Tipping tour guide, etc in Copenhagen and Stockholm
 

We’re going soon and I want to order some (limited) currency. While I do understand that tipping is not required in many countries, we will have personal tours in both cities and like to leave something for the cleaning staff. First, what percent or amount would you recommend for a personal tour guide?

Second, I did ask the Copenhagen guide about tipping hotel staff and she indicated that Euros or even USD would be acceptable. Would that also pertain to Stockholm?

Thanks for any advice you can give!

Seriously, you are opening a massive bag of worms. For a guide, something between 1 or 2 Euro. Cleaning about the same.

Stockholm, I'd use the currency of the country. Is it really that hard?

Give me a break, these are working people, I leave or give 10% minimum

Thanks. I am asking because I don’t want to get more DKK or SEK than needed. Sweden in particular is almost cashless - I don’t foresee another trip there soon and don’t want to return home with leftover bills.

I think it is nice to tip for doing the work, especially the cleaning staff. Here in the US, we usually give $5/ day. I understand that tipping is not customary in other countries, just asking if you have had experience in those two places. The guides are around $250/ tour.

Appreciate advice from natives of those countries in particular. Thank you!

If you would like to leave a tip for cleaning staff or whoever, you should feel free to do so. But I would withdraw a little bit of cash in Denmark in local currency, same in Stockholm.Tips are left in restaurants in both cities but very small tips, usually just rounding the bill up as service is already included. I just wouldn't leave Euros or dollars.

Whatever you decide . . . Please do not leave US$. What on earth good would it do them? Many banks will not take $ deposits, and if they tried to convert it to local currency the currency exchange charges would eat up a big chunk.

Re the tour guide -- is this an independent/self employed guide or does s/he work for a tour company? If self employed - I wouldn't tip all. They set the prices so they make what they intend to earn. IF they work for a tour company than a small tip -- on a $250-ish tour, maybe the equivalent of $20 in Local currency. (Not meaning to sound snarky . . . but if you can afford a $250 day tour you can afford the small ATM fee you'll pay to get a few Krona)

. . . IMO € would be a little better but I still think if you are going to tip - do it in local currency.

Thanks all, I was intending to use local currency. I actually asked the Danish guide, and SHE was the one who said that people there were fine with Euros - it wasn’t my idea, it was her advice.

I’m ASKING politely, because Bank of America does not have a banking relationship in either country - and I just returned from Lisbon, where the ATM fee was about 25% (there’s a whole thread on it here, they used dynamic conversion), so if I can get it here, I’d rather do that. One guide works independently, the other is part of a group of guides. Both are the equivalent of UK Blue Badge guides, and I believe well worth the cost for a day’s work.

I’ve withdrawn cash in France, Italy, Spain, the UK - all of whom have BofA partnerships. I’m not new at this, and prefer to do that. But as I prefaced this whole thing: Sweden is a cashless society. Can you take out small amounts? Heck, I don’t know, I’ve never been there.

And janisj, you have always been very helpful, and I appreciate your past advice, but yeah...I never implied that I wouldn’t “pay an ATM fee”, so please, don’t throw that into the mix.

Peace! :)

If it’s better for you to order money from home, do that. DKK & SEK is better to leave as tips. You can pay for stuff in Sweden by cash, not everywhere of course but shops etc do take cash. You can withdraw small amounts of cash from ATMs in Sweden & Denmark.

Thanks so much, bathy - that’s exactly what I was wondering. I think I have the idea now, no need for any other help. :)

Dynamic Currency Conversion should always be optional, although I have had to fight on occasion to avoid it in restaurants. If a bank does not make it optional, find another bank (ideally, if the bank is open, go in and complain, but I know that you are on vacation and may not want to take the time). It is almost always more expensive to get foreign currency at home, although I suppose it depends on your bank's foreign currency conversion fee, I am accustomed to an account that doesn't have one.

The wording on the screen with some ATMs is confusing, leading people to choose DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion) instead of the local currency. This is especially so in privately operated ATMs, such as those you find in shops and gas stations. I always look for an ATM physically attached to a bank whenever possible, or at least know the names of the major banks in the country you are visiting.

Many US credit and debit cards add a foreign transaction fee, so it is best to know what your card charges. In some countries a fee is added to ATM transactions, while others are free. For example, in Greece the charge is typically €3 for each transaction, while in the UK there is no charge from bank operated ATMs. I’ve no idea what, if any, the charges are in Denmark and Sweden, but it should be easy to find out.