Tipping Tour Company Employees

I've traveled with French groups where we have separate envelopes for each local guide and bus driver. Our tours suggest 3-5 euros per day per person for each employee. So, if we have a local guide for ten days, it's 50 euros per traveler or 100 per couple into that person's envelope. Another 100 for the bus driver. These tips are for the independent guides and drivers hired by the tour company, and not the tour company employees. In the US, we've traveled only with Road Scholar where all tips were included in the price, as are Rick Steve's tours.

I think your tour company is greedy. Why would they ask you to tip a percent that includes the hotel room, rental equipment, etc? I have never heard of such a thing.
Tip guides and drivers. Also the housekeepers, but on a daily basis.

At least the tip will be paid at the end of the tour.
On the one and only big company/bus tour I took, I was stunned to hear that a fair percentage of participants had tipped pre-tour, per the company's suggestion.

You didn't say where in Europe. That does make a difference. But bottom line, it's a tip, do it if you feel so moved, don't if you don't feel the need. At least they provided a very fair and appropriate system for something that would otherwise be awkward.

Only tip if you feel the need to. If you really don't like tipping and/or have a bad experience on the tour, just put a 5 euro bill into the envelope and move along. Regardless of the country we visit, if we have a good time, we usually tip 20 euros.

I only have limited experience with this, but I tipped the guide between 10-12 dollars and day in their preferred currency and the driver $5 per day in preferred currency. I have never heard of doing this as a percentage of the trip. That seems ridiculous.

I have some acquaintances who are guides for companies in the Yellowstone/Grand Tetons area. Their company also suggests a percentage of the TOTAL tour price which just flabbergasts me. Why would you tip on the hotel and equipment costs?

Is the company a US-based one? This amount also suggests they are not paying their guides a decent salary and are trying to make up for the deficit by asking for huge tips.

This makes my head hurt which is why I pick companies that have tips included (Rick Steves and Road Scholar) or who are UK based and don't expect tips (Seymour Travels).

In general, the suggested tip amount is 5-10 Dollars/Pounds/Euros for the tour director and 2-3 Dollars/Pounds/Euros for the driver. That is per day.

Of course, if you were not happy, you don't have to give anything.

A percentage is ridiculous.

For those who like traveling with a company that includes tips....you do realize the amount of the average tip is included in the cost of the tour.

This amount also suggests they are not paying their guides a decent
salary and are trying to make up for the deficit by asking for huge
tips.

What amount? Did the OP list an amount? I've read it 3 times now. What did I miss?

I wanted to wait and see what popular opinion was thank you all. The request was a little surprising for me it seems unusual and yes it is a good thing we can stay anonymous in the end. It’s a sporting cycling tour in France. My first time with this company. It’s US based company I been on 5 other sporting tours with GB based companies. The subject of tips in 2008 was totally different. I brought the subject at the end with the group then the consensus was why?

"What amount? Did the OP list an amount? I've read it 3 times now. What did I miss?"

By "this amount" I meant the suggested percentage of the total cost not a specific figure.

I was also thinking of my knowledge of some US tour companies who do not pay their guides a living wage and expect them to make up to a decent salary from tips.

And yes, I'm fully aware the "tips included" tours actually mean we are charging you for the tips up front which is fine with me. I have no illusions that they are cutting into their profit margin (even for Road Scholar which is non-profit).

"What amount? Did the OP list an amount? I've read it 3 times now. What did I miss?"

By "this amount" I meant the suggested percentage of the total cost
not a specific figure.

What was the suggested percentage? Did the OP list a percentage? I've read it 3 times now. What did I miss?"

They are suggesting 5-10%. They specifically mention total cost of trip leaving out air fares snd personal expenses. The special access that part of tour is VIP viewing areas of the TDF through the ISO (governing body of tour) on 3 days of the 10 day trip. It will be an international group from North America and Central Europe. The whole tip practice is tough to make sense of no matter what you’re purchasing or where you are that a company expects you to contribute to wages of their employees. It seems like such a power play that at times.

I tend to be more forgiving when I look at life. Still I would do 0 to 5%. The way they are approaching it really doesn't put any pressure on you. How often do we see here questions of should I tip? And tge answers are all over tge board. Thats stress. Passing along an empty envelope is much less stressful. I would thank them.

"What was the suggested percentage? Did the OP list a percentage? I've read it 3 times now. What did I miss?""

To me ANY percentage that includes money spent on hotel or equipment costs is too much. A percentage based on the guide's time spent with the group is more reasonable in my opinion. I do realize the guides are generally "on call" 24/7 when they are on tour. I hope that general statement does not worry or cause anxiety for forum members. I'm not trying to hit anyone's hot button. Apologies to the OP.

Thank you to the OP for listing the percentage suggested.

I want to thank everyone for their input and opinions. Will my guides deserve special credit most likely yes. And should the company pay them what they’re worth. yes. The company also must feeling the pinch now the value of the dollar has decreased since I signed on and paid my part upfront. Everyone’s opinion was close to mine which left me confident in my choices.

Thank You

How does one separate out the guides’s time or services from the rest of the package? Paying for a trip is not usually broken down into hotel cost, bus services, food, etc. so how?
$3500 on trip paid and then tipped at 5% per person is $175. Multiplied by 25 passengers on the bus is $4375. Not too shabby for the time frame. Oh, hey, that’s too much you say. Oh dear me. The guides only work portions of the year. The seasonality should be factored in.
$4375 for maybe 1-2 weeks work. Not too shabby. More than most people make though. Oh, and they do get paid.
You have a job, you do it. Tipping is factored into our psych collectively and repetitively that we have accepted it and rationalized it to the extent that it is mandatory and socially demanded. A hole that has been dug and we cannot get out of it.
Meanwhile we accept that wages do not cover a way to make a living without those tips. We are subsidizing the owners and operator wherever tips are considered to be part of the culture.
But I am a rich tourist and on vacation so I’ll throw around some money to fit in and not anger anyone, and maybe even feel a bit superior in that I am in such a position to do so. Those social demands are intense and I cannot avoid that tip, even in my own mind.