cheap.

 

However, we've had guides that far exceeded any expectations we've had

 

We have had drivers that have saved our lives with their defensive driving skills and that have found ways to get us closer to places that we want to go to, instead of the standard drop point.

 

....

Our experience in St. Petersburg, Russia traffic comes to

mind ..those drivers there are crazier than SFO Bay Area, LAX area and Boston are rolled into one

 

Our driver earned waaayyyyy more in tips than any

suggested formula!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

on the same token...

 

There was a very bad experience with our tour in Capadoccia,Turkey he blantantly didn't follow the itinerary we booked with his company. On one of days we were used to train a guide which caused a myriad of issues including lack of information extended to us. We were taken to a "factory" and because I wasn't right next to my DH (who isn't shopping savvy) when he purchased an item..it wasn't until 3 minutes after the transaction that I realized DH was hustled. Our guide would not go to bat for us, because of course he was getting a commission from this store...

and then beginning 45 minutes prior to the end of the tour

he began hard core solicitation of tips

 

We had never not tipped in our lives...

but we felt so screwed over that we decided his "store" commission just became his tip...

 

I know you asked what is normal and don't think there

is ever a normal amount to this...

 

The best way to tip a private tour is to use your discretion.

 

...

That is HUGE consideration with tipping too.

Did your guide answer all of your questions graciously?

 

I'm not sure this helps if you were looking for a specific

amount guideline, but I have found that just isn't the case

in my experiences.

 

Buon Viaggio

 

K.

 

LOL I remember the bus driver we had in Beijing...he was amazing had water on the bus for everyone(he charged 1 huang per): For two days...I gave him 5x the recommend amount. he got us where we needed to go( I would add he drove the wrong way sometimes and once on the sidewalk)...in other words he drove like me....but I must tell you I find most of the tipping annoying. I never know the "right" right amount. I wish they would just put their salaried amount in the cost and then if I gave extra I would feel it was extra.

[zubee23]

"but I must tell you I find most of the tipping annoying. I never know the "right" right amount. I wish they would just put their salaried amount in the cost and then if I gave extra I would feel it was extra."

So agree! I loved touring Egypt but the tipping and constant hawking of goods drove me crazy. Who I should tip and when, consumed me. Waving items in my face so I would buy them and yelling at me, just made me want to run.