Tipping Your Guide for Private Tour in ST Petersburg

[heliwoman]

Question for those who have done private tours in St. Petersburg: Did you tip the guide and driver? and if you did, what % did you tip? We are doing a private tour for 21 of us so the total cost is not inexpensive (but still FAR less than doing a ship's excursion). I thought that giving the guide 10% and the driver 5% was reasonable but one member of the group is saying that is way too much money to give, given how little people make in that region. Thoughts?

[Raison]

I have been researching the various St Petersburg companies and they recommend tipping amounts of 10% guide and 5% driver. Can’t comment on what people actually do though.

[dogs4fun]

Question for those who have done private tours in St. Petersburg: Did you tip the guide and driver? and if you did, what % did you tip? We are doing a private tour for 21 of us so the total cost is not inexpensive (but still FAR less than doing a ship's excursion). I thought that giving the guide 10% and the driver 5% was reasonable but one member of the group is saying that is way too much money to give, given how little people make in that region. Thoughts?

We tipped 10% to our guide and 5% to our driver - that was the recommended amount so that is what we tipped.

[heliwoman]

We tipped 10% to our guide and 5% to our driver - that was the recommended amount so that is what we tipped.

 

That is what was suggested to us as well and I don't have a problem with that. As I mentioned, one member of my group is convinced that it's too much money to be giving as a tip to either driver or guide since the total cost of the tour is substantial (due to the # of people). Just curious what others have done.

[rslinky]

We were a private tour with just six. We also tipped ten to guide and five to driver for each of us. Do not know what percentage other two couples gave them, but we all tipped.

[hrhdhd]

My thought is that you should tip as you like and not worry about someone else's rationale for possibly not tipping the same.

 

I tipped my Alla Tour guide 10% and the driver 5%. If anything, those amounts are low for the work they did.

[aldavid18]

We've discussed the whole % recommendation and I kind of struggle with it. If your looking at an expensive trip then the tip is going to be really high. We've decided when we go to give a fixed amount corresponding to level of service instead of a percentage.

[fabnfortysomething]

We've discussed the whole % recommendation and I kind of struggle with it. If your looking at an expensive trip then the tip is going to be really high. We've decided when we go to give a fixed amount corresponding to level of service instead of a percentage.

 

yes that is a sensible approach

 

the Russian tour companies all recommend 10 % guide and 5 % driver in their FAQ AS WESTERN STANDARDS

 

However that is not standard Western Europe but referring to USA as indicated by the fact they quote in US Dollars

 

15% on a $300 dollar tour is going to be $45

 

our last trip in Europe we were tour sharing a minivan with USA and Canadians and we had this discussion about tipping a fixed amount as all our tours varied in price

to keep it simple we agreed 10 euro/£/$ per person for a full day tour and 5 for half day

 

going by this $20 per person to guide for 2 day tour and perhaps bit for driver say $10

[aldavid18]

yes that is a sensible approach

 

the Russian tour companies all recommend 10 % guide and 5 % driver in their FAQ AS WESTERN STANDARDS

 

However that is not standard Western Europe but referring to USA as indicated by the fact they quote in US Dollars

 

15% on a $300 dollar tour is going to be $45

 

our last trip in Europe we were tour sharing a minivan with USA and Canadians and we had this discussion about tipping a fixed amount as all our tours varied in price

to keep it simple we agreed 10 euro/£/$ per person for a full day tour and 5 for half day

 

going by this $20 per person to guide for 2 day tour and perhaps bit for driver say $10

 

 

That's pretty much what we have been thinking too:)

[Earl Rosebery]

Dont cheap out. The guides are uniformly excellent, the drivers have your lives in their hands. The season is short. Their other sources of income may be inadequate. We started with the idea of 10% and 5 % but our guide, a university professor, was so good we upped it from there. PS Euros preferred.

[heliwoman]

Thanks for all of the info everyone. The one member of the group decided on a flat dollar rate. I agreed to it so as not start off the trip on the wrong foot but plan on giving additional, especially if the service is as good as I've read.

[twruger]

With Best Guides, we had a great tour. Our driver dropped us off and picked us up at the front door everywhere. We never waited in line for more than 5 minutes anywhere to get in (Hermitage, Peterhof, Catherine's Palace, and Church on Spilled Blood). Mercedes van was clean, cool, with water and wifi. We tipped 750 rubles per person to driver, and twice that to the guide. I figure it worked out to about 6% and 12% respectively.