Options
Tips for Tauck Director and Motor Coach driver
I am scheduled to take Grand New England on 9/26/2021. I am looking through the travel information now shown online instead of the “green” books. I am unable to find information about tips for the tour director and motor coach driver. Previous printed material showed a completely voluntary suggestion of $8/day for the tour director and $4/day for the motor coach driver. Anyone see any updated information about these voluntary tips?
0
Comments
I think it’s higher than that these days…but not been on a tour since December 2019, so I’m now forgetting specifics like that
I recall seeing that Tauck will now be sending tour specific info out by email instead of mailing the green books. Will probably come closer to the tour start date and cover such things as tipping suggestions.
It's been a while since we've been on a land tour, we've done Xmas Market Cruises most recently - but I was thinking all Tips/etc were already included? We haven't been on a land tour in MANY years, but will be doing the Dolomites/Oberammergau tour in 2022, so I'm glad this got brought back up.
Tips are included on river Cruises (wines and alcohol too) but not land trips. I do not remember the suggested amount of tips but it will be in the Tauck pre-trip materials.
Was that a while ago? My last couple of green books (pre-Covid) suggested $10/day for the TD and I think $5 for the driver -- but the driver depends on the tour. Some are there for just a couple of days; others, for most, if not all of the tour. And NancyCohen is correct -- the land tours differ from the river cruises, where the TD's tips are included. I do mostly land tours, though I did do a Christmas Markets river cruise in Dec. 2019.
I still have my green book from my last land tour in Sep 2018. The suggested gratuity at that time was $10 per day for the tour director and $4 per day for the driver. I have always exceeded that amount, especially for the driver, based on my overall satisfaction with the service.
Grand New England was my first Tauck tour; I have been a loyal customer since. Have a marvelous trip!
I am leaving next week for the "Legends of the American West" tour. The materials I got recently suggest tips of $10 per day for the tour director and $7 per day for the driver (per traveler). Not sure if this is the same for all US tours. I am doing a Greek Islands cruise in August but the tips are included in the fare. I am also doing land tours in September (Northern Italy) and October (New England) so I will be curious to see if the suggested tips are the same for every tour.
Of course, as an additional comment on the previous mention of drivers who may or may not be with you for the whole trip, you can just apply the driver tip per diem to those days that the driver is with you. We also include any transit days where you may be on a train or alternate transportation while the driver is moving the bus to keep up with you to include delivering your bags to the next hotel.
As I imagine most would do, we add to the suggested amount when the TD or driver renders better than average service.
I've been on trips where where drivers change every few days (eg., Scandinavia), and the TD has announced that he would take care of tipping the drivers.
I normally tip $10.00 daily to driver if it is the same one all through the trip- 10-12-13 day tours , they do a lot.... the luggage, keeping bus clean , our safety etc..
If they change drivers in every city but are with the group around 4 days then $5. and if it is a daily driver, I just let Tauck tip them.
The TD I do 12 daily, if the TD is exceptional then I do $15. I know of 2!
Normally Tauck takes care of the Tips, travelers only tip the TD for sure and drivers if you like.
The ‘rules’ for each tour regarding tipping can vary quite a bit. Always be sure to check your tour details to be sure.
When we are on tour, we quite often get asked when is the best time to do the tipping….it’s usually at the farewell dinner, but I’ve know people ask me after the dinner has occurred and we may not be seeing the TD again. The TD will usually give a big hint such as….This is the last time we will be seeing so and so….
There’s also discussion about what currency to tip in……when you think of the hundreds of dollars the TD will receive on one tour, it’s pretty obvious they will be going to a bank quite a lot. It’s much easier to exchange money in other countries compared to in the US, where we find we can only go to certain banks in the area to do so, or have to order currency.
Just received our digital green book for Switzerland and the recommended tips were $10 for the TD and $7 for the driver.
Claudia Sails - I'd love to hear about the new digital books. Are they basically just like the spiral books, but basically in email form? I totally get it and agree with the digital format, but at the same time, I loved those books they sent us.
We got an email with the subject line "Important Pre-Departure Tour Documents" with a link you clicked that opened a PDF to download. About 23 pages in all. You can save, print all/portions, etc. And yes, the content was pretty much the same as the old green books. It didn't have some of the stuff like info on the photo contest, motor coach seating, voltage, cell phones, etc. It didn't include our air itinerary which was emailed separately. It did have the covid specific requirements like CDC vaccine card. I noticed a couple of itinerary changes from earlier versions - a dinner moved to a different night and a museum visit that isn't listed (museum might be closed).
It's not bad. Could be formatted to make printing take up less paper - a fair amount of white space on most pages. Handy if you want to add some notes but not if you're trying to reduce bulk.
Our next trip in three weeks is a small boat excursion so all tips are included except for the ‘boat’ people. But, Ponant does not require or expect tips. They have an ‘urn’ somewhere near where you exit where you can drop tips if so inclined. We have done three Tauck small ship trips, but I’ve forgotten how we handled it. We always tip the ‘special’ Windstar people extra, and they automatically add the tips to your bill.
We are scheduled for the Jordan/Petra/Egypt tour starting Aug.29. We received the email version of the Green Book. $10 a day is suggested for the tour director. Coach drivers and all others will be taken care of by Tauck.
$10 per day per person for TD is what we have done for our tours.Never gave anything for coach drivers;Again that is the minimum.Sometimes TDs go out of the way to help with special requests such as vegetarian meals for us anywhere we go;then we add some more.The local,guides in each place sometimes deserve tips even though Tauck takes care of them.
Sudhamali, were you on tours that specifically did not include tipping for the coach driver?
Claudia I've been on 19 Tauck tours, the only tours I know of where tipping for the coach driver is not required are the river cruises or land tours when we visited different cities or countries where we had different drivers.
Claudia Sails:We have been on tours abroad(VCT,China,Japan,Africa,Iceland)went to different cities;coach drivers were so many ;TD told us that Tauck will handle them;there was also the currency issue so we did not bother to tip.
I think you were misinformed or did not read your paperwork sudhamali. Quite a few tours you tip the drivers. Also, no one minds being paid in dollars, they are about the easiest currency to exchange on the planet
British - I still have my green book from my London/Paris trip 2015 and it says $8 per traveler per day for the Tauck Director and then “all other service gratuities, including those for local guides, motor coach driver(s), hotel bellmen and restaurant staff, have been included in the price of your journey.” My upcoming Switzerland trip does mention suggestions for both the TD and the driver so we will have envelopes for both ready.
Our 2017 England Scotland Wales tour had the standard green book entry about tipping - $8/per day TD and $4/per day for the driver. However, our driver for Day 1 (Stirling Castle) and Day 2 Edinburgh tour was Scottish and the TD said that the driver who would be with us for the rest of the tour was English. Also, that the TD would take care of tipping the Scottish driver. Which brings up an interesting point - was that out of Tauck funds or should we have reimbursed the TD? We try to be fair and generous but then wonder on things like that - along with situations like "what if you don't see the coach driver at all on Day 1 and the departure day"? Do you include that in the day count? All of our drivers have been amazing - helpful, courteous. Not to mention the skill it takes to negotiate some of the incredibly narrow routes.
British you are correct about the currency issue;I am aware $ is always welcome anywhere.But tipping other people involved in the tour other than TD was totally optional and not required according to Tauck.Don’t remember others on our tour doing it either.
I seriously doubt there are many instances where the TD must pay for something out of pocket. They have a fund that covers contingencies and lagniappes. If there is a situation where they must pay out of pocket they can likely file a voucher for reimbursement.
As to tipping. First, technically no tip is mandatory for TD's, drivers, etc. unless included in the cost of the trip (then you have no choice.) I'm sure there have been some, but I have never personally met someone who did not tip the TD and driver when applicable. The website and e-Green Book provide "suggested tipping guidance for most tours that specify who, if and how much. It is up to the traveler whether to follow the guidance. Tauck typically handles temporary drivers (Amalfi Coast, etc.)
Like Claudia said, what is less clear is how to count days, especially for the TD and when the regular driver is relieved for a day or two mid-tour. (We experienced that on several tours- Best of Ireland was one). In that case, Tauck typically tips the relief driver.
Again, like many tipping situations, let your conscience and largesse be your guide.
Usually at the end of the trip, the TD announces when guests will ‘say goodbye’ to the bus driver - as a cue for those who wish to offer a gratuity.
Having traveled with Tauck since at least 2003, it really does vary with each tour as to whether it is necessary to tip the driver. Sometimes that information is buried deeply in the paper work or green book and sometimes it’s buried in the website page for your tour. Until a couple of years ago, the usual tip for the TD was &8 a day per person but now and certainly on our last tour in December 2019, it was $10. The driver tip also went up. I have never been on a tour where the TD has not told us when we will be last seeing our driver as a big hint when to give a tip. Those people who think that drivers have a day off, please consider that their days are possibly longer than anyone on the tour. They have to go and get gas, wash the bus and keep it clean, keep it supplied with water and so on. Some drivers have been excellent ensuring they are there to help people with a guiding hand every time we get off the bus. If there are more than one driver encountered on the tour, the TD will make it clear.
I can’t believe people are nit picking about whether they see drivers some days or not. And that comes from someone who just hates the tipping systems in the US. But I do always tip the going rate in the US. I believe I read that the area of the country we live in is a high tipping area.
We tend to tip the prescribed amount for the TD and driver if tipping is suggested and not covered by Tauck. To keep it simple we put the TD's tip and the driver's tip into envelopes before we even leave the states. It usually is something like $10/day/person for TD and $7/day/person for the driver. We use the number of days listed on the website for the tour for this calculation, even though the first and last days hardly include anything. This makes it very easy when time to give the tip, no scrambling for ATMs, no determining the number of days, etc. We assume that both the TD and driver will do a sufficient job to warrant a tip. Thus far, that has been the case. If anything this approach might provide a slightly higher per day tip amount that what is suggested.
I agree with Nancy. If the TD is doing their job correctly then they will announce in sufficient time so that everyone is prepared, has the tip with them, when the appropriate time to tip the driver would be.
The TD’s carry huge amounts of cash around with them to pay all manner of people on the tours Hasn't anyone seen them handing money over to local guides? We certainly have many times. Tauck makes it clear that Tauck handles almost all tipping on the tours unless they expressly say differently on a tour. We all pay for this up front for the price of a tour. I hear they tip generously. Years ago, I had a TD tell everyone that bus drivers are lining up to do regular tours with Tauck because we are good tippers