Tipping Tour Guides/Taxi Drivers

[Pickeringtraveller]

Does anyone know what is expected for tips in Greece for tour guides and/or taxi drivers?

 

Thanks!

[Island wannabe]

I don't really have an answer for you but your screen name caught my attention. I lived in Pickering for most of my life!

 

In regards to tipping in Europe everything I have read says to tip between 10 and 20% however I saw reward based on level of service and how much you enjoyed the tour. The tours are so expensive that what is a few more Euros between friends ;)

[KirkNC]

We usually tip 10-20% for guides and 10% for taxis.

 

Kirk

[MANURULES]

We usually tip 10-20% for guides and 10% for taxis.

 

Kirk

 

We have all have heard about how Americans are big tip givers, and this is true.

In most of Europe tipping is pretty much consisting of rounding up your change.

The main reason for this is that taxi drivers ,waiters,guides and the like, are supposedly earning a living wage and are not dependent on tips for their income.

This is why (speaking specifically about Greece and waiters now) a gratuity is ALWAYS added to your restaurant bill,so if you leave something on top of that its supposed to be for receiving superior service.

Taxi drivers are only expecting just rounding up change from the locals,and if you are on a ride with the price negotiated at the port ,you are already tipping them rather well, if you get my drift.

Tour guides:

1.Tour guides that are in reality just taxi ,van drivers,that provide tours of Athens,Sounio,Delphi, form the port and are prearranged ... Athens by taxi ,Athens tours by taxi,etc.

They are either the owner,or close relative,with some of the larger outfits employing drivers.

Most are very personable ,knowledgeable and entertaining.

We ,on the rare occasions when we have used on in Greece ,tip as follows.

Owner,his son: Pretty much diddly squat,unless the bill is 290 and we gave him 300 .

Their driver: 20 -30 total ,all passengers.

 

2. Tour guides that were hired from companies as Athens walking tours.

These are actual licensed guides earning a wage or fee per tour given.

We give 10 per couple, no more than 30 total.

3. Tour guides hired outside the Acropolis,etc same as above.

[bobalink]

When we were in Rome last year, our tour guide at the Vatican helped us with getting a taxi back to our hotel. When we asked her what an appropriate tip would be for the taxi driver, she replied, "nothing, it's not necessary."

Funny, since we had just tipped her quite generously.

 

Exact same thing happened in Barcelona. Our tour ended at Las Ramblas, we gave our guide a nice tip, then he hailed a taxi for us. We asked him what we should tip the taxi driver, and he said, "nothing, it's not necessary."

 

In both situations, we tipped the taxi driver a couple of euros.