Tipping in St Petersburg

[bojomitch]

We are doing a private tour in St Petersburg and would like to know what the standard amount is tipping your tour guide and tour driver.

[TheGenie]

We are doing a private tour in St Petersburg and would like to know what the standard amount is tipping your tour guide and tour driver.

 

If I understand correctly it is 10% to the tour guide, who shares with the driver. Of course you can always modify that depending on how much or little appreciation for the "extra effort" they put in serving you. Remeber you are already paying a fee for good service.

[Giantfan13]

I would agree with the Genie. Our tour cost us $600 ($300 x 2) and we tipped an extras $50 (we specified $35 for the guide and $15 for the driver).

 

That is about the going rate, and, as was said, you can adjust this any way you like.

 

CheersLen

[pini100]

I would agree with the Genie. Our tour cost us $600 ($300 x 2) and we tipped an extras $50 (we specified $35 for the guide and $15 for the driver).

 

That is about the going rate, and, as was said, you can adjust this any way you like.

 

CheersLen

What this tour include ? was it 2 whole days?

[Joy2theWorld]

I plan on paying for our private tour with a credit card as I do not wish to carry around that much cash. I am assuming though I would need cash for the tip. I read that only unfolded, new bills are acceptable. How did you manage that?

[Lvtocruize2]

I plan on paying for our private tour with a credit card as I do not wish to carry around that much cash. I am assuming though I would need cash for the tip. I read that only unfolded, new bills are acceptable. How did you manage that?

 

I would love to hear a response also because in order to get a 5% discount for our tour we are going to pay cash which means I have to go to the bank here in town before we leave and carry all this cash around until it can be put in the safe on the ship. Guess I'll have some time to figure out how to carry all this new money without putting a crease in them....kinda ridiculous, if you ask me but that is the all St. Petersburg banks will accept. My bank will probably think I'm crazy asking for new $100 bills!

[greyhound101]

I asked my SPB Tour Operator about needing "new bills" to pay for our tour. Vika said the bills did not need to be "new" just clean without any extraneous markings, and not wrinkled. My bank said that would be easy to get at the bank while "new bills" are only available around the December holidays.

 

Hope this helps all of you. For the gentleman who is planning on paying for his tour with a credit card, please keep in mind that with most credit cards you pay an additional fee for the currency exchange. Unless you are using a Capital 1 Credit card. I am planning to pay in cash.

 

I suggest as I did that you inquire of your tour operator the definition of "new" bills just as I did.

[Giantfan13]

I plan on paying for our private tour with a credit card as I do not wish to carry around that much cash. I am assuming though I would need cash for the tip. I read that only unfolded, new bills are acceptable. How did you manage that?

 

You do not need 'NEW' bills only not old, wrinkled ones. they should still have that 'crispness' to them and you CAN fold them. As long as the bills are in good condition with no writing on them, they are fine. If you are paying for your tour with cash, they want bigger denominations also, but that is better for you, as it makes carrying that cash around, that much simpler.

 

We also had thoughts about paying by CC as we didn't want to carry that amount around with us. But you can usually leave valuables in hotels safes and once on the ship, you lock the money away. You do not need it until day 2 of your 2 day tour.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Barbie075]

I have heard that it is not a good idea to use your credit card in Russia. Evidently there have been a lot of cases of credit card fraud. I have not experienced this, but have heard it from several sources. I think I would just bring cash as they suggest.

[traveler525]

Our bank did not have "new" bills either, so they gave us the "best" ones they had, and it was fine. We just locked it up in safes and did fine. Our hotel room and cruise stateroom had safes. The one day we checked out of the hotel, we locked it in the hotel safe in order to do a 1/2 day of sightseeing before heading out to board the ship (did not want to carry that much cash around town). We took US dollars to pay for tour but also had rubles for small purchases. We tipped the driver and our guide in US dollars.

 

We also used a credit card (capital one, no fees) and everything was fine there too. We did need a pin (I had read about that here on cruise critic before we left) for our credit card in some places, but I had called our bank in advance to activate one. We had lunch in between Catherine's Palace and Peterhof and used our credit card to pay for lunch but we had to have the pin in order to use it at the Russian restaurant (for example).

[MercedMike]

Our bank did not have "new" bills either, so they gave us the "best" ones they had, and it was fine. We just locked it up in safes and did fine. Our hotel room and cruise stateroom had safes. ...

 

We also used a credit card (capital one, no fees) and everything was fine there too. We did need a pin (I had read about that here on cruise critic before we left) for our credit card in some places, but I had called our bank in advance to activate one. We had lunch in between Catherine's Palace and Peterhof and used our credit card to pay for lunch but we had to have the pin in order to use it at the Russian restaurant (for example).

 

In the few places we need local currency, such as the subway and Stolle Pie Shop, our guide just paid for us and we paid her back in US$ which she was very happy to get ... and of course added a bit thanking her for the service. We were in a small group and with a whole busful the guide might not be so willing to do that.

[sbhdmh]

For carrying the bills and keeping them "crisp" consider a money belt. A single lengthwise fold is all that is needed and it looks like an ordinary leather belt. No problem with those bills but a $20 bill I had folded into quarters was rejected at a shop at the St Petersburg port. By the way, we tipped 10% and the guide split it with the driver.

[MercedMike]

By the way, we tipped 10% and the guide split it with the driver.

 

HMMM -- I am very sorry your guide and driver did not do a good job and make your tour memorable. It has been our general experience that guides are usually very good, but I guess now and then you get a poor one.

 

Our guide Elena and driver Valentin from Denrus were both outstanding. They got very nice tips for making our days in St P ones that will stay in our memory forever.

[KirkNC]

HMMM -- I am very sorry your guide and driver did not do a good job and make your tour memorable. It has been our general experience that guides are usually very good, but I guess now and then you get a poor one.

 

Our guide Elena and driver Valentin from Denrus were both outstanding. They got very nice tips for making our days in St P ones that will stay in our memory forever.

 

Does this mean IYHO 10% is for average service?

 

Kirk

[Orange County Murphy]

We have booked a private tour for 4 days in Moscow in June prior to a cruise leaving from Istanbul. Our tour agency specializes in Russian travel, has Russian personnel and is located in Seattle.

 

This is the advice we have received:

 

TIPS: Pay at end of each day in $US. Use clean, unwrinkled bills.

Guide: $20 per person per day

Driver: $15 per day for the group (in our case, 2 people)

Credit Cards: Don't use them except in large establishments like

a hotel or high end stores. Pay for meals and souvenir type purchases in rubles.

Be alert for pickpockets.

 

Hope this helps.

[Giantfan13]

HMMM -- I am very sorry your guide and driver did not do a good job and make your tour memorable. It has been our general experience that guides are usually very good, but I guess now and then you get a poor one.

 

Our guide Elena and driver Valentin from Denrus were both outstanding. They got very nice tips for making our days in St P ones that will stay in our memory forever.

 

sorry Mike if you are one of the big time tippers. Before we went, most on CC said that a 10% tip was the norm and that is what we did. I have no idea why you consider a 10% tip to be for poor service???. Do you also tip the people on the ship twice what everyone else does if you believe the service you get is above average???

 

We believe 10% to be the going rate for an excellent tour. If you feel differently, that's fine, but why the sarcasm.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Joy2theWorld]

 

We also used a credit card (capital one, no fees) and everything was fine there too. We did need a pin (I had read about that here on cruise critic before we left) for our credit card in some places, but I had called our bank in advance to activate one. We had lunch in between Catherine's Palace and Peterhof and used our credit card to pay for lunch but we had to have the pin in order to use it at the Russian restaurant (for example).

 

By getting a pin, did you have to pay cash advance charges for the credit card? I know we get a pin with our cards, but it is only for cash advances, so, I'm wondering if this is a different pin. I would hate to pay cash advance fees for lunch and things like that. However, we do hope to make some nice purchases in St. Petersburg.

[sbhdmh]

sorry Mike if you are one of the big time tippers. Before we went, most on CC said that a 10% tip was the norm and that is what we did. I have no idea why you consider a 10% tip to be for poor service???. Do you also tip the people on the ship twice what everyone else does if you believe the service you get is above average???

 

We believe 10% to be the going rate for an excellent tour. If you feel differently, that's fine, but why the sarcasm.

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

Thanks Len and Kirk. I was biting my tongue but appreciate the supportive posts. We also researched in advance and all in our group agreed on 10% to be the appropriate amount. I would never presume to tell someone else that what is right for me MUST be right for them. Sorry I (and so many others) don't measure up to someone else's standards. For the record we had a great tour with Masha and she did not seem at all insulted to receive a 10% tip. Since the hourly rate for a guide is $15 and we tipped 10% of the total (guide, vehicle, admissions, hydrofoil, etc) the tip from our group equaled an additional 12 hours or so of wages. Since over the 2 days she spent about 20 hours with us I think even after taking care of the driver she cleared more than a full days wages from the tips. So no, I do not think we under tipped given the circumstances...

[traveler525]

Nope, the pin is your signature. Here in the States we sign a receipt when we purchase something. In Europe, they ask for a "pin" instead of a signature. It is a purchase, not a cash advance. Not all places do this, some ask for a signature, but some did ask for a pin. I just called our credit card company before we left (as I always do anyway to let them know we will be using our card out of our area) and told them I needed a pin and requested a number I would remember :).

 

Joy2theWorld, call your cc company and ask them about it. I did not use the cash advance pin number, I had a different one.

[MercedMike]

Does this mean IYHO 10% is for average service?

 

Kirk

 

I never have an Humble Opinion!

 

IMAO (In My Arrogant Opinion) 10% is for satisfactory service. In fact as I have cruised extensively all over the world I have found that the "average" service rendered by most guides is far above satisfactory! That is why the "average" tip I give is usually well above 10%.

 

Once again -- when a guide (and a driver) greatly enhance my vacation (for which I have spent thousands of dollars) and create a special day that I enjoy very much, I don't think that a few extra dollars in the tip is something to get all excited about.

 

Lots of people are doing all kinds of fancy math (and I am a math teacher) but for me it is much simpler -- "THANKS for making my day." I say it effusively, I reward them by recommendations on this board -- and I put a few extra bills in the tip envelope! Not complicated.

 

Frankly this thread has been very interesting to me as I really felt a bit cheap when I ONLY tipped 20% to the guide in St. P. I guess probably she was quite happy with that. I hope she was because she made our visit memorable.

 

Am I a "big tipper"? Actually, there have also been a couple of occasions when I tipped as little as 5%, for a bored driver/guide who just pointed out stuff and said their names. And two notable guides, Nick from Greek Taxi and Kagan in Istanbul, got a whole lot larger percentage. Tip according to service, not according to formula.

[MercedMike]

Do you also tip the people on the ship twice what everyone else does if you believe the service you get is above average???

 

Ah, now you raise another question! Different situation.

 

Yes, I used to tip quite liberally on the ship. (Not twice what "everyone" else does -- twice what "some people" do.)

 

It saddens me greatly that almost all ships have gone to automatic tipping. My feeling is that if they set the tip at what they think it should be, than that is what they get. I do not tip additional over and above the mandatory tip except in extremely unusual circumstances.

[KirkNC]

Mike,

 

I agree with you on most things you said, I have used 10% as a guide and than add or subtract based our experience. I think part of what is confusing is that many guide books I have seen will tell you that in Europe, tipping is usually quite small (i.e. 5%) or not at all. These comments are referring to waiters but most would apply the same to guides/drivers.

 

Kirk

[Giantfan13]

Mike

 

What Kirk says carries a lot of weight. Before we went to London, we were told emphatically, that tipping is a sort of privilege for people there, and only Americans think it is something they have to do. In fact, they went as far as to say too many Americans think they can just buy anything and that a high tip shows a bit of arrogance, like 'we are better than you', 'so here's some more money as a tip'. personally we found some of that to be true. When we tipped a cab driver in London just a few pence, he was very, very appreciative.

I'll bet our guides in St Petersburg were just as appreciative of our 10% tip as they were of whatever you threw at them.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[MercedMike]

I'll bet our guides in St Petersburg were just as appreciative of our 10% tip as they were of whatever you threw at them...Len

 

And, also, our driver Valentin was extremely impressed with my arm and my aim. I stood back about 20 feet and managed to hit him right in the forehead with his tip money, wadded up into a ball. The reason I gave him such a big tip was to get that nice sized wad that had the right heft to throw. He said, "Gee, Thanks, Mister, are you a professional baseball player? I like American baseball!" Now that's real appreciation!

[Giantfan13]

:):):):):):):