Med cruise - tipping private drivers

[cheermom2four]

I tried searching here (nothing other than room service tipping unless I didnt scroll enough pages) on customs of tipping drivers. I'm not talking taxi/cab drivers but in Livorno and Naples we hired private drivers to get to and from places we wanted to see vs going on excursions. Yes, already know the risks of missing the ship since we are DIY type people. I would like to make sure I tip (or not) without insulting the culture over in Europe (Barcelona, Spain and ports in Italy mainly). the discussion on another site is all over the place and dated 2 years at least for private driver tips. If it matters, there are 6 of us. I know on the other site it said not to by some and yes on others. Most of the booking websites for these private tour/drivers state "gratuities not included" and most sites say dont tip over there. This is what throws me off that its conflicting advice.

 

[disneyholic family]

are these private drivers who work for themselves? or do they work for a company?

 

[bbel]

Europe doesn't really have a tipping culture (although I think there is one growing). While they won't say no to tips, equally they won't be relying on tips to survive. Tipping in Europe is more of a sign of appreciation rather than an expectation.
If you go on bigger group tours it's not uncommon for a coach to have a basket for tips for the driver and guide, and they'll often say something like, if you enjoyed today we have a pot for tips. I grew up vacationing all over Europe, for a family of 4 my dad would drop something like €5 in, if we were on smaller tours, like just us, he would often round it up the total cost and just tell them to keep the change, equally there were probably times that we didn't tip.

 

[RedSox68]

We tip everybody LOL. We tip the bus drivers on our excursions as well as the tour guide. In London we took two private tours which were run by the "owners" -- sole proprietors. We paid their fee but also tipped them since they included lunch and of course have gas and toll expenses, I didn't think an extra tip was out of the question.

 

[cheermom2four]

are these private drivers who work for themselves? or do they work for a company?

Well not sure if I can post but its highly rated companies I found on TripAdvisor that other cruisers have used with success. They may be small companies but definitely ones that have an excellent rating and years of referrals by other cruisers.

 

[cheermom2four]

I grew up vacationing all over Europe, for a family of 4 my dad would drop something like €5 in, if we were on smaller tours, like just us, he would often round it up the total cost and just tell them to keep the change, equally there were probably times that we didn't tip.

Yes, I have read to just round up when taking taxis/cabs in barcelona and also at tapas bars. Not sure how to tip for an all day private driver to where we want to go as it is an even amount of 500 euros for the 6 of us. Cant really round up that.

We tip everybody LOL. We tip the bus drivers on our excursions as well as the tour guide. In London we took two private tours which were run by the "owners" -- sole proprietors. We paid their fee but also tipped them since they included lunch and of course have gas and toll expenses, I didn't think an extra tip was out of the question.

My thoughts exactly, but wasnt sure if Italy uses 5%, 10% 15% or 20% (this one being more common and expected in the US I have personally noticed but someone may not have). At 500 euros for a 9.5 hr day 20% would an additional 100 euros which seems steep to me, hence why I'm asking.

 

[RedSox68]

Yes, I have read to just round up when taking taxis/cabs in barcelona and also at tapas bars. Not sure how to tip for an all day private driver to where we want to go as it is an even amount of 500 euros for the 6 of us. Cant really round up that.



My thoughts exactly, but wasnt sure if Italy uses 5%, 10% 15% or 20% (this one being more common and expected in the US I have personally noticed but someone may not have). At 500 euros for a 9.5 hr day 20% would an additional 100 euros which seems steep to me, hence why I'm asking.

If I remember right, we were told 10% was the average.

 

[kaseyC]

Yes, I have read to just round up when taking taxis/cabs in barcelona and also at tapas bars. Not sure how to tip for an all day private driver to where we want to go as it is an even amount of 500 euros for the 6 of us. Cant really round up that.



My thoughts exactly, but wasnt sure if Italy uses 5%, 10% 15% or 20% (this one being more common and expected in the US I have personally noticed but someone may not have). At 500 euros for a 9.5 hr day 20% would an additional 100 euros which seems steep to me, hence why I'm asking.

We have used the private driver/guide companies like Rome in Limo and others for all of our European cruises. These companies mostly cater to American cruise passengers and are used to US tipping standards. If we have just a driver who isn't a licensed guide (meaning they can't go in and guide you through the sites) we tip about 10%. If its a certified licensed guide we tip the guide about 15%. We usually use a combination of both, the private driver to get us to the sites and a private licensed guide at the site. Even with tip as a family of 5, privates drivers and guides have always been more cost effective for us and the bonus of being able to tailor our day to meet our family's needs...absolutely priceless!!

 

[cheermom2four]

These companies mostly cater to American cruise passengers and are used US tipping standards. If we have just a driver who isn't a licensed guide (meaning they can't go in and guide you through the sites) we tip about 10%

Perfect! I was thinking about 10% because ours is just a driver from port to Florence/pisa and from port to pompeii/naples. It was additional cost to get a guide which would mean we might as well go with DCL excursions. We just love to be at our own pace and see the things we want when we want especially with a young child.

 

[kaseyC]

Perfect! I was thinking about 10% because ours is just a driver from port to Florence/pisa and from port to pompeii/naples. It was additional cost to get a guide which would mean we might as well go with DCL excursions. We just love to be at our own pace and see the things we want when we want especially with a young child.

You will love having your own driver, it's so nice going at your own pace, making extra wine and/or gelato stops if needed. Our girls are teens/young adults now so we always include a stop for shopping. It's hard to go back to the big bus cruise line excursions especially with young kids.

 

[disneyholic family]

Well not sure if I can post but its highly rated companies I found on TripAdvisor that other cruisers have used with success. They may be small companies but definitely ones that have an excellent rating and years of referrals by other cruisers.

the reason i asked is if it's an independent operator that you're paying directly, then no need to tip..
but if he's working for someone else, then yes, i would definitely tip..
while it's true that europe doesn't have the tipping culture that the US does, things have changed a bit in recent years...

 

[RedSox68]

the reason i asked is if it's an independent operator that you're paying directly, then no need to tip..
but if he's working for someone else, then yes, i would definitely tip..
while it's true that europe doesn't have the tipping culture that the US does, things have changed a bit in recent years...

We got both of our private tours through tripadvisor. One was a sole driver and guide who ran the company and when we tried to give extra for a tip he really seemed surprised (we did Hampton and Windsor in one day -- tiring but fabulous). The other was the owner and his driver. We defintely tipped the driver and gave a little extra to the owner also because the tour was extraordinary (Dover, Canterbury and Leeds Castle in one day -- wonderful).

While in London, we did two things on our own -- we took the train to Warner Brothers Studio to tour the Harry Potter sets; and we booked a tour with Viator that includes Oxford and Highcleer Castle (where Downton Abbey was filmed) and Bampton (the town in Downton Abbey).