Tipping tour guides in England and Ireland

I have two tours booked directly with the tour owners.

In England, I have a one day tour. In Ireland, I hired a driver/guide for 4 days.

I know this is a touchy subject but would still like to ask. What is customary regarding tipping?

Thanks

I have the same general question. I know tipping is subjective, but a general %of cost of tour would help to know what is an acceptable tip. Thanks for asking.

we had this discussion last year with USA tour mates

we agreed that rather than percentage to go with 5 euros/pounds per person for half day tour or 10 euros/pounds pp for full day tour was reasonable

we had this discussion last year with USA tour mates

we agreed that rather than percentage to go with 5 euros/pounds per person for half day tour or 10 euros/pounds pp for full day tour was reasonable

Thanks for the reply. Would this apply if the guide is the owner of the company?

70 pounds seem kinda high? There are 7 of us in our family group.

I read somewhere that topping to little comes across cheap and too much is arrogant. Would like to know a nice medium.

It's very subjective. 10% is the standard, but I agree that £70 for a full day tour is excessive. For something like that, they will have covered the cost in the price of the tour so not giving anything would also be fine (although probably atypical if they deal mainly with international visitors). For a day tour, I think a £20 tip would be the reasonable maximum for good service. I don't think being the company owner makes any difference vs a regular tour guide.

It's very subjective. 10% is the standard, but I agree that £70 for a full day tour is excessive. For something like that, they will have covered the cost in the price of the tour so not giving anything would also be fine (although probably atypical if they deal mainly with international visitors). For a day tour, I think a £20 tip would be the reasonable maximum for good service. I don't think being the company owner makes any difference vs a regular tour guide.

Thanks for the reply.

Why tip? It is not the norm in Britain now. If somebody goes well beyond what you would expect in terms of service, maybe consider it, but just doing the job they have been contracted to do, and paid a good fee for then no tip is needed or even expected!! The problem comes if you have an American accent, as the perception is that American tourist tip often to ludicrous levels , a group of 7 even considering a tip of £70 is a case in point, especially as for a full day trip a group of 7 will have paid out £500 for the excursion . Your best bet is adopt an Aussie /Kiwi accent as they generally do not tip either. Now as a Brit, I generally round up prices in taxis etc but don't tip as like in restaurants many have an included service charge , in London the only tipping is from the US where their policy is hoisted onto the local culture, there is no need as in Britain proper wages are paid , so the need to supplement a wage to these levels is not needed, so many people in the States have to rely on a tipping culture to raise slave wages to an acceptable level,

Why tip? It is not the norm in Britain now. If somebody goes well beyond what you would expect in terms of service, maybe consider it, but just doing the job they have been contracted to do, and paid a good fee for then no tip is needed or even expected!! The problem comes if you have an American accent, as the perception is that American tourist tip often to ludicrous levels , a group of 7 even considering a tip of £70 is a case in point, especially as for a full day trip a group of 7 will have paid out £500 for the excursion . Your best bet is adopt an Aussie /Kiwi accent as they generally do not tip either. Now as a Brit, I generally round up prices in taxis etc but don't tip as like in restaurants many have an included service charge , in London the only tipping is from the US where their policy is hoisted onto the local culture, there is no need as in Britain proper wages are paid , so the need to supplement a wage to these levels is not needed, so many people in the States have to rely on a tipping culture to raise slave wages to an acceptable level,

I appreciate your candor. Thanks.

We arrived in London yesterday and have our day tour today. There is not a consensus in our group regarding this so I thought I take it to the forum to ask.

I agree 70 pounds for tip for a day tour is a bit much.

I think there are pros and cons between the two cultures.....tipping in US and Canada vs everywhere else. In US, we tip based on the service provided. So the workers' wages are dependent on the service provided. Last night at dinner at a local pub the server was abrupt, rude and did not make our first experience eating in an English pub a good one. The restaurant automatically put in a 10% service charge for service we would have left $0 tip back in the States. We were unable to get the charge removed when asked. It was a nice tip for him since there were 7 of us for food and drinks.

The driver for the shuttle service we booked was also not friendly. He complained throughout the car ride about having to wait for us. I told him that I informed the company that, as US citizens, we will be required to go through customs in addition to passport control. When we decided not to tip him, he became ruder and demanded 10 pounds to pay for airport parking while he waited for us. My husband had to go to a store to break a 20 because the driver did not have change for a 20.

I hope that our tour guide today will be nicer.

I appreciate your candor. Thanks.

 

We arrived in London yesterday and have our day tour today. There is not a consensus in our group regarding this so I thought I take it to the forum to ask.

 

I agree 70 pounds for tip for a day tour is a bit much.

 

I think there are pros and cons between the two cultures.....tipping in US and Canada vs everywhere else. In US, we tip based on the service provided. So the workers' wages are dependent on the service provided. Last night at dinner at a local pub the server was abrupt, rude and did not make our first experience eating in an English pub a good one. The restaurant automatically put in a 10% service charge for service we would have left $0 tip back in the States. We were unable to get the charge removed when asked. It was a nice tip for him since there were 7 of us for food and drinks.

 

The driver for the shuttle service we booked was also not friendly. He complained throughout the car ride about having to wait for us. I told him that I informed the company that, as US citizens, we will be required to go through customs in addition to passport control. When we decided not to tip him, he became ruder and demanded 10 pounds to pay for airport parking while he waited for us. My husband had to go to a store to break a 20 because the driver did not have change for a 20.

 

I hope that our tour guide today will be nicer.

that shuttle driver needs to be reported to the company-his attitude was outrageous

as to your experience in pub/restaurant that's not a typical pub meal

you find a table,order your foo at bar and food is delivered to your table-no tip required

although central London has plenty of tourist traps as you have discovered

I appreciate your candor. Thanks.

 

We arrived in London yesterday and have our day tour today. There is not a consensus in our group regarding this so I thought I take it to the forum to ask.

 

I agree 70 pounds for tip for a day tour is a bit much.

 

I think there are pros and cons between the two cultures.....tipping in US and Canada vs everywhere else. In US, we tip based on the service provided. So the workers' wages are dependent on the service provided. Last night at dinner at a local pub the server was abrupt, rude and did not make our first experience eating in an English pub a good one. The restaurant automatically put in a 10% service charge for service we would have left $0 tip back in the States. We were unable to get the charge removed when asked. It was a nice tip for him since there were 7 of us for food and drinks.

 

The driver for the shuttle service we booked was also not friendly. He complained throughout the car ride about having to wait for us. I told him that I informed the company that, as US citizens, we will be required to go through customs in addition to passport control. When we decided not to tip him, he became ruder and demanded 10 pounds to pay for airport parking while he waited for us. My husband had to go to a store to break a 20 because the driver did not have change for a 20.

 

I hope that our tour guide today will be nicer.

Like fabn40+ we ignore percentages.

We reckon a reasonable total for the driver/guide based on whether it's full day tour (zilch to £30) or a half-day (zilch to £15) and divide that by the total number of pax , regardless of whether it's private tour or a shared one.

Within those ranges it depends on how much the guide/driver has added to our experience.

Not sure why being US citizens means having to go thro customs - everyone has to pass through, but there's no delay unless one of Her Majesty's finest hauls you to one side.

Different car services have different terms for extra costs such as airport parking or waiting times. Saying you'll need a receipt for the £10 charge might have changed things ;)

On principle I try to avoid restaurants which add a service charge. Except for large groups that's easy in most of the UK but can be almost impossible in tourist spots like central London.

If I ever do use one, I never tip anything at all on top of the service charge, which I see as merely an underhand way of jacking up the prices.

If, as is typical in many pubs, you find your own table and order at the bar there should be no service charge - even in central London. Mebbe give a couple of pounds for food delivered with a friendly smile.

BTW all food establishments in the UK and throughout the EU are obliged by law to display a priced menu visible from outside - and the menu has to clearly indicate any additional costs like a service charge. Not all places abide by the law - in only a couple of places where I've eaten where the service charge wasn't displayed (less-reputable places in continental Europe) I removed it & didn't tip either. One of those places was in Budapest and the guy yelled expletives at us as we walked down the street, but nobody puts one over on a John Bull :D

On only a couple of occasions in the US was the service so bad that I left no tip. On both occasions I made the point of telling them why.

In the same way that there's no consensus on tipping generally in the UK, there's no consensus on whether to tip a proprietor-driver.

In those cases we apply similar logic, but also factor-in the value-for-money

(though come to think of it, we do that anyway. And if a restaurant's food is poor we don't tip the server. Not their fault, but they should go work for a decent restaurant.)

All just MHO, and we all have opinions that differ in one way or another.

JB :)

We had a fantastic time today to stonehenge, bath and Lacock. We had a private driver and we all felt he took care of us, and went above and beyond on few instances. We did tip him at the end .

We went to a pub in Lacock ... Excellent food and atmosphere. As stated by previous posts... Today we ordered at the bar and then they brought our food to us.

I plan to report the driver to the company. And JB...i wished I thought of the receipt. 😀

.....Your best bet is adopt an Aussie /Kiwi accent as they generally do not tip either...,

Strewth, Mate! Bloody ripper! What a bonzer idea! Bloody oath!!Fair dinkum!

Thank you, Lifeasme123, for the original post. I'm glad you had a great tour experience! May I ask what you ended up tipping, if you don't mind sharing?

I have a similar question. Our family of four has 5 upcoming private tours set up (two in England, two in Ireland, and one in Scotland). All five of these tours are roughly 7-8 hours long and include transportation in a minivan-type vehicle. The prices vary, but are around US $600-$700 apiece. (Still often cheaper than similar cruise excursions for a party of four.)

Assuming excellent, friendly service, would a tip of around £40-50 for the day be about right . . . hitting that sweet spot that shows sincere appreciation without being unnecessarily extravagant or showy? (In Ireland it might be approximately 40-50 Euro?) Yes, I know it is not *required*. I do understand. But I am asking how that type of tip would be viewed.

The only decision you should make before the day is to have a selection of bills in your pocket.

Only you can decide how much, and it should reflect on the standards.

But here's my suggestion......

If it works out well, £30

If it's exceptional & the driver/guide goes the extra mile, £40.

Mebbe pull out £20 from a pocket like that was your plan, then add the balance from your wallet with your thanks..

If it's an "OK" tour, £20

Those are the figures I'd suggest to an Arizonan who can't disguise his accent, being a Brit I'd probably tip about £10 less, but there's no right or wrong answer.

If the driver/guide was poor but pleasant and the problem was inexperience, I'd make it a nominal £5, mebbe £10 with a friendly suggestion of one or two things he/she needs to brush-up on.

If he/she was a miserable sod I'd give nowt & say nowt, and have a few drinks that evening using the tip-money that the miserable sod didn't get. :beer-mug:

JB :)

The only decision you should make before the day is to have a selection of bills in your pocket.

Only you can decide how much, and it should reflect on the standards.

But here's my suggestion......

 

If it works out well, £30

 

If it's exceptional & the driver/guide goes the extra mile, £40.

Mebbe pull out £20 from a pocket like that was your plan, then add the balance from your wallet with your thanks..

 

If it's an "OK" tour, £20

 

Those are the figures I'd suggest to an Arizonan who can't disguise his accent, being a Brit I'd probably tip about £10 less, but there's no right or wrong answer.

 

If the driver/guide was poor but pleasant and the problem was inexperience, I'd make it a nominal £5, mebbe £10 with a friendly suggestion of one or two things he/she needs to brush-up on.

 

If he/she was a miserable sod I'd give nowt & say nowt, and have a few drinks that evening using the tip-money that the miserable sod didn't get. :beer-mug:

 

JB :)

John,

Thank you *very* much for taking the time to type out such a thorough reply. Absolutely perfect and very helpful - many thanks!

Yes, you are right that I won't be fooling anyone as to my tourist status once my mouth is opened!

And you are also right that I of course won't make a decision until each day unfolds. I meant to frame my question as to a "maximum"/upper limit regarding a nice - but not ridiculous - tip.

Your response is so good it could almost be a sticky post! Thank you again.

I hope that you don’t meet the guide in Invergorden, who said goodbye waving a wad of notes (£5,£10 etc.) as we left the coach. :eek:

As if we couldn’t take the hint. :D

If you knew how much official guides earn, I don't think you'd be dipping in your pockets to pay more. The tour prices are not cheap and everyone earns a very decent wage, so maybe a tenner at the end of the day, but certainly not £50-60.

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I will be doing Princess and private tours on a Med cruise.

Do you tip in Italy, Greece?

I will be doing Princess and private tours on a Med cruise.

 

Do you tip in Italy, Greece?

Many restaurants in Italy & Greece add a service charge or a cover charge. Seems to be more prevalent in Italy than in Greece, but mebbe that's because we've been to more touristy places in Italy.

If there's a charge (which by law has to be mentioned on the menu) we don't add a tip.

And staff wages are decent, though not generous

It's not rude to tip, but its not necessary either.

Where there's no charge we leave a small cash tip on the table, anything up to 5%, if service was OK to good.

I'm afraid America's exporting of their tipping culture means that servers will expect a good tip from Americans, but certainly don't tip at US levels - make it no more than 10%, and that only for exceptional service.

We apply the same theory to tour guides, though we have no great experience cos we usually do our own thing.

We've visited Greece & Italy quite often, but your best advice will come from the likes of Eurocruiser.

Oft-repeated on Cruise Critic - tipping is not the big deal that it is in the US so don't sweat on it.

If you get it wrong, nobody's going to lambast you or chase you down the road with a carving knife ;)

JB :)

On a similar note: we are taking Smiths for airports for 3 trips during our next visit. No touring, just pick up and delivery, with luggage. Is tipping advised is this situation?

On a similar note: we are taking Smiths for airports for 3 trips during our next visit. No touring, just pick up and delivery, with luggage. Is tipping advised is this situation?

For Southampton to Heathrow or Gatwick (around £80 to £120 and 90 minutes to 2 hrs) we tip £5 (always had good service / good drivers).

An American might be more comfortable tipping £10, assuming the same service and a friendly face..

JB :)

thanks

We made it to Ireland today.

Disneyfriend - we started our trip on a Greek cruise then in Rome before heading to England. In Greece and Rome we did not tip as they added the service charge to or bill.

We also hired roundtrip shuttle service from and to Heathrow and did not tip either time.

For our English tour we gave our guide an extra 50 because he really went out of the way for our group of 7. The driver was great with our daughte and that made it a very enjoyable time We also paid a lot less for the tour than other operators I contacted . For 11 hours private driver we were very happy with the service and the price.

We begin or Irish adventure tomorrow for few days before heading to Edinburgh.

Happy to share the tour guide info for both Ireland, England and Scotland if interested.

We had a fantastic time today to stonehenge, bath and Lacock. We had a private driver and we all felt he took care of us, and went above and beyond on few instances. We did tip him at the end .

 

We went to a pub in Lacock ... Excellent food and atmosphere. As stated by previous posts... Today we ordered at the bar and then they brought our food to us.

 

I plan to report the driver to the company. And JB...i wished I thought of the receipt. 😀

This is not about tipping but since you mentioned pubs I have a question about which I have been wondering. We are going to be with our grandchildren, aged 12 and 16. Can we take them into pubs for a meal?

We are going to be with our grandchildren, aged 12 and 16. Can we take them into pubs for a meal?