Tipping Guide
Tipping is one of the questions I hear most often, so here's a general guide to keep handy. It varies a bit by country, but this covers most of Europe well. Tipping is always at your discretion, and if a service charge is already included on your bill, there's no need to add more. When you do tip, local currency is always preferred over dollars.
Restaurants
Many restaurants already include a service charge, usually 12–15%, so check your bill before adding more.
10 - 15%
Hotels
Housekeeping: €5–10 per night
Porters: €2–3 per bag
Concierge: €10–20 for a helpful request
VARIES BY SERVICE
Taxis
€3–5
Or simply round up for shorter rides.
Private Drivers & Transfers
Short drive: starting at €10–20
Longer drive: starting at €40–50
Helicopter transfer: €200+
VARIES BY DISTANCE
Guides
HALF DAY STARTING AT €30 · FULL DAY STARTING AT €50
A separate driver typically earns about half the guide's rate. These figures generally apply to groups of up to four, and scale up proportionally for larger groups. On small-group tours with an operator like Abercrombie & Kent or Tauck, most gratuities are already built into the price, the main exception is your Tour Director, typically tipped around $10 per person, per day.
Day & Half-Day Boat Trips
Motor yacht: starting at €100 half day / €200 full day
Sailing, private: starting at €100
Sailing, shared: starting at €20 per person
It's customary to tip the skipper separately, starting at €20–30.
VARIES BY BOAT TYPE
Week-Long Yacht Charters
Mediterranean: 10–15% of the base charter fee
Caribbean & U.S.: 15–20% of the base charter fee
Calculated on the base charter fee only, not the provisioning allowance, taxes, or delivery fees. Typically given in cash to the captain, who divides it among the crew.
VARIES BY REGION
Spa & Wellness
5–10%
Not expected but appreciated.
Traveling to the UK or Ireland?
Drivers & guides: starting at £60–100 per day
Walking tours: £30–50 half day / starting at £50 full day
Transfers: £15–20 from the airport or port to the city (more for longer regional transfers)
Housekeeping: £1–2 per night
Larger groups (six or more) or trips with a separate driver and guide typically run £100–150 per day, per person providing the service. Porters and concierge aren't expected to be tipped, though £1–2 per bag is a nice touch for exceptional service.
VARIES BY SERVICE
Safari (East & Southern Africa)
Guide: starting at $15–25 per person, per day
Tracker: starting at $10–15 per person, per day
Camp staff: $15–25 per person, per day
Most camps collect camp staff tips in a shared box in addition to separate tips for your guide and tracker. Ultra-luxury properties often run higher, some recommend $50+ per person, per day across the team, so it's worth confirming the specific camp's guidance once your trip is booked.
VARIES BY ROLE
Norms shift significantly once you leave Europe. In Japan and much of East Asia, tipping isn't customary for restaurants, taxis, or hotel staff, and can even come across as impolite, excellent service is the standard, not something extra to reward. Private guides and drivers arranged for your trip are the exception, and are typically tipped, generally in line with European guide rates. Tipping in Southeast Asia and India tends to run closer to what you'd expect in Europe or the US.
These are general guidelines, not hard rules. If you want more specific guidance for exactly where you're headed, just ask, I'm always happy to help you figure out what's appropriate.
For other pre-trip questions, from passport requirements to packing, see my Resources page. Anything about how we work together is covered on my FAQ page