Tipping tour guides in Rome

You never need to tip in Italy. Guides and waiters are paid a good wage for their jobs and don't rely on tips as they do in the U.S. Pay the agreed upon price.

Donna

If we feel the private or semi-private guide's tour and service have been outstanding, we usually give him/her a 20 Euro trip for the two of us.

We wait until the conclusion of the second day with the same guide.

I wouldn't tip but then I am not american.Just pay the agreed price.

I have called and emailed tour companies in Europe to ask about tips. The answer is always along these lines: not expected but greatly appreciated. We tip 10-20 Euros depending on how the tour went. As for your question: I would tip for each one, but that's me. Who knows, might make your second tour even a bit more special!

If the tour guide is an independent, not working for a company, then no tip. You are probably paying upwards of 50 Euros an hour as it is.

If the guide is an employee (Walks of Italy, Dark Rome, etc.) then tip what you are comfortable with. For a couple of hours, 10 Euro, for a whole day, maybe 20-25 Euro for the two of you. But if you do not tip at all, no one will think ill of you.

There is NO need to tip, even if the guide works for a company. They are paid well to do their job. Italians wouldn't tip so no one else should either. You won't see Italians who are not a part of the tourist industry suggestion that you tip.

Donna

We always tip if the guide did an exceptional job, went up and above our expectations. We once went on one bus tour and the bus had to stop twice for someone that was having stomach issues, really went out of their way to accommodate this person, costing the whole bus group an additional 30 min...you would have thought THAT person would have tipped BOTH the driver and the guide, who got off the bus with him and accompanied him into the facility to assist with him finding a bathroom...nope he just got off without even a thank you.

May I ask those who tip why do you choose to ignore the local customs to the point of creating double standards and tourist traps in the long run? What's the point?

Thanks to tipping tourists the great part of roman waiters is either fully or partially paid under the table. Same for those travel agencies that write about tips only on the English pages of their sites.

Of course they love tourists that make tax-cheating so easy and tell them to keep on tipping . But this means that today my taxes are used to pay their hospital bills, tomorrow to increase their pension checks to the minimum.

If Italy were a tipping country, there would be a line for tips on credit card receipts.

Dario- It's not about choosing to ignore anything. Tipping is so ingrained in us that, for me, I almost feel like I have stolen or like a huge looser when I don't tip. Not tipping is so unnatural for me, so I need to be really conscientious of it when I am in Italy. This discussion is about tour guides, but I get your point. But seriously, if I take a taxi to the airport and he loads and unloads 4 bags, no tip??

Well Letizia, it's the same as if I arrive to the US, and I have so ingrained that I don't need to tip, so I don't tip waiters at restaurants. Why should I? In the country where I live we don't tip, the waiter has a job and he is doing it, why should I pay extra? It's the same reasoning.

I appreciate the thoughtful advice from all of you!

Overlooking local custom is yet another way that we highlight that we are American tourists, that and RS backpacks, white shoes and baseball caps.
Tipping because you are accustomed to doing it flagrantly disregards local practice.
When we travel abroad it is important to learn what appropriate behaviors are and act accordingly.
I recall how angry my Chinese colleagues were if I tipped cab drivers.
Tipping creates an expectation that is out of sorts with convention. If it's not normally done, don't... and if you feel uncomfortable about it, get over it...