Tips on Land Tours

[kaneohe]

I've only been on one land tour and one cruise. On the cruise, they collected the tips at the end. On the land tour, the national guide tried and for the most part succeeded in collecting the tips at the beginning. One person objected on the grounds that the tip was voluntary and to be based on results of which none were yet seen. That makes sense.

On the other hand, since the land tour was going to multiple locations, there were going to be multiple regional guides & staff who needed to be tipped at the conclusion of their service but before the whole tour ended.

One solution is to collect, as the national guide requested, the tips at the beginning of the tour (or the first hotel was left); another is for the national guide or the tour sponsor to "float" (pay for) the regional tips until the end of the trip which could mean they end up short (or in surplus).

Just wondering what general practice on these tours is?

 

[Gotadimple]

I've generally been asked to tip at the end of the tour for tour guides who were on the tour from beginning to end. For tour guides who were with the group for a day or two, at the end of their service.

-- Rita

 

[dex]

Just wondering what general practice on these tours is?

You had two systems going.
Cruise no leader so you tipped at the end.

Land; the leader collected the tips and gave them out for you. It would have been a pain for you and the others to find, figure out how much to give out and give it out to the daily hires. Giving the leader the $ up front makes the end much more enjoyable for you - he is then responsible for managing the $.