tipping on coach tour..

violetta

PasturesNew wrote: »

For $280 you could have an entire extra holiday!

Just get two $5 bills and some paper cut to the same size. One each end, elastic band round it, in the envelope ... hand over ... and RUN!!

10 x $1 bills have the same effect without the trouble with the scissors and paper!

mich_city

princesswoo wrote: »

If you give the tip at the end of your tour whats it matter. Your tour is over.

Im assuming they get a wage and arent soley reliable on tips to feed themselves. That would be some money spinner. I dont know how many people will be on the trip but if its a standard coach of 50 pasengers that means the guide would make $250 a day - WOW i wish.

My thoughts exactly!

As for when, thats what i'm not too sure about.. hoping its at the end, you would imagine so.. but went on a Nile cruise last year and we were asked to stump up tips at the start.. actually we'd not long stepped into the airport before we were asked for this and op. tours money!!

violetta

mich_city wrote: »

As for when, thats what i'm not too sure about.. hoping its at the end, you would imagine so.. but went on a Nile cruise last year and we were asked to stump up tips at the start.. actually we'd not long stepped into the airport before we were asked for this and op. tours money!!

Our 'hand over' was right at the end - to the driver the last time we saw him as we got off the coach for the hotel in San Francisco, to the guide in the foyer of the hotel just before boarding mini buses to airport.

mum2one

I tip what I can afford, when I was in Mexico there was a note saying about tips, and the conversion rate (back in 2001), was that poor it worked out £10 per day!!

I tipped the equivalent of £5 for the 2 weeks.

Re the coach, hope u have a great hol, looking at doing one of those trips in 2yrs (the dreaded 40th!!), I guess why they say that amount is all the gratitudes (big word for me!!) are included so in theory you only have the driver + courier to tip, I bet a penny to a pound, everyone else is thinking the same question but doesnt want to ask, same if it comes up in conversation.

I would tip what you can afford, the envelopes in theory shouldnt have any personal details, even if its 20 dollars, its 20 dollars there better off.

Thank you to the other poster who recommended the special locks, as Ive got Cuba on my I want list, and would feel safer with one of those special locks, thank you in advance. xx

mich_city

violetta wrote: »

Our 'hand over' was right at the end - to the driver the last time we saw him as we got off the coach for the hotel in San Francisco, to the guide in the foyer of the hotel just before boarding mini buses to airport.

thanks, thats good to know!

sounds like the same tour, we are staying for an extra 2 days in san francisco at the end..

mich_city

mum2one wrote: »

I tip what I can afford, when I was in Mexico there was a note saying about tips, and the conversion rate (back in 2001), was that poor it worked out £10 per day!!

I tipped the equivalent of £5 for the 2 weeks.

Re the coach, hope u have a great hol, looking at doing one of those trips in 2yrs (the dreaded 40th!!), I guess why they say that amount is all the gratitudes (big word for me!!) are included so in theory you only have the driver + courier to tip, I bet a penny to a pound, everyone else is thinking the same question but doesnt want to ask, same if it comes up in conversation.

I would tip what you can afford, the envelopes in theory shouldnt have any personal details, even if its 20 dollars, its 20 dollars there better off.

Thank you to the other poster who recommended the special locks, as Ive got Cuba on my I want list, and would feel safer with one of those special locks, thank you in advance. xx

thanks!

we are doing this one - http://www.cosmostourama.co.uk/product-detail/906/17/0 gonna be a long slog on the coach but no way either of us could drive that distance.. tesco deals paid for a good whack of it

violetta

mich_city wrote: »

thanks, thats good to know!

sounds like the same tour, we are staying for an extra 2 days in san francisco at the end..

Ours was with Archers - I chose it because it was a circular tour, flying into and out of San Francisco. We did Monterrey, Seven Mile Drive, Carmel, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles (2 nights), Scottsdale, Las Vegas (3 nights), Grand Canyon, Williams, Mammoth Mountain Inn (scary experience, place was haunted, never been so truly truly scared in my life - compared notes with others next day and we had all had the same feelings/experiences :eek: ) Yosemite, Sonora, Sacramento and back to San Fran. (Edit: yes, it is almost exactly like your Cosmos trip)

They had a free booze and food 'Happy Hour' 17.00 - 18.30 at the hotel in Sacramento (it was great, fantastic ice breaker, should have been at the start of the trip not the end!), and being Brits we had enough stashed in that time to last us until 10.30. That was when our British reserves broke down and we all voiced our incredulity about the recommended level of tips!!!

mum2one

violetta wrote: »

Ours was with Archers - I chose it because it was a circular tour, flying into and out of San Francisco. We did Monterrey, Seven Mile Drive, Carmel, Solvang, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles (2 nights), Scottsdale, Las Vegas (3 nights), Grand Canyon, Williams, Mammoth Mountain Inn (scary experience, place was haunted, never been so truly truly scared in my life - compared notes with others next day and we had all had the same feelings/experiences :eek: ) Yosemite, Sonora, Sacramento and back to San Fran. (Edit: yes, it is almost exactly like your Cosmos trip)

They had a free booze and food 'Happy Hour' 17.00 - 18.30 at the hotel in Sacramento (it was great, fantastic ice breaker, should have been at the start of the trip not the end!), and being Brits we had enough stashed in that time to last us until 10.30. That was when our British reserves broke down and we all voiced our incredulity about the recommended level of tips!!!

Archers was part of the Cosmos group, use to be holiday side, for 2 yrs I had buy one get one half price hol from their winter brocheres, they then dropped the holiday side, but kept Archers for the coaching, then decided to use Cosmos logo all through.
x
(I'm a mind of useless info)x

mum2one

mich_city wrote: »

thanks!

we are doing this one - http://www.cosmostourama.co.uk/product-detail/906/17/0 gonna be a long slog on the coach but no way either of us could drive that distance.. tesco deals paid for a good whack of it

That trip looks absolutely amazing, good idea useing the Tesco vouchers 2wards it, afraid to say were not that adventurous using our vouchers, this yr theyve paid 1/2 of 2 weeks in Blackpool, dd (whos 6,going on 18), thought Id get away with useing them as theyve not partnered with Haven this yr, but no dd, has spotted Park Resorts and asked for 2 wks next yr at Abergele!!

I love the sound of your trip, very weird, but so far I have only got Travelsphere just to get priceing structure, and I've fallen for a trip, a lot covers the same as urs

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1744865&goto=newpost

xx

zappahey

mich_city wrote: »

The holiday info states not to use a lock on the case as it may be broken off if a search is required!.. not keen on leaving my case unlocked. Is this strictly enforced?.. does say to use cable ties if needed.. better than nothing I suppose?

Thanks!

We never bother with locks but we don't put anything of value in checked baggage as the risk is too high, with or without locks.

In my view, a lock only draws attention that there is something inside, which the traveller thinks is worth protecting, so makes it a target.

As for TSA locks, call me paranoid, but I don't believe for a minute that thieves don't have the keys to fit these locks.