Inexperienced travelers seeking B&B and guide etiquette
 

My husband I are taking our first trip to England and Wales...and we're in our 70s. When we stay at a B&B, are we supposed to make our bed when we leave for the day? The B&B provides breakfast and dinner and guided day trips. We have already paid in advance their full fee. Should we tip as well? Also, for the second part of our trip we have hired a private tour guide. He quoted a set rate that we will pay in cash when we join him. He made all of our hotel reservations and planned out our itinerary. Should we also tip him, or is it not required since he's the owner/operator and sets his fee. We want to do the right thing but are so unsure of things. Thank you so much for your advice.

Hi CopperKat,
When we stay at B&Bs I straighten up a bit, including the bed, before we leave for the day. It is not required though. I am just used to doing it at home. The host comes in during the day to clean up and really make up the bed and clean the bathroom. We never tipped our B&B hosts during any of our stays. We never did guided trips in Europe so I cannot comment on that. Happy planning.

No need to make your bed nor is there any need to tip at a B&B. You might want to tip a bit for the guided day trips, and I usually tip private tour guides. B&B's generally do not expect tips, but tipping the other services is certainly exceptable and welcomed.

I would answer "No" to all your questions, especially if you're dealing with owner/operators directly - it's not as though you're being served by people whose earnings are dictated by some intermediary, and I don't think anyone would be offended by the idea that you've already paid for the service (including bed-making). But on your guided tours, you might buy the guide a drink or a meal as an act of friendliness.

Hello CopperKat

Staying in a B&B is a cross between being in an acquaintance's's home and staying in a hotel. Absolutely no tips are required, just be as considerate as you obviously are and treat your hosts as if they were real people too!

If your tour guide is actually taking you around, I think a tip plus meals/wine is probably expected. If he has just organised the trip for you to pursue on your own, then not, as he no doubt makes a commission on hotels etc.

Tarquin (who runs a B&B in Lincolnshire)

No tips at B&Bs. A <i>possible</i> exception is if you are taking evening meal there and they bring in outside wait staff. Then a <u>small</u> tip would be nice. But not if it is just the usual staff - which is usually the landlady/landlord/family.

As for the Guide --a different kettle of fish. Is this a self employed drive/guide and you are paying him directly (and probably also paying for his meals/hotel either directly or in what he is charging) . . . If so, don't tip him -- but buying drink now and then is nice.

If, on the other hand, he is employed by a tour company and was 'assigned' to you, then yes a small tip - like maybe £5 per day at the end of the trip.

Thank you all so much for the helpful advice. I sure appreciate it. Because we just have never traveled there always seems to be a question on our minds on how to do things correctly. Our guide is a one-man operation who is charging us a set fee. He's paying his meals and hotel, as well as the car's fuel, from that fee. He's already made all of our hotel arrangements and done an itinerary for us, but we haven't paid him a cent yet. I'm to pay him when he picks us up. We will pay for our own meals and hotels as we go, of course. Again, thank you all so much for your help. You are a wonderful group!