Tipping a private guide
 

Going to CR in April on a Bill Beard pkg. Private guide with car as follows:
Pick up from airport/drive to Arenal
2 days Arenal with zip line, hot springs, preserve, hiking.
Drive to Los Innocentes-1/2 day horseback riding and then on to Playa Hermosa.
No guide for next 3 days as we are diving.
There are 3 of us until this point. Then one goes home. 2 of us go on to Monteverde Cloud forest for 2 days-zip, preserve. Then we get driven to our hotel near San Jose, and that is it.

When I phoned Bill Beard to ask about tipping the guide, they told me 10% of the cost of the land trip. Our land trip for the 3 of us is $4200. 2 of us will have a guide for 5 days, the other person for 3 days. $420 seems a bit steep to me. Any advise from Fodorites?

Dear bugswife1,
No, this can't be right. I estimate the actual cost of using the service of a private driver with a car for these trip to be around $400-600, so a nice tip, should be around $50. A tip of a few hundred dollars is more than the average monthly salary in Costa Rica! And believe me, a $50 is very nice. Obviously the more you pay, the better, but do not feel uncomfortable paying around $50, in my opinion. If you feel the service was superb, you should pay a little more, but nothing close to $420!
Please, feel free to write me directly for any more information or advice.
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

Thanks, Neta, I have the same question. I assume the $50 is for all of them, not per person ? Otherwise $50 for 3 days (or even 5 days) sounds steep.

Dear Banares,
Yes, the $50 would be for everyone. If you have 2 or more different drivers, give each $15-$20, that is fine. Don't forget, the drivers get a salary, or if they are lucky, they own the van, in which case, they make good money from the company that hired them. Don't misunderstand me, I live in Costa Rica and I know how strong the dollar is, and how significant $10 more can be for a Costa Rican who has to support a family, but a few hundred dollars as a tip is just ridiculous. You can also always show the driver your gratitude by inviting him to lunch when you stop in a Soda (that's a small restaurant that serves lunch on the road) etc.
Feel free to write me directly for more info.
Pura Vida,
Neta Talmor

Thank you. That makes more sense. And we always treat the tour guide if we are buying lunch or dinner and they are with us. Wouldn't dream of doing otherwise.