Recently my husband and I stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, Florida. As part of our package, we had valet parking with in/out previleges. It's been a long time since we went on a trip and had a rental car and I was of surprised that he tipped both for dropping the car off as well as picking it up. He laughed, saying that his co-workers also wonder why he tips both in and out - they think he should only tip when picking up the car, especially since he takes the car in and out so many times to meet clients for meeting and dinners.

So, now I'm wondering if there is a right or wrong approach to tipping the valet.

When you valet park, what are your tipping practices? Do you tip on the way in, on the way out, or both?

Only on the way out!

I have to say that since TIPS origiginally stood for "to insure prompt service" it makes no sense to tip after rather than before, but that's the way it is done.
On the other hand the hint is often pretty direct when the guy stands there ready to take your car and repeats, "I'll be taking good care of your car, sir."

The "right" answer is after, but I tip for both.

Always tip before when they take the car and after it is returned. Have always done tipped both times.

BTW, just have car keys and no other keys when you have valet parking. Don't leave keys that have house keys, business office keys etc. Don't forget that your registration is in your car with your address etc if it is your privately owned car that is being valet parked. Even if it is a rental car you don't want to leave your house keys etc. with the valet.

What about when you pay per day for "Valet Parking"? Do you factor that in? I find that I am "in & out" several times a day...Are you saying that I shd be tipping each time "in & out" plus the per day fee??

Hi wow, when one pays a parking fee you still are expected to tip the valet person.

You pay for a hotel room but you are expected to tip the bellhop that brings your luggage to the room and retrives it when you check out.

As others have said, perhaps tipping only after they bring your car to you is sufficient but I tip when they take the car also (a bit of insurance? LOL).

You tip only when they bring the car to you. (In a restaurant you don;t tip when they take the order - but only when the process is after you've finished the meal.) Valets rotate on in and out so they all get a chance at tips.

And each time he brings me my car ( sometimes 4 times a day) how much shd I tip him?

A buck or two each time he brings the car.

Makes "self parking" sound more attractive all the time, doesn't it, wow?

Or don't keep moving your car.

I would tip on the way in if I was driving as especially cool vehicle. The tip would be accompanied by a request to get me a secure/special parking place please.

However since I drive a couple year old SUV or a rental car, I only tip upon departure of the lot.

Sometimes valet parking is well worth the $1-$2 tip. The best example is Las Vegas, where valet parking is free and where a self-park garage is often a time-consuming and unpleasant walk from the casino's facilities.

Las Vegas is also among the worst examples, when lines for retrieval of your car from valet can be 30-60 minutes long, but you could walk to your car in 10 minutes and have to tip no one.

Wow: Parking, just like the breakfast that we had was part of the hotel package, but it's not "free". The tax and gratuity for the breakfast were included (I knew what the actual value of the breakfast was) and I wish they did the same for the parking (or maybe they do but they just don't tell you). If you have some sort of inclusive package, it would be nice if the tips were included.

If you don't tip on the way in, do you ever get a comment like "And you have a nice day too!" in a sarcastic tone?

Hi, Patrick! Yes, I wld definitely "self-park" if I had that option!! But most of the resorts where I stay do not have that option! And, MikeT....I need my car to go places! I do not capriciously "keep moving it"!!!

I just can't fathom moving my car four times in a single day while on vacation. I don't make that many trips in a single busy weekend at home.