How much should I tip when I travel?

Even the most experienced travelers can find tipping while traveling complicated and stressful.

After all, most of us want to thank the right people for their excellent service and don’t want to upset low-paid employees who could rely on perks. At the same time, we don’t want to pay twice for service charges that are already included in our bills or inadvertently insult someone in a foreign country.

So who deserves a tip and when and where should you give it? Also, how much should you tip?

Tipping customs vary depending on your destination and the type of trip you are taking. For hotels, your tip may depend on the price of the room, the level of service, and the details of your stay. (Perhaps you refuse cleaning during the duration of your trip? Or did you destroy the room with a massive party that lasted all night?)

Here’s what you need to know to help you decide how much to tip during specific travel situations, from tours to hotels to all-inclusive vacations.

Tip tour guides

Let’s start with how much to tip tour guides. Just like when you dine at a restaurant, there is a general consensus that you should tip tour guides based on the level of service you receive.

For tour guides, we recommend tipping 10% to 20% of the total tour cost. Of course, you’ll always be welcome (and encouraged) to tip more for exceptional service if you so choose. And if you’re on a group tour, also consider tipping the driver and local tour guides who meet you along the way. It’s usually just a few dollars a day.

Who to tip in hotels

When many hotels eliminated housekeeping services during the COVID-19 pandemic, I stopped traveling with the cash I used to carry specifically for tipping housekeeping.

But if there’s anyone in hotels you should tip, it’s housekeeping. Many experts agree that you should tip housekeeping between $3 and $5 per day, depending on the length of stay, room rate, and level of service.

“These are the hardest working people in the hotel and the least recognized,” Tom Waithe, general manager of the Alexis Hotel Seattle, previously told TPG.

A general rule of thumb is that baggage handlers who help you with your bags at hotels (and airports) should be paid between $1 and $5 per bag. Round up for large groups of bags or if the attendant must make multiple trips or handle fragile or special-order items.

For car valets, a couple of dollars is usually appropriate; You may want to tip more if the valet delivers an urgent request. If you’re staying at a hotel for a while and expect to use your car frequently, start the valet with a larger tip of about $10 and explain your situation. They are likely to park your car closer and deliver it before other people’s cars every day.

Butlers and concierges, especially in luxury hotels, should also receive a certain tip for the services they have provided. Tipping a hotel’s head porter can also be a way to improve service during a longer visit.

So who doesn’t need a tip in a hotel? People who deliver meals through room service, where a (usually high) service charge has already been added, do not need to tip. Of course, you can still feel free to tip them. In the rare cases where gratuity is not included or if you have asked the staff for some unusual services, those circumstances would justify the tip.

Related: Innovations in hotel stays: how to offer guests a next-level experience

Tips around the world

If you’ve ever traveled outside the US, you may have received mixed messages about tipping or confused faces from non-Americans when talking about the tipping culture in this country.

In some countries (such as Australia, Japan and China) tipping is not common. In fact, in Japan it is frowned upon.

“Tipping abroad is about much more than converting currencies. Many countries and cultures each take their own nuanced view of this sometimes sensitive issue,” Tom Marchant, co-founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato, told TPG. In Australia, where tipping is “not a common transaction,” it can even make recipients a little uncomfortable.

Otherwise, you must distribute tips as you do in the US when visiting most of Europe, the tourist areas of Mexico, the Caribbean (excluding all inclusive resorts) and Canada. Tipping is also common in India and the Middle East.

In Central and South America, leaving small amounts of change in the local currency is greatly appreciated. If you are traveling to Africa, expect more complexities, depending on whether or not you are in safari or stay in an urban property in a major city.

If you’re not sure what’s common at a specific destination, don’t hesitate to ask or err on the side of being too generous.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Tipping in Europe

When to tip on an all-inclusive vacation

Speaking of all-inclusive resorts, know that daily service charges are usually included in your bill if you’re on a cruise or staying at an all-inclusive resort. However, be sure to check your folio carefully or ask at the front desk upon check-in. Also, be sure to check what is included in the price of a property. resort feeseven for non-inclusive properties.

According to Lindsey Epperly Sulek, founder of Jetset World Travel and Caribbean travel expert, most traditional all-inclusive resorts, like Sandals in the Caribbean, include gratuities.

If tips are not included, you can follow the above. hotel guidelines: $1 to $5 per suitcase for the bellman, $5 per day for housekeeping (dropped off every day), nothing extra for room service (if included in the bill), and a sliding scale for janitors, depending on the difficulty of the task.

If you take a tour from an all-inclusive resort, such as a safari, tip your guides and driver.

Related: The best all-inclusive resorts in the US for a spectacular vacation

Tip staff during a cruise

Whether called service charges or tips, the Automatic rates charged by cruise lines. daily to passengers’ onboard accounts (sometimes up to $25 per person, per day) are designed to replace cash tips. This policy was implemented so that passengers do not feel obligated to tip or worry about when and where to tip.

In addition to passenger-facing crew members, such as waiters and cabin stewards, many other crew members see a portion of service fees. This includes people who wash dishes and work in cruise ship laundries. You can pay these fees in advance or add them to your onboard bill. You can adjust the tip amount up or down by visiting the guest services desk during your browsing.

If you want to give an extra boost to a crew member who has gone above and beyond, mention them in your post-cruise survey so they can receive higher-level recognition. This could have more long-term benefits than a tip.

If you find yourself sailing on a ship that doesn’t charge daily gratuities or want to tip extra for stellar service, be sure to bring cash. There may also be a tip box next to the reception desk.

Do you have a favorite bartender or waiter in your boating? An additional tip paid early during your trip will go a long way to ensuring above-average service continues throughout your vacation. Please note that most cruise bar and spa treatment purchases automatically include gratuities ranging from 15% to 18%. It is not necessary to tip additionally unless you wish to do so.

Related: Can I eliminate prepaid gratuities on a cruise?

Tip flight attendants and airport employees

Generally, airline employees, such as flight attendants, cannot accept tips at work. However, airport staff members can do so.

One notable exception is Frontier Airlines, which has an onboard gratuity program.

Airline employee unions have fought against allowing flight attendants to accept tips, which may seem counterintuitive. However, labor laws allow employers to pay subminimum wages if employees are assumed to receive regular bonuses. Don’t feel insulted if flight attendants decline your offers of tips: They do it to protect their salaries.

Many airlines offer ways for passengers to recognize the services provided by flight attendants and other employees. This may have a more positive impact than the dollar tip you offered for your gin and tonic.

If you want to show your appreciation for a particularly friendly or helpful flight attendant, note that gifts such as snacks or cafeteria gift cards are accepted.

In a nutshell

It is often customary to tip when traveling, depending on where you are going, what service you receive, and the level of service provided.

Add this guide to your favorites for your next international trip.

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