Gifts for ABD guides?

[sportel]

Another ABD Newbie question, if I can beg the indulgences of the experienced travellers on the board!

One month to go and I'm in the mega list-making stage, and one of my tasks is to purchase little thank you gifts for our extended family who will be visiting with us during the first part of our holiday before our ABD begins. Which got me wondering - should I pack a few extra gifts for our ABD guides? Is this something people do? I know we will be tipping them, but wasn't sure if also presenting them with a little thank you gift would be inappropriate.

 

[RebelHawk]

I know that I for one pack as light as I can when traveling. I would hate to think that a well meaning gift would cause them packing or traveling issues. Imagine if all of the guests gave them a little gift? We stick with cash which you indicated you are doing because come on, cash is a great gift and it certainly packs well.

 

[sayhello]

I agree with RebelHawk. As sweet as it sounds, they are shlepping themselves all over the place during the summer, and then have to travel back home, and even little gifts add up. I've never given them gifts, but I have always tipped them well. They really deserve it!

Sayhello

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Confession: I usually get the ABD guides something little during the trip. For example, if they say "That is the best chocolate shop in Lucerne (insert any city name here) and their chocolate pretzels are amazing (insert whatever item they mention), then I will go to that shop and buy that guide the item they mention. I remember in Australia Amber mentioned chocolate caramels from a small shop in Tasmania -- she told me the next morning she had already eaten all of them! In Lucerne I bought the guides chocolates that said "thank you" from their favorite chocolate shop. I have always done this. It's almost always food and I know they like it because they have mentioned it during the trip. I then gift them the item with our cash.

For our upcoming trip I am taking a very special and very small Canadian gift item for Betti because she was one of our guides for Central Europe and she was outstanding.

 

[sportel]

Thanks for your input - I didn't think about the fact that they are shlepping their stuff everywhere! I will make sure I bring plenty of cash. I presume we tip the ABD guides in US dollars?

 

[RebelHawk]

Thanks for your input - I didn't think about the fact that they are shlepping their stuff everywhere! I will make sure I bring plenty of cash. I presume we tip the ABD guides in US dollars?

For our Peru trip one of our guides, Rudy, was a local Peruvian so we tipped in local currency. The other guide, Zoe (who has now left ABD), we tipped in US dollars.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

I agree with the others that sticking with the recommended cash tips is a good idea especially for the American guides who are really living out of suitcases for sometimes the whole season. Just a thought: if you like the idea of including a little gift, many of our local guides (at least in South and Central America) have mentioned having kids at home, so perhaps picking up something little to send back for their kids might be a nice idea. A "thank you for sharing your dad with us this week" gift.

 

[acndis]

Has anyone tipped using Visa Gift cards? I hate having that much cash with me on the trip. Super stressful! Gift cards may be easier. Any reason not to do this?

 

[RebelHawk]

Has anyone tipped using Visa Gift cards? I hate having that much cash with me on the trip. Super stressful! Gift cards may be easier. Any reason not to do this?

We did PayPal with one of our guides so that might be an option as well. I would ask them early on so you have back up plans.

 

[Chirple]

We tipped in additional cash and wrote a personalized note in a small blank card.

 

[SingingMom]

We try to tip the US guide in dollars and the European guide in Euros on our trips. (so far four European trips)

We did PayPal with one of our guides so that might be an option as well. I would ask them early on so you have back up plans.

On one of our trips, a couple was planning on using PayPal, but the European guide did not have access to it. They had to make other arrangements last minute.

 

[CrazyZeus1]

We've done 10 ABDs, and have always tipped both guides in USD. I always bring a greeting card for each for us to sign and include the cash. Sometimes, we don't tip the same amount if there was one guide that did a superior job, but we always tip well. The only time we brought small gifts (they were candied pecans since we're from Texas) was our Christmas ABD and gave them to the guides Christmas morning so they had a gift <3 Otherwise, they are so limited on space with ALL the stuff they have for personal and Guide purpose I didn't want to give them more to haul! I love the idea above to buy something local they mention that they love!

 

[OKW Lover]

For ABDs in foreign countries we tip the local guide in their currency. For the US guide we sometimes tip in local currency and sometimes in US dollars, depending on how much longer they will be in the foreign country. The foreign guides will appreciate not having to change US dollars into their currency and losing the conversion fee.