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Tipping a tour guide

We have booked an all day tour in Normandy. This will be in a van (8 people) or bus (19 people). The cost for the two of us was 260 euros. What would be a proper amount to tip the guide?

Posted by
14580 posts

This sounds like it might be a group tour?

Is your tour guide also the owner of the company? If yes, I would not tip. If it's someone who works for a company, maybe 10E each IF they are very good.

Posted by
3891 posts

I’ve not taken a lot of tours but for the few I have taken, I have never tipped. If I were going to tip, I would give 10 percent of the cost.

Posted by
1040 posts

From an Overlord tour confirmation:

"Tips are not included in the tour fees. We appreciate tips and believe they are an expression of appreciation for what we hope to be an optimum tour guiding experience for you. We hope that our hard work on your behalf will lead you to consider a tip for our guides."

Posted by
8 posts

ORDtraveler, yes, this is the company we are going with and it is printed on our confirmation. Unless the guide is terrible (which I doubt according to reviews and recommendations), we will tip him or her. It sounds like 10-15 euros apiece wouldn’t be out of line?

Posted by
3400 posts

It sounds like 10-15 euros apiece wouldn’t be out of line?

That's exactly what we tip our guides, including Normandy guides. We have occasionally exceeded that amount if the guide was absolutely fantastic.

Posted by
5480 posts

From an Overlord tour confirmation: "Tips are not included in the tour fees.

This always irks me, why would tips be included in tour fees? The whole concept of tips is to acknowledge good service so why would you pay a tip upfront? What if your guide wasn't very good, would it be acceptable to ask for the tip portion of your tour fee to be reimbursed?

Anyway, I'm assuming Overlord Tours pay their guides at least the minimum wage as required by law therefore you've already paid for their services. They might be a bit disappointed if you're American but American's have made their own bed to lie in when it comes to tipping.

Posted by
1215 posts

...but American's have made their own bed to lie in when it comes to
tipping.

Hear, hear. We have created this problem. Don't contribute to it.