please offer thoughtful tipping guidelines
 

i consider myself a good tipper (usually between 15-20%) and sometimes more. can you offer pratical guidelines of who to tip and how much?<BR><BR>tips for a restaurant waiter<BR><BR>tips for a taxi driver<BR><BR>tips for a maid at the hotel<BR><BR>tips for the consierge<BR><BR>tips for a bellman<BR><BR>please offer fair guidelines and any other suggestions.<BR><BR>tony

Fodor's has a miniguide online that details tipping guidelines in the country you select. <BR><BR><BR>If the Taxi doesn't have a meter, I don't tip. (it is probably already in there)<BR><BR>I tip $2-$3 day for housekeeping and I leave it at the hotel front desk in an envelope for housekeeping when I check out. If they do something extra for me, I tip the actual person at the time too. For instance, I tipped housekeeping 10 Euro for helping me, at the last minute, to get my laundry and pressing together and getting it to the laundry before the service ended for the weekend at the hotel. <BR><BR>Use your best judgement. We were tipping 5 Euro at the beginning of our trip for everything because we never had change. 5 Euro is the smallest paper bill. The last couple of weeks of our trip, we learned to make sure we had some coins, to tip 2 or 3 Euro for doorman, etc. <BR><BR>It really all depends on the service they provide you and how much you appreciate it! <BR><BR>When in doubt, I try to tip too much, rather than not enough. <BR><BR>

Hi Tony:<BR>I think Kay is too generous and ruins it for the rest of us Fodorite travellers. Many trips to europe has led to the following guidelines I follow:<BR>Waiter: Service is usually included in the check. Add 5 or 10% if the service was exceptional.<BR>Taxi: 5 to 10% of meter, more if he handles any luggage.<BR>Maid: 1 to 1 1/2 euros per night for two people; a little more if you have three or four.<BR>Concierge: Depends on the service provided. If he/she just answers a simple question: 0; If he/she provides hard to get tickets to an opera, etc., then 20 euros is not unreasonable.<BR>Bellman: 1 euro per bag.<BR>I would like to hear other Fodorites experience. Rex: Any input?<BR>Happy travelling.<BR>

When you leave an envelope at the front desk with tips for maid service, it rarely gets to the maids. Or so I've been told by someone working for a major chain.

Sam's right. Leave the money in your room, otherwise greedy hotel receptionists almost always take it.<BR>Kay, you trip three Euro for the day who opens your door? I'll open your door for you!

Tony, what country are you asking for? Not all European countries behave the same, for instance in Italy you are never supposed to tip unless you actually receive a superb service (I men really superb) and the tip is usually no more than a symbol. For instance if you go to a restaurant and the bill is 28,50 euro, you can pay 30 euro and leave the change for a tip.

I disagree with quite a bit that is written above, except for the suggestion to check the Fodor's website tipping suggestions.<BR>Rather than start an argument, I'll refer you to some other websites as well<BR><BR>www.virtualitalia.com/travel/tips.shtml<BR>www.twenj.net <BR>Concierges: http://conciergeassoc.org/concierg/concierg.htm http://www.oxygen.com/pureoxygen/fea..._20010910.html <BR>www.goaheadvacations.com/countries/<BR>www.worldexecutive.com/cityguides<BR><BR>http://dest.travelocity.com/DestGuides<BR><BR>for Paris:<BR>http://www.bparis.com/newsletter1464...attrib_id=1946 <BR><BR>also, any standard guidebook has a section on suggestion for tipping<BR>good luck<BR><BR>