Your travel documents will state a general range for the tour director and driver tips. I'm not 100% sure they are the same for every tour however, so you would want to review them (e.g. cruises may be different than land tours). For the tours I've been on I think it's somewhere in the range of $5 - $8 USD a day for the tour director and $3 - $5 USD a day for the driver.
When I went on the London/Paris tour in April, I called Tauck in advance (because all of my prior trips had been in the US and Canada) and they said that the tour directors live in the US at least part of the year so you can either tip them in US dollars, which they will use at home, or in the currency of the country you visit, and they will use it for incidentals on the rest of their tours. The drivers are usually local, so you would probably want to tip them in the currency where they live, because if you tip them in dollars, they would have to pay a conversion fee...unless you wanted to overtip a little to make up for it. I figured it wasn't their fault the dollar is so weak against their currencies.
The biggest thing is if you are travelling outside of the US, you need to keep the conversion rate in mind. The dollar was very weak to the British pound and pretty weak against the Euro when I was there. The day before I left, I printed out the conversion rate for both currencies as of that date, and used it as a guide for what I left for a tip. I figured out what I wanted to leave in USD and then figured out what it would be in the other currency. I tipped the Tour Director in both the leftover funds I had in pounds, and added a little more USD because it wasn't quite enough. I tipped the Londdon driver in pounds and the French driver in Euros.
I estimated what I would need and got cash before I left because it's way too expensive to convert at those airport currency exchanges. You really do need some cash for small incidentals. You can also get money at an ATM, which is probably about the same as the conversion rate at the bank before you leave. They all charge fees...it's just whether you pay up front before you leave or once you're there.
I have more tipping questions. I'm going on the Alpine Interlude tour next month. I have received the tipping guide for the Tauck tour director and driver. However, I will be arriving a few days early, spending extra nights in the hotel and eating in restaurants. What is the customary tip for (1) the driver from the airport to the hotel (arranged by Tauck), (2) cabs (3) hotel housekeeping and (4) restaurant meals? (In the States, I usually tip 20% in restaurants and $5 per person per night for the hotel housekeepers.) I have read in Fodor's that it is a good idea to tip in restaurants in cash, even if you pay for the meal by credit card. Thank you for your help.
The only question I can answer for sure (I think) is about the tip for the driver that Tauck has arranged. I called Tauck and was told that the gratuity for the drivers that Tauck uses to pick up their guests is paid for by Tauck regardless of when you arrive. They told me the same thing when I went to Canada in 2009 and when I went on the London-Paris tour this past April. Each time I arrived one or two days early. I even double-checked with the driver in London and he said I didn't need to worry about it...that it was included.
As for the extra nights in the hotel, I tipped housekeeping what I usually would at home, except in their own currency, not USD. Since I was in London,I tipped in pounds.
As for meals, tipping in Europe was a little tough to figure out, and I don't think I ever did it correctly. At home I usually tip 20% too. Sometimes the restaurant added on a service charge, which I assumed was a tip, so I didn't leave anything extra. However, once I started the tour, the Director gave us a list of helpful hints and she said that usually that "service charge" goes to the restaurant and not to the wait staff. So I undertipped for the meals I had before the tour started. However, I wouldn't have known what to tip on because of the added charge. You might want to talk to the concierge at your hotel when you arrive to see what the local custom is.
As for cash vs. credit cards, even wait staff in the US prefers cash, because they don't have to wait for the restaurant to process it. I still usually tip cash when I pay cash and add to my credit card when I charge it because it's easier. I did the same thing in London and Paris when I was on my own, especially because then the conversion would have been taken into account.
All of our documents state that tipping is included in our purchase price. Other cruise lines do not include tipping in their price. Has anyone been on a Tauck cruise and tipped?
It is true, Tauck takes care of all tipping for the services you receive while on tour, including airport pick-up and delivery for departure. The general guidance is that you may tip additional if you personally feel you have received exceptional service and would like to give a tip.
to beanim,
Cruise lines I have been on that have all the tips included are Silversea and Seabourn. Crystal cruises will now include all tipping. On the two Tauck cruises I took, tipping was included. I prefer this method.
Comments
Your travel documents will state a general range for the tour director and driver tips. I'm not 100% sure they are the same for every tour however, so you would want to review them (e.g. cruises may be different than land tours). For the tours I've been on I think it's somewhere in the range of $5 - $8 USD a day for the tour director and $3 - $5 USD a day for the driver.
When I went on the London/Paris tour in April, I called Tauck in advance (because all of my prior trips had been in the US and Canada) and they said that the tour directors live in the US at least part of the year so you can either tip them in US dollars, which they will use at home, or in the currency of the country you visit, and they will use it for incidentals on the rest of their tours. The drivers are usually local, so you would probably want to tip them in the currency where they live, because if you tip them in dollars, they would have to pay a conversion fee...unless you wanted to overtip a little to make up for it. I figured it wasn't their fault the dollar is so weak against their currencies.
The biggest thing is if you are travelling outside of the US, you need to keep the conversion rate in mind. The dollar was very weak to the British pound and pretty weak against the Euro when I was there. The day before I left, I printed out the conversion rate for both currencies as of that date, and used it as a guide for what I left for a tip. I figured out what I wanted to leave in USD and then figured out what it would be in the other currency. I tipped the Tour Director in both the leftover funds I had in pounds, and added a little more USD because it wasn't quite enough. I tipped the Londdon driver in pounds and the French driver in Euros.
I estimated what I would need and got cash before I left because it's way too expensive to convert at those airport currency exchanges. You really do need some cash for small incidentals. You can also get money at an ATM, which is probably about the same as the conversion rate at the bank before you leave. They all charge fees...it's just whether you pay up front before you leave or once you're there.
Sorry if this is more than you wanted to know...
As for the extra nights in the hotel, I tipped housekeeping what I usually would at home, except in their own currency, not USD. Since I was in London,I tipped in pounds.
As for meals, tipping in Europe was a little tough to figure out, and I don't think I ever did it correctly. At home I usually tip 20% too. Sometimes the restaurant added on a service charge, which I assumed was a tip, so I didn't leave anything extra. However, once I started the tour, the Director gave us a list of helpful hints and she said that usually that "service charge" goes to the restaurant and not to the wait staff. So I undertipped for the meals I had before the tour started. However, I wouldn't have known what to tip on because of the added charge. You might want to talk to the concierge at your hotel when you arrive to see what the local custom is.
As for cash vs. credit cards, even wait staff in the US prefers cash, because they don't have to wait for the restaurant to process it. I still usually tip cash when I pay cash and add to my credit card when I charge it because it's easier. I did the same thing in London and Paris when I was on my own, especially because then the conversion would have been taken into account.
It is true, Tauck takes care of all tipping for the services you receive while on tour, including airport pick-up and delivery for departure. The general guidance is that you may tip additional if you personally feel you have received exceptional service and would like to give a tip.
Cruise lines I have been on that have all the tips included are Silversea and Seabourn. Crystal cruises will now include all tipping. On the two Tauck cruises I took, tipping was included. I prefer this method.