In July I took a Trafalgar tour of Devon and Cornwall as an add-on to several days in London. The group was large with about 75% coming from Australia and New Zealand. They were a delightful group and fun to travel with. The rest were from the States, Canada, and one guy from South Africa.


On three occasions (the tour was only six days) different folks from “Down Under” brought up the subject of tipping to me (an American). I did not initiate any of these conversations. One gal – very sharp and widely traveled – cornered me on a foggy cruise of Plymouth Harbor. I don’t recall how the conversation began, but all of a sudden she was fiercely defending their “no tip” policy. I guess what bugged her is that the Trafalgar brochure had suggested a $3 per day person tip for the tour director (not sure about the driver).


She then described to me, in a very spirited voice, a 13 day tour she and her husband had taken in Turkey at the end of which the tour director gave out (supposedly numbered) envelopes for gratuities. Now I admit that is tacky and I have never seen this on any tour I have taken. What really peeved this gal was the fact that the tour director had said that although he was an engineer, he made more money in tourism. My new friend then recalled with relish that on the last day, the Aussies and Kiwis on this trip collected said envelopes and presented them to the tour director – empty. Later on our trip she mentioned to me in passing, “Oh I forgot to tell you that there is a new Princess cruise which absolutely forbids tipping.” Ok.


The subject came up another time when a gal from NZ became irate about the expectation of tipping and said, “A tour director is not a proper job. He only rides around on a bus all day.” Now no matter what you might think about tours, one thing is for certain – these guys earn their money. I then asked her, “Have you ever been on a tour before?” She replied, “No, but I know what’s right and wrong.”


I said no more, but another woman asked me, “What do think about tipping?” To which I replied, “I guess it’s a cultural thing.” Now many of these folks (again, great company) had travelled much more widely than I ever had. In fact several had come off 53 day cruises from Sydney to London. I find it hard to believe that after so many days at sea they would not tip some third world cabin attendant who had waited on them for that long a time.
Again, I did not bring this subject up. To each his own. But I did detect an accusatory note in these conversations as if these folks were trying to convince me that tipping is inappropriate. They seemed a bit defensive regarding their own view on the subject.

When in Rome…

I think that tour companies who advertise tours at a certain price should up front say that a certain percentage will be added on for service because the tour company only elicits help with the notion that they will depend on tips.

This IMO is reprehensive and an all=inclusive tour should be just that - all inclusive. Blame the tour company and not the Aussies IMO.

They are getting slave labour for doing duties they advertise as all inclusive - I'm with the folks from down under and if more folks followed their example the tour company would have to pay a decent wage for services offered.

Well I am from New Zealand and I tip depending on levels of service. If someone gives an excellent level of service I will make sure that I thank them for that by giving them good tips and good reviews. In fact, on the Globus tour of Italy I did recently, I had a prepaid gratuity and had others ( Canadian and American ) asking me what I thought was appropriate for a tip. It's true that in New Zealand and Australia no one gives tips, but that doesnt mean I wouldn't in America or Europe, or even Asia.

I was completely and totally impressed by the level of service offered by both our driver and our tour director on the Globus tour, and as I already had a prepaid gratuity, I wrote them both lovely letters of gratitude and even google translated them into Italian ( the driver didn't seem to understand more than basic English ), as well as giving them both five-star ratings on the surveys that they gave us to complete! I believe that everyone deserves acknowledgement for their skills, and if tipping is a good way to do that, then by all means, I will tip!

But the point is that tour companies do NOT pay these help and tell them up front their wages depend on tips - this is exploitation at the highest level = be up front and in the tour brochure say that a certain percentage will be added on to pay for the cost of tour guides.

Sorry latedayraveler but you approbation should IMO be directed against the tour company and not the clients who expect an all-inclusive tour. Did the tour brochure say that a certain percentage tip is expected? Seems you say it was.

That's why I always pretend I'm an Aussie. It helps me save tons of money and always within budget!

(tongue firmly in cheek there)

My son is a server in one of the top fine dining restaurants in town. We always feed the tip karma pool when it is appropriate.

Well as an Aussie, I am embarressed for those people on your tour.

Of course we tip for goodness sake, not in our own country, but when we travel if it is customary we do it.

Service people in Australia are paid a decent wage, so there is no need for mandatory tipping. That doesn't mean Aussies and Kiwis don't tip. If I travel to the USA I expect to tip, similarly with a cruise. Even in Australia if the service is excellent many people tip. The tourists on the Trafalgar tour were advised that a tip was necessary so they should have tipped. But let's face it all countries have their Bogans.

On some bulletin boards sponsored by tour companies, this debate czan get very heated. You read it all the time there. Personnel in the service industroy in Australia and New Zealand are paid a decent wage and so tipping is unnecessary. Then they don't read the fine points of the brochures and info they get before a tour and discover, in some cases it's their first trip out of their region of the world, that on a coach tour in Europe one is expected to tip the tour director and the coach driver. Then the argument veers into how much (Trafalgar used to suggest $4/day for the td and $2.50 a day for the coach driver.....then the argument was why would gratuity amounts be listed in USD for a European tour so they changed it to €4/day for the TD and €2.50/day for the coach driver...they wtill get $4 and $2.50 from me....if I have euro fine, it not they get it in USD (one of the few good uses for US $1 bank notes) or some combination thereof coming to $4/day and $2.50/day.

Of course, we all understand how much income, especially income they can hiude from the IRS, many in the service industroy say in Las Vegas can make on tipping......also I still consider 15% the proper tip at a restaurant in the USA (10% in the UK...0% - servoce omc;is om Framce ut there are many times I think the Ajussies and kiwis have it right!

Aussies do tip in their own country and overseas. I'm Australian and if we visit a restaurant in Australia, especially for an evening meal, we would tip 5-10% but certainly not all the time and not if the service is poor.

There seems to be this perception that Aussies don't tip. We do, typically in restaurants, but not all the time and only for good service. It's not expected and you won't get rude behaviour from waiters if you don't. And I like it that way.

However, we are not accustomed to tipping for other services and some of us feel uncomfortable about how to do it. I suspect if I ever make it to the USA I'll feel a bit intimidated about it.

To latedaytraveller, it may be that the people you had these conversations with didn't understand that the tour guides and drivers may not be paid a proper salary. And, as I said, Aussies sometimes feel uncomfortable with the etiquette of tipping outside of restaurants. That may make them defensive. But who really knows?

10-15% of cost of service is appropriate for good service

cheapskates worldwide though also abusers of the practice

who do not deliver quality service and expect to be tipped.

So it cuts both ways no easy answers I stick with my policy.

I also tip directly avoid "kittys" which never make it

to folks who need it.

The tour operator company should be paying their workers a decent and legal salary rather than rely on tourists to fund their lifestyle of their workers.

I agree with PalenQ.

In all fairness (or maybe unfairness), as we mentioned I've met many people from that region of the world on coach tours in Europe. For many, it's their first coach tour and they are assured by their travel agents oh the tours are great. Everything is prepaid. You just go with the flow.

Then on the first day, the tour director starts babbling about optional excursions and how wonderful they are and how nice it will be to go as a group. An extra €40 here, an extra €50 there (at least the AUD has appreciated greatly against the euro in the last few years so it isn't all that bad perhaps to them). Gee, nobody told me that. So right away, it's an extra €400 per person (of course the word optional means just that but it might be inconvenient not to take day time optionals).

Now it's the last day of the tour and the td sends the coach driver on some sort of errand and says something to the effect, I don't really care about myself (yes he or she does but how would it sound if he or she didn't phrase it that way?) but our coach driver really deserves some consideration and you can look in the literature you received for the suggested amount he deserves. Remember he packs the luggage each morning, he cleans the coach, he empties the coach each evening. He has to find a place to park the coach often in a coach park blocks away from the hotel. Just put the tip in an envelope with your name on it and I am sure he will appreciate it. (I've been on a bunch of tours and this is usually the way it's done)....

So you go to the literature and see the suggested tip is €4/day for the td and €2.50 for the coach driver. You should hear the grumbling the next day from so many who just weren't prepared for it and then the our way is better crowd takes over....as I said to me the proper tour remains what it has been i.e. $5/day US to the td and $2.50/day to the coach driver. Stick the equivalent in an envelope and that's that.

Wow, PalenQ, Irishwhistler (loved your recent TP with your grandmother) and others, thanks for your thoughtful replies.

To tell the truth, I did not read the Trafalgar brochure regarding tipping “suggestions,” but I know that gratuities were not included in the price. Guess I just taking tipping for granted. I have not cruised for some years, although I have been told that gratuities are being added in to many cruise offerings of late to which folks from everywhere often object. I can understand that.

Happy travels to all…

JFYI.. all tips are not hidden from the iRS in the USA service industry. Waiters' tips are taxed. The IRS watches carefully this industry and we as waiters/waitresses had to declare an average tip % on what the restaurant billed. We paid taxes on that if we were in the bracket. This may help explain why some waiters/waitresses get miffed and upset when they do not receive the expected tip.

I have no problem with tour companies that say in the brochure a cerrtain & service charge will be added or those that say a certain & service is expected as WE DO NOT PAY OUR STAFF - at least that is up front but to be confontred on the final day by a tour guide that does indeed depend on handouts that I object to - put it up front and even include it in the overall tour price or at least put it in BIG LETTERS that tipping is mandatory at the end of the trip.

This paying staff with tips is endemic in the tour industry, unfortunately - one wonders how the EU with all its workers protections allows this IMO scam.

Tipping protocall changes all the time. Many excellent restaurants pool all tips which are split out among the entire staff on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The server gets a higher cut, but the rest of the staff, e.g., bar tender, bus boys, hostess, etc also get a portion as a tip. It doesn't even matter much whether you tip in cash, or as a seperate line on your card. It all goes into the pool. State and Federal And payroll taxes (SS and Medicare) are all taken out. There is much less staff turnover at these places, because everyone ends up making a living wage. Now, if only it were enough to cover health insurance costs....

I feel sad that people aren't given appropriate knowledge about tipping of bus drivers, guides, etc on so-called all inclusive vacations. It is embarrassing to think you've paid for it all, only to discover that you need to pony up an additional $100 or more per person at the end of a trip. Another reeason I prefer to travel independently.

I do believe in "when in Rome" BUT if I'm in the States and I get naff service I don't tip (no matter how much they shout), not my fault or responsibility that American employers in the service industries get away with paying their employees less than they should. Time for the US to catch up with the rest of the world methinks.

Xyz123, you explained the situation well. Perhaps these folks thought that the trip was entirely “inclusive.” Regarding the optional extras, that is another matter of concern for many. I recall my first tour with a friend around 1998 on Munich-Prague-Budapest-Vienna circuit. (Loved all of those places!)

On the first day out, the tour director passed around a sheet with optional excursions and proceeded to explain each one. My friend and I were not prepared for this so we were a bit choosey. In the end we did them all because we figured, “What the heck, we won’t be back again this way perhaps.”

I must say that they were worth the price. I recall two: a moonlit cruise on the Danube in Budapest with all those lights and fabulous buildings, and an early morning visit to the magnificent Parliament Building before regular tour hours.


Many experienced folks prepare ahead and plan another less expensive activity for those times when an optional is offered.


I must say that the older, very experienced Trafalgar tour director on our Cornwall/ Devon jaunt this summer never referred, directly or indirectly, to gratuities, remunerations, or the “excellent driving” of the coach driver. There was no pressure as it should be.