Best Of

Assuming the TD does not have a merchant account to directly accept a credit card payment, any cc payment would then have to be processed through Tauck and then forwarded to the TD. Some of the issues: Who takes the hit on the transaction fee (Tauck or the TD); Who takes the hit on any currency conversion fee, if there is one; Does the TD have concerns if Tauck knows how much they are getting in tips from some guests; Does a guest care if Tauck knows how much they are tipping? I'm sure there are other potential issues. I understand the concern with carrying around that much cash for a few weeks, but you can always go to a local ATM in the last days and withdraw the cash for the tips in the local currency.

Funny story about a tip we gave a British based TD on the Scandinavia tour. We tipped him in US$ as I'm sure most everyone else on the tour did. The day after the tour ended he went back home and the Brexit vote happened. Those US$ were now worth about 30% more to him.

We are recent converts to Tauck after many Rick Steves tours. We greatly appreciate the upgraded accommodations, the generally good food, the included transfers, luggage handling. But, what we strongly dislike is the tipping policy. On RS tours no tipping is permitted. I’ve seen folks try to tip when the guide has gone above and beyond and they are told the company does not permit it. The guides and drivers are well paid and many of these excellent people have been with RS for a very long time. Now, with a much more upscale tour company, we get to carry a boatload of cash which is never safe (clothes with hidden zippers to carry $1000? Please!) ATM’s are an option for emergent cash needs but since credit cards are so widely accepted, that almost never occurs. Using an ATM abroad has always been a bit anxiety provoking as my wife keeps watch for muggers and I hope the machine does not eat my card. And how many withdrawals over how many days would suffice for these amounts? Tauck makes a point of telling you that these tips are a major part of the employees compensation. This is plain wrong. Tauck: pay these people better, include tips, raise your prices accordingly. And be done with this. If folks want to tip for services above and beyond, so be it.

The required amount of cash is getting pretty high, especially for a couple. As the crooks of the world start to realize that tour travelers may be carrying large mounts of cash just so they can tip, it seems like they may become more attractive targets for those said crooks.

An aside, I understand tipping for the TD because they oftentimes have to do special/different things for various people on the tour on an individual/couple basis, but the bus driver, I don’t get that. Isn’t it their job to drive the bus safely for the entire tour. It’s not like they are making special runs on the bus for various people. It’s exactly the same for the entire group. For the case of the driver, because of the nature of the job it doesn’t seem appropriate to tip.

Next up, will we see airline pilots standing by the exit door with their hat out expecting a tip as we deplane. I don’t see how the bus driver is any different than an airline pilot. There is no special/individual/unique service provided by a bus driver to different members of the tour. The exact service they provide is simply doing their job for the entire tour.

I don’t think tipping bus drivers makes sense.

The paradigm of moving more and more things to where a tip is expected or at least requested seems wrong to me.

Ok, then it’s time to see if we can pay via credit card or maybe that way after we return home. It’s too much cash to carry around. And no, I’m not going ot Venmo. Or wouldn’t it be easier to raise tour prices (again) so TD’s can get better pay.