Tipping tour guides
 

What's an appropriate amount to tip a guide and driver in China? Does it vary by city (we're doing the normal tourist cities.) Tour consists of wife & me and a series of guides and drivers (CITS, but booked through my company's Beijing office).

Some posts from a few years ago said not to tip, but I thought things might have changed in the past few years?

Also, what currency would they prefer?

There's no change. There is no tipping in China. You agree a price for services and that's the price you pay. CITS, you can be quite sure, is already overcharging you considerably. Your guides will take you to restaurants where they or CITS get kick-backs and will resist taking you to any others. They will get a return of around 40% on any shopping you do in places they take you (and you would be unwise to take their advice on such matters). Even if there were any tradition of tipping in China, which there isn't, it would not be appropriate in this case.

There is no use for any currency other than Chinese RMB Yuan in mainland China, and any vendor who suggests you pay in hard currency is almost certainly cheating you, and is far too familiar with dealing with gullible tourists.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

I agree that tipping is still not a custom in China, despite the fact that many tourists do it because they feel guilty not to.

If you want to bring something nice for your guides and drivers, you could bring something that they would likely enjoy. They would probably like something from your home state/country. My Chinese collegues really like knick-knack sorts of things. English language books for young children might also be appreciated - if they don't have a child they're sure to know someone who does who will like the gift.

Please don't tip the Chinese tour guides!!!!!! Bear in mind that if you ask CITS they will not only tell you to tip and how much is "suggested" but they may even go as far a suggesting non-local currency.

Although I have had good experiences with CTS personally, Peter is correct in that they really over charge folks who don't know better and I suspect that my personal experiences were in large part positive as I am very used to the Chinese negotiation game and know better than to get completely fleeced.

Bear in mind that its hard not to get overcharged if you don't know the way things work as the "discount prices" CITS will show you are typically so much better than what you find in places like the websites of the Chinese hotels or airlines.

There is very much a double (if not triple) standard for the prices of products and services in China....lets just call them

1- the "full price I didn't know better standard" (much like paying sticker price for a car in the US)

2- the "I didn't pay the going rate price, I got a discount" level - good start, you are probably still paying too much, just not as much to much. If you are a "round eye" who doesn't speak any of the local language(s) you can only get the price down so much. Note that non-local chinese end up in the same situtation as often as not

3 - the "I'm a local" price. The price that the local (or a very savy - think Peter N_H - traveller with an exceptional grasp of how to work the local system) would pay.

For many of us from around the world most of the rates in China (even the highest rates) may seem very reasonable compared to what you'd pay at home so it's easy to feel like you've gotten a "deal" but remember that the only way to really evaluate what kind of deal you have is to understand what a local would pay for the same goods or services.

If you are not yet tired of reading my thoughts please also see another recent "tipping" post response.....http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;dirtyBit=1

Keep in mind that China is one of the most capitalistic society in the world right now. Everybody wants to make money. I think when you hire a tour guide, you need to find out if "mandatory shopping" is part of the deal. It might not be a problem with just you and your wife, but with larger groups, that's becoming a major nuiance. Everyday, they have to bring you to various shops and waste your precious sightseeing time in order to get their commission. Maybe those shops are interesting to you, maybe not.

I'd find out if that's part of the "deal". If you don't want to waste your sightseeing times, you may want to renegotiate; for a tourist with a tight schedule, it might be worth the extra cost.

Consensus appears to be against tipping. That certainly simplifies things.

I have no doubt we're paying a premium. To me, that's the price of convenience.

>>CITS will show you are typically so much better than what you find in places like the websites of the Chinese hotels or airlines. >>

We're mainly staying in Western chains (Hyatt, Marriott, etc.). For the most part, it was cheaper to book through the hotel web site, or use my firm's corporate rates, than CITS.

>>I think when you hire a tour guide, you need to find out if "mandatory shopping" is part of the deal>>

We have written assurances that there will be no shopping, for whatever that's worth.

>>for a tourist with a tight schedule>>

We have spent a large amount of time negotiating the itinerary.

We have just returned from a month long trip to china- 12 days with CITS on an escorted tour--the rest of time on our own. After researching tipping policy on this website we chose not to tip guides or drivers. I was amazed at amount some people tipped especially americans- On our 4 day beijing tour on which there were about 30 people I saw 4 american ladies tip the guide 50.00us each and a separate amount to driver. Doctors in China only earn about 400 to 450.00us per month so I find this tipping practice outrageous. I asked why they tipped the driver and they replied that he did a good job taking us to tourist sites and waiting for us and I replied - is that not his job. We asked the manager of a beautiful 4 star hotel in hanzghou the tipping policy and she looked surprised and replied that they do not accept tips- there were very few non-chinese at this hotel
We were taken to numerous factories which I found very tedious although a lot of people purchased numeous items. I did my shopping while we travelled on our own. I guess the cheaper the tour the more museums/factories you visit. Our tour was quite cheap-707us all inclusive staying in 5stars hotels and 3 domestic flights( international flight excluded). We really enjoyed travelling on our own and it was quite challenging at times with the language and getting our destination written in characters for taxis. Travelling with a tour group is fine for seeing all the sites but there is no interaction with the local people at all and touts are extremely aggressive around tour buses.
The last 5 days of our trip my husband developed an infection in his leg and the hotel sent us to a hospital in Shanghai with an interpreter. They gave him iv antibiotics as an out patient for 3 days. I was shocked at the conditions in the hospital- it was like a scene from 1920 but the treatment was the correct one. I should have had more information on what to do and where to go in case of illness. I m sure there must be modern hospitals with some english spoken in the big cities.This is one of the disadvantages of travelling on your own but all worked out well and we had a great trip.