Tipping on Tours

[FloridaTourist]

We have booked several private tours for our upcoming Oosterdam cruise in April. Some of the tours have a guide and a driver. Do you tip the driver or just the guide and they take care of the driver? Whats the proper protocol?

[Fouremco]

We always tip the guide, but the driver only sometimes, depending on the circumstances. For example, sometimes there's a very short drive to our destination, where the guide will spend several hours with the group before another quick drive back to the ship. We probably won't tip the driver in such situations.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I don't know the proper protocol but I tip each separately - more to the guide unless the driver has done an exceptional job due to terrain etc. Then I give them each the same amount.

[Sonora5]

We usually tip both. 5-10% of the tour price to driver, twice that to guide.

 

Before we travel I have the bank give me several hundred dollars in ones and fives for small incidental tips, and I have more in tens and twenties for tour guides and drivers.

 

Some of the private tours I have been on require that the whole amount be paid in cash.

 

Also make sure to have the proper currency available, and in some countries the cash has to be in good shape or the recipient can't spend it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We usually tip both -- only because the driver usually helps me get on and off the bus and gets my walker ready for me.

[Sue from Canada]

We have booked several private tours for our upcoming Oosterdam cruise in April. Some of the tours have a guide and a driver. Do you tip the driver or just the guide and they take care of the driver? Whats the proper protocol?

 

From personal experience I tip the guide and confirm with him/her that the tips are divided so each get some $$$

[ebay33]

I always tip separately. Sometimes the driver is great and the guide is terrible and sometimes it is the other way around. I've always seen them with separate tip jars, boxes, baskets, hands or whatever. They may pool the tips, but just in case they don't, make sure you tip based on the service provided.

[Harry1954]

We always tip both .. the drive gets less but the amount depends on how much work he/she does.

harry

[Scrapnana]

I usually tip each separately depending on the level of service. There have been a few excursions where one or the other did not warrant a tip.

[cb at sea]

WE tip the guide....or whoever is "in charge"....up to them to split as they see fit. We tip according to how much fun we have... if it's simply transportation...that's what we paid for...no tip.

[PatsyAnne]

I check ahead of time to see what is customary for the private tour operator and country so that I'm prepared. It helps to know the preferred currency ahead of time. Sometimes this information is available on their websites and other times I've sent an email. Of course, the actual amount may vary based on service.

[Keith1010]

We tip both tour guide and driver.

 

We research what is a customary tip based on where we are sailing.

 

We determine the final amount on the tour and that depends on what we thought of the driver as well as the tour guide.

 

Keith

[take us away]

We tip both in relationship to the price of the tour, how well they did, how much we enjoyed them, whether there were any extras. Only a very few times have we not tipped a guide and only once did not tip the driver as think he was trying to kill us.

 

Also; the front desk will change large bills and have never had a problem so do not bring hundreds in small bills as some have mentioned.