Included gratuities on family tours

SCH78

My children and I are doing our first Tauck tour — Cowboy Country — next month. The gorgeous backpacks have arrived and we are very excited! I have read in various places that the family tours are unique in including gratuities for tour directors, drivers, etc. I was hoping for some expert feedback on whether guests really do “leave it at that” or whether there is an unwritten expectation to give something personally at the end — if so, guidelines on how much? Thank you!!

British

We are Tauck veterans but recently took our first Bridges tour. There is absolutely no expectation to give any extra money to the TD. We had an excellent TD but I was thinking with 45 people on the tour, the largest land tour group we have ever come across, it must be a very profitable tour to lead. To add an extra $90 a day for nine of us to what we paid for the tour, that’s a lot. If you love your TD and think they went over and above and you have plenty of money, then give whatever you want but I’m saving money for our family tour next year. Also, to have to carry around such a huge sum of money in cash when otherwise, for anything else we just used credit cards which are safer, that is another consideration.