Tipping Drivers - Heathrow/city

[dusababy]

My TA has arranged private car/driver pickup at Heathrow -- for transfer to London Tower Bridge.

I have prepaid service provider company -- their docs state "does not include tip to driver".

I have paid 180 USD for this one way transfer --

British Cousins: does this sound reasonable and what would you suggest for tip if any?

Thanks for your help

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

My TA has arranged private car/driver pickup at Heathrow -- for transfer to London Tower Bridge.

I have prepaid service provider company -- their docs state "does not include tip to driver".

I have paid 180 USD for this one way transfer --

British Cousins: does this sound reasonable and what would you suggest for tip if any?

Thanks for your help

 

Good question! We have booked a private car service from Heathrow to Central London, next day to ship, then after cruise return to Central London and following day return to airport. Total for all 4 segments is $760 and we plan to tip at least 15%, and more depending on service. The Heathrow to Central London share was about $150.

 

Let me know if that doesn't sound correct.

[tony@stanton19.freeserve.]

My TA has arranged private car/driver pickup at Heathrow -- for transfer to London Tower Bridge.

I have prepaid service provider company -- their docs state "does not include tip to driver".

I have paid 180 USD for this one way transfer --

British Cousins: does this sound reasonable and what would you suggest for tip if any?

Thanks for your help

 

I Have looked on the Heathrow/ Transport for London site and they are quoting £40 to £70 for a Black Cab Taxi depending on traffic, time and meter, so that equates to $80 to $160. Tipping is not the same in the UK as the US and although a tip is appreciated, it is not absolutely expected.

If you give the driver anything between £5 and £10 he should be more than appreciated. He will probably be an owner/driver and will appreciate what would be virtually a day's pay. Nice work if you can get it. Black Cabs are about twice the price of private hires, your car service probably falls in between the two.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

I Have looked on the Heathrow/ Transport for London site and they are quoting £40 to £70 for a Black Cab Taxi depending on traffic, time and meter, so that equates to $80 to $160. Tipping is not the same in the UK as the US and although a tip is appreciated, it is not absolutely expected.

If you give the driver anything between £5 and £10 he should be more than appreciated. He will probably be an owner/driver and will appreciate what would be virtually a day's pay. Nice work if you can get it. Black Cabs are about twice the price of private hires, your car service probably falls in between the two.

 

I have to say we had sticker shock at the price of a cab to go about 13 miles. I live 65 miles from the airport and the worst it would be in a private car service here would be $100. I know part of it is the tank the $ is in. This will probably be our (first and) last trip to London until the dollar turns around a little. But we plan on having a blast while we are there!

[coxswain]

I'd say around £5-10 - depends some taxi drivers are really nice and they'll chat away to you, giving you great tips on places to see.

 

 

Remember folks always take a black cab in London - never use a private hire taxi unless its a recommended company !!

 

 

 

jj......

[handfordr]

Total for all 4 segments is $760 and we plan to tip at least 15%, and more depending on service. .

 

Whoh! - UK for tipping is not the US. Although Taxi's are one of the few professions that expect a tip. A 5 GBP tip ($10) is the most a local would tip and for short taxi journeys in London just round up.

Again most locals will not tip barmen, hotel maids and restuarants (unless its full service waiter service with exceptional service and food).

 

Nobody will come chasing you if you don't tip at all. If you use someone that gives a very personal service like a guide AND they provide exceptional service then give them a tip, but 10% is generous.

Especially in London, service people are used to Americans giving 15% tips and they will take it with a smile, its indicative that the visitor has never been to the UK before.

If you feel more comfortable tipping 15% then by all means do, but if you have spare cash then your favourite charity is equally deserving.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Whoh! - UK for tipping is not the US. Although Taxi's are one of the few professions that expect a tip. A 5 GBP tip ($10) is the most a local would tip and for short taxi journeys in London just round up.

Again most locals will not tip barmen, hotel maids and restuarants (unless its full service waiter service with exceptional service and food).

 

Nobody will come chasing you if you don't tip at all. If you use someone that gives a very personal service like a guide AND they provide exceptional service then give them a tip, but 10% is generous.

Especially in London, service people are used to Americans giving 15% tips and they will take it with a smile, its indicative that the visitor has never been to the UK before.

If you feel more comfortable tipping 15% then by all means do, but if you have spare cash then your favourite charity is equally deserving.

 

And this is exactly why I love Cruise Critic! How else would we Americans know these things? Okay, so even though the trip to the cruise ship is about 130 miles (I think), our driver will be happy if we tip $80 for the entire 4 segments of the trip?

 

And we shouldn't tip for drinks or the maid at the hotel? What a concept! In a full service restaurant, would the tip be 10%? The reality in the US is that tipping usually gets rounded up and is closer to 18-20%.

[dusababy]

Echoing "whenisournextcruise" -- that's why I LOVE CRUISE CRITIC too. Source for direction from locals.

I will tip 10 GBP and feel like a big spender!

So - that's settled !!

 

:D

[belle907]

When we visit England we usually tip 10% in a full service restaurant and have gotten very grateful 'thank you's' from the staff. I think for the cabs we usually give 1 or 2 pounds depending on the length of the journey.

[Globaliser]

I have paid 180 USD for this one way transfer --

British Cousins: does this sound reasonable and what would you suggest for tip if any?

For that price, it had better be a very nice car.

 

You could probably get a standard "black cab" for about two-thirds of that. If you're arriving during the morning peak hour, a black cab is also likely to be faster because it can use the bus lane on the motorway to jump the queue.

 

As for tipping, I agree: Not more than £5. A "black cab" driver will probably be happy with rather less.

 

See this thread and this thread for more information.

[AF-1]

Can I jump in here? My wife and I will be on cruise May 09. We plan on going into london for a few days prior to sailing, then from downtown to southampton. Where should I start to look for a car service, etc for the trip to downtown and to the ship? Thanks in advance. From what I have read on above threads, I should expect to pay somewhere around $150 to downtown and $150 to the port, does that sound right?

[DMRick]

When we first went to the UK in the late 90's, we tipped very little, and took that advice from our relatives who lived there. This trip, again via the relatives, and also my son who lives in Ireland, the tipping for cabs and waiters seems to have leveled off to about 10%. We asked others as we came in contact with them, such as tablemates on our ship, and they all seem to agree..that 10% is the going rate for good service. We always got a heartful thanks, as it doesn't seem to be 'expected', but appreciated. In the US, a waitress assumes they will get a 15% tip, yet in the UK, even if many are now doing it (leaving a tip), it did seem the thanks was more hearty.

[Globaliser]

We plan on going into london for a few days prior to sailing, then from downtown to southampton. ... From what I have read on above threads, I should expect to pay somewhere around $150 to downtown and $150 to the port, does that sound right?

If you mean from London to the port in Southampton, I don't think you're likely to get a private car service for that sort of money. The poster above is going to embark on a ship in London. But you're going from Southampton which - notwithstanding the best efforts of the major cruise lines to lie to their customers - is not in London but is in a different and far-distant city which takes about two hours or more to reach by car.

[cruisegal101]

Can I jump in here? My wife and I will be on cruise May 09. We plan on going into london for a few days prior to sailing, then from downtown to southampton. Where should I start to look for a car service, etc for the trip to downtown and to the ship? Thanks in advance. From what I have read on above threads, I should expect to pay somewhere around $150 to downtown and $150 to the port, does that sound right?

 

We are using www.smithsforairports.com for transportation from Heathrow to Southampton and for the return on our August 2008 trip. The quoted price is 72 pounds each way or roughly $144 each way.

[Traveler50]

I recommend Smiths for Airports and they are very reasonable compared to some of the other car services.