Tour Manager Tips

Many years ago we were on a tour. One particular day we had been about half an hour in the coach when the tour guide suggested we needed to stop for a rest, we all said no carry on. He insisted we needed to get out and stretch our legs. The whole coach said no again and refused to leave the coach. We were finally persuaded when we were told, he had to have his company card stamped by the shop to say we had visited it. He also got a percentage on the goods sold.

Don't forget they are often self employed and so would have to pay tax and insurance out of their earnings.

We are going for 4/5 days in the UK. I imagine she will be paid for doing her job.

Iam64

It might depend on where the tour takes place. In India we learned tips formed the great proportion of wages. Similar in `Egypt.

Yes, I agree. When travelling to countries such as India and Egypt, it's very different. But I'm referring to British tour guides, who I assume already get paid for doing their job? Don't they?

I don't know. Holidays are expensive and if I'm forking out for one I expect any staff involved to be paid already. I note several travel companies understand this and absolutely no extra expenses are now expected. These are for European holidays. I know staff are paid differently in America but we are not going there.

That seems excessive on top of the cost of the holiday.
It makes me quite happy not to be going on holidays anymore.

That’s exactly what we are going to do kitty . And yes it does seem excessive. We have the tour chap and the river cruise staff - so it works out to quite a lot! What with that and paying a lady to come in twice a day for our little stray cat😮😮.

We have done coach tours, both here and overseas.

The long haul ones have been for two-three weeks, and the company are keen to suggest how much to tip.

We tipped what we thought was appropriate, regardless of suggestions. Some tour managers much better than others, and the tips reflected this. Put the money in an envelope and handed it over as we said our farewells.

Remember after one trip, sitting in the airport and seeing our tour guide, thinking no one was there, ripping open the envelopes and having a count up.

Our trip literature includes that suggestion too. £5 - 7 per person per day works out at £50 for us. We will take that much in cash, in an unsealed envelope, and see how we feel at the end of the trip. We thought it sounded an awful lot.

...an extra £520 tax free cash on top if their wages.

Not necessarily.
When my son worked in a cocktail bar/nightclub, his tax code included an amount that HMRC had decided he would be receiving in tips, and taxed him accordingly.
The onus was on him to keep accurate records and dispute this if it wasn't the case.

That sounds a lot to me, 40 people tipping £40. I did a uk trip recently and the driver and host were good, it was 6 days, in the UK, I gave them both £10 each. I normally give £5. each for 5 days. When I though about it later I thought 52 passengers at £10 each is too much an extra £520 tax free cash on top if their wages.

I don't tip anyone.

Sounds like a great job, to me it doesn’t matter what he earns, its none of my business and a £5 tip seems reasonable.

If I was younger, I would train to be a Tour Guide. £2000 per week - wow !!!

It might depend on where the tour takes place. In India we learned tips formed the great proportion of wages. Similar in `Egypt.

No experience, but this amount sounds reasonable to me.