Travel Tipping Insight

[shygirl724]

I just read an interesting guide on tipping while traveling (The Ultimate Tipping Guide - FoxNews.com ). It had some good insight and ideas.

Who knew it wasn't best to leave the tip for the housekeeper in your room at the end of your trip? Guess I need to change how I take care of that one.

Any other LL members have insight into this little travel task?

Shy ~

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Tipping is tricky and I have to admit that when I meet travelers from Europe (where tipping was not the norm) they say when they travel now that everyone expects a tip because American big tippers got them used to receiving one. Many places like restaurants add a service charge (tip) onto the bill so we always look and make sure there is not one before we leave a tip. We just got back from Mexico and the tipping norm for restaurants (if they do not include the tip on the bill) is 10% so that is what we usually tip outside of the USA.
We do not always tip the housekeeping staff - depends on the service we get - there job is to clean the room and I really do n ot feel like tipping is necessary unless they do something above and beyond that. My husband works in the service insudstry and he does not get tips and in fact he is not allowed to get tips. It actually aggravates me when everyone now a days expects a tip for doing their job - the worst is the tip jars in Dunkin Donuts and places like that!

[shygirl724]

You sound like me.....sorry, not going to tip the takeout counter person!

I have a friend that had lived in Paris. He said that when in their restaurants, leave a couple spare coins on the table - that the normal 15-20% U.S. restaurant tipping was not done nor expected in their country, so that is the advice we followed. It is always tricky to know what to do and I think at times it has gone too far - expecting us to tip everyone.

Shy ~

[jsattapr2]

Another thread was started on the same topic some time ago, just in case you would like to see those comments.

Tips on tipping – a shared international guide...

[thepiranha]

I'll tip in third world countries because I know that the few cents or dollars mean a lot more to the person who provides the service than it does to me, even if it's not customary.

[shygirl724]

I know this is a silly tipping question, but I've never really known the correct answer. Maybe someone can help....

When valet parking, do you : tip the attendant when you first arrive, tip only when you pick up your car, or both. And is the tipping amount different for complimentary valet parking vs. paid valet parking? I told you it was silly, but I've never really known the answer.

Shy ~

[thepiranha]

Definitely not both. I tip when I pick up my car. Yes, I tip for complimentary valet parking. The valets do the same work whether or not you have to pay them or if they're paid by the establishment hiring them.

[shygirl724]

Thanks for the reply. I have been tipping both ways because I didn't know which was correct. I tip for both paid and complimentary parking, but I had heard youi should tip more for the complimentary parking because they are not making any money by charging to park....but that didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Shy ~

[shygirl724]

This is a good article by Rick Steves on tipping in Europe.

Rick Steves' Europe: Tipping Tactics for Europe

Shy ~

[jsattapr2]

Another thread was started on the same topic some time ago, just in case you would like to see those comments.

Tips on tipping – a shared international guide...

And another old community thread on tipping


Tipping - Be Honest