kelly3fam

I would really appreciate some advice concerning proper tipping for tour guides in major Italian cities. My family will be traveling to Italy next month for 10 days, staying in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. We have contracted for 1/2 day, full days , walking and automobile tours in these cities. I am attempting to determine how much cash (Euros) I will need to take with me and therefor need to decide on how much I will tip these guides.

Please provide your advice.

Thanks,

Kelly3fam

Jean

How much are the various tours costing you? Are they private or group tours?

PalenQ

Some tours i believe indeed treat guides much like American restaurants do waitresses - depending largely on tips for their wages - at least i think this is true for mega tours.

you don't need to decide how many euros to take with you - just put a pile in your ATM checking account and withdraw as needed once there.

kelly3fam

All tours are private (3 family members)

Rome: 1/2 day with car = $400.00

Venice 3hrs walking tour $300.00

Venice all day with car $500.00

ekscrunchy

I am wondering how you are going to do a car tour of Venice...

kelly3fam

You're right, my mistake. It is actually an all day tour from Florence to Siena

nytraveler

I certainly hope that you're not planning on carrying all that cash with you. The tours are on credit cards aren't they. As for tips - do the same as with other cash expenses - just pull cash as you need it with your ATM card. Much safer than all that cash.

PalenQ

Author: ekscrunchy

<I am wondering how you are going to do a car tour of Venice...>

maybe that's what that controversial new bridge in Venice is all about? Bus tours of Venice?

ekscrunchy

I think it depends on whether these are private guides/drivers that you have contracted with yourself, in which case I think a tip is unnecessary (I am probably in the minority on this point) or guides you have contracted with through a tour operator... In the latter case I would give a tip.

Christina

no, you are not in the minority -- this is a private tour where you have engaged a private guide directly who is working for him or herself, right? You don't tip them anything, they are setting their own rates which they already feel are appropriate. If you hired this private guide through an agency, then I might feel differently, as they are someone's employee and the agency probably assumes some level of tips in their compensation.

So you are paying them $100 an hour in the first case. That's about 65 euro, I guess, per hour. YOu probably won't use up that much gas if it's a tour within the city, so I think that is plenty of income, myself, 65 euro an hour, for a tour guide.

PalenQ

Yes like tipping Malcolm Miller in Chartres for his already well compensated services that he pockets i believe all himself