gettysburg63

I'm leaving next month to go on a private, solo tour through Lady Egypt. I will be on the tour for 12 days. Could anyone who's went on a similiar tour advise how much you tipped your guide and driver each day? This is my second trip to Egypt, but traveling with a group before.

Thanks for any info. you can provide...

sandi

No reason to tip differently as a solo than when with a group. Unless for some reason when with the group, you reduced the amount of your tips.

There are many threads on this board re: "tipping" - but I tip the same regardless, based on the service provided.

Generally, $10/day = guide; $5/day = driver. $1/per bag = porters; $2-3/day = housekeeping/maid; $5/day = waiters, chefs, kitchen staff.

gettysburg63

Thanks for your info., Sandy. Did you tip in American currency or in Egyptian pounds?

Axel2DP

LE should've emailed you information about your trip and one of the information sheet should be tip cheet sheet. If not then you should get one in your welcoming packet when you arrive in Egypt.

It's always best to tip in Egyptian L.E.

sf7307

When we did a private tour for six people with LadyEgypt, on the first morning ("orientation"), they gave us the choice of doing the tipping ourselves, or just paying a set amount in advance to cover all tips. We chose the latter option, and it worked out great. I haven't heard of anyone else being given then choice though!

justshootme

LE didn't email me any information about tipping, nor was there anything in the welcome package or was I given a prepay option like sf7307. However, the first day when I was picked up from the airport at Cairo my rep told me about tipping and his suggested amounts for each service, his suggestions were absurd, needless to say I didn't follow the reps advice.

I'd tip in local currency.

sf7307

justshootme, how much did the "recommendations" differ from sandi's suggestions (above)?

FWIW, we were with our driver and guide about 7 days. I think (but don't quote me on this) the "prepaid" tip was about $50 per person, or $300 total. If we followed Sandi's guidelines, we would have tipped the tour guide and driver $15.00 per day per person, which would have come to $630.00 (6 people, 7 days, $15.00 per day per person), and that wouldn't even have included porters, etc.

justshootme

sf7307, it's possible your rep just made you prepay to pocket some if not all the tips himself/herself. Just a thought, please don't take it the wrong way. How do you know the tips went to your drivers/guides, etc. I am a firm believer that I should tip directly to the people I want to to be sure they receive the funds.

As for my reps suggestions, his were more than double sandi's recommendations. I don't remember all of the numbers but I do remember some, these are quoted in Egyptian pounds (US$1 = about 5 EGP when I was in Egypt):- guide, 150-200 per day, porters 20-30 per bag, rep (ie, himself) 100-200 per day. Don't remember the amounts for the driver and nothing was said of restaurant wait staff, Nile cruise staff, etc.

sf7307

justshootme, I knew someone would think that a possibility, however, both our tour guide and driver were present when the rep made the "offer", so I sincerely doubt it happened that he pocketed any of the money.

Axel2DP

<<How do you know the tips went to your drivers/guides, etc. >>

The tips for the guides, drivers and reps, I personally handed it to them.

I did have a question/concern regarding tips for the hotel staff. My guide told me to put the money in an envelope and give it to the front desk person when I check out of my hotel. When I gave the envelope to the clerk at the Luxor hotel and told him it was for the staff, he peaked into the envelope right in front of me and then had sort of a half smile on his face. I had concerned right then and asked him "The money will go to the staff, correct?" He nodded, but I still felt uneasy about it when I left the hotel. I don't think all the amount, if any, made it to the staff. I should probably have just left the tip on the desk in the room.

MissGreen

I previously asked Amanda for my "Egypt Welcome Guide/Info" and she emailed this to me. I am pretty sure it was the same info that was on the Lady Egypt website. I have just now asked for the same thing with Jordan.

In Australia we rarely tip so I have no treal idea. I figured I was going to leave housekeeping their tip on my bedside table like I do in the US or the pillow.

In restaurants, should you give your waiter something individually then pay the bill? I'm like the others who mentioned it here, I'd like to know that the folks doing the hard work get the tip. Thanks.

sandi

Even for housekeepers, who change daily and by the hour... busy hotels have them working 24/hrs... I always leave the tip on the desk/table in the room. Never at the front desk, which I can assure you the person/s for whom it was meant would never receive.

By leaving it in the room, whomever is the next housekeeper to change bedding and freshen the room, gets it and that's fine with me. One rarely sees the housekeeping person. But if/when I do, have no problem handing the person a few $$$.

The only group tour I ever did, I tipped the guide/driver the same as if I had been on a private tour. And, from what I was able to determine, so too did the others on our tour. Otherwise, can't say how pooled tips would work or what amounts.

Casual_Cairo

One thing that needs to be made real clear to those that are new to Egypt is that there will be a 12% or 15% "service charge" frequently added to your bill (restaurants, hotels, etc). THIS IS NOT A TIP!! Please remember this. An American man that was working in Finance at the Sheraton Hotels once told me that only about 40% of this 15% tax is designated to go back to employees. The thing is that even that 40% is divided up among ALL employees - many managers and others that you'll never see take their share of that 40%.

Please keep this in mind when eating at 5* restaurants and wondering if you should leave an additional tip or not.

Also if you are putting this on a credit card, do know that there is no place on the receipt to add a tip to your credit card. You need to leave cash. Either EGP or USD or EUR will be accepted as long as it is NOT COIN. Thank you.

gpotvin

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