A Deep Dive Into Tipping While Traveling

Plenty of people know that tipping is customary as a way of thanking people for their services. From restaurants and hotels to transportation and tours, there are plenty of occasions where it's only fitting to leave a little extra. How much should you leave behind for waiters, taxi drivers, housekeeping, and all the other workers who provide us with excellent service, though?

The truth is that it differs between jobs, with some services requiring a larger tip than others. This can make it a little confusing to know what to give everyone, increasing the chances of accidentally causing offense. Luckily, we're here to take a deep dive into tipping while traveling, so you know exactly what to pay every step of the way.

Various drivers and attendants deserve a tip for helping you out

With the United States being as big as it is, there's no shortage of ways to get around on vacation. Plenty of people like to go on a classic road trip and drive around themselves. However, others prefer a quicker mode of transportation, such as flying. In this instance, you may require an airport shuttle driver, who you should reportedly tip $2 to $5 after you arrive. Anyone in a wheelchair who travels via public transport may require an attendant to help them get around. These people are also worth tipping, with the recommendation being between $3 and $5. Once you're actually at your destination, you may need help getting around if you didn't drive there yourself. In such instances, a taxi can be useful, and you should reportedly pay the driver 15 - 20% of the fare once the journey is over.

Hotels have many different people you'll want to consider tipping

While hotels are great places to stay in on vacation, it's worth noting how many different people you may have to tip when you go to one. For starters, there's the front desk clerk, who you may wish to tip up to $20 for a potential upgrade. Then, there's room service, who you should leave between 15-20% when they deliver the food. It's always advisable to pay between $2 and $5 to housekeeping every day for keeping your room in order. Plus, if there's a butler, you should give them 5% of your nightly room rate at the end of your vacation. Other people worth tipping include the doorman - $1 or $2 for hailing a cab - the bellhop - $2 to $5 per bag - and the valet - $2 to $5 for dropping off or picking up your car. Finally, you might wish to give the concierge between $10 and $50, depending on how good their service is.

Tips are essential for waiters and waitresses working at restaurants

In contrast to hotels, restaurants have very few people that you need to worry about tipping. That's probably a good thing, though, especially if you plan on eating out regularly while you're on vacation. Generally speaking, it's advised that you leave a tip amounting to 20% of the cost of your meal for whoever served you. Many waiters and waitresses rely on these tips for their salaries, which is why it's so important to leave this money when you pay your bill. Someone else you might wish to tip at a restaurant is the bartender, especially if you order beverages that require a lot of preparation. A few dollars per drink is advised in this situation.

You should also leave something extra for tour guides and drivers

While on vacation, you may decide to embark on a tour to try and get a better idea of the place you're staying in. If so, you'll want to put enough money aside to leave a tip for both your tour guide and driver. For the former, you should apparently leave between 10% and 20% of the total cost of the tour. Meanwhile, it's advised that you pay the driver an additional $5 to $10 for every person in your party. The tipping guidelines might be different if your tour is a multi-day one, but companies will typically inform you of this after you've completed your booking.

Rules about tipping differ from one country to another

It's worth noting that all of these tipping guidelines only count for traveling in the United States. Each country has its own views on tipping, so applying what you've learned here to everywhere you visit could work against you. For instance, countries like China, Japan, and South Korea apparently consider tipping to be rude. So, while you might leave behind money with good intentions, it won't necessarily be seen that way. Moreover, other countries don't tend to tip as much as the US, with the UK only expecting 10% to 15% for wait staff in restaurants. Sometimes, this will be added on as a service charge, so you don't even need to think about how much extra to pay.

Traveling can get pretty expensive when you factor in the number of people worth tipping. However, if everyone offers unforgettable service, it's hard to deny them that little extra money they deserve.