Is it normal for private tour guides to request cash payment at the time of the tour? We booked a private tour in Paris and the request is to pay cash (450 Euros) on the day of the tour. I pay so frequently with card now (especially for larger amounts), that feels like so much cash to have on me in a tourist location.
Also, what would an appropriate tip be for a private tour?
In the last couple of years, we’ve had private tour guides in Amsterdam, Zurich, Verona, Milan and Sintra and they’ve all requested to be paid in cash. We have tipped if we felt the guide went out of their way to make it enjoyable as one did in Amsterdam. We paid with credit card ahead of time for our Rome Eating Europe Food Tour and I think my husband gave him a twenty at the end for four of us but he was great.
Ok it sounds like this is probably the norm. We just booked an Eating Europe tour for Paris by credit card as well.
It’s not normal and it’s not the norm asking for a payment in cash. Just from a safety perspective alone, it makes much more sense to be accepting credit card payments and/or bank transfers.
A cash payment can very easily be hidden from the tax authorities. I’m not saying that’s what your tour guide plans on doing, but it’s definitely possible that’s why they want the cash payment.
We take many private tours, and almost every guide has requested payment in cash the day of the tour. Credit card fees eat into the amount that the guide nets from the tour, and that isn't fair to them. We have had guides that have allowed credit card payments, but will charge 5% or so more if you pay by card to account for the fee, but we've never had an issue paying in cash.
We have always paid cash for private tours whether here in France or other countries. They can be expensive. Our guides always give us a receipt. Be sure to ask for one.
We don’t tip since the guides we hire are self- employed and not sent by an agency.
We've never asked for cash, and would never contemplate doing so. It seems dodgy to me
