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Tipping on Vacation: A Complete Guide to Who, When & How Much

Home / Travel Tips / Tipping on Vacation: A Complete Guide to Who, When & How Much

Liana Moore, Updated February 21, 2022

hilton waikoloa pool
The stunning pool at Hilton Waikoloa, which Kings' Land guests have access to. Photo credit: Liana Moore.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy, SheBuysTravel may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

We all know how much to tip at a restaurant. Or, we did until a pandemic arrived. The service industry was dramatically impacted. Tipped workers saw their earnings plummet and they have taken the brunt of customer anger and frustration. So, in 2021 when you are wondering how much gratuity to tip, err on the side of generosity. Here’s SheBuysTravel’s crowdsourced advice on post-pandemic tipping on vacation etiquette.

Do you know who and how much to tip while on a family vacation? I didn’t realize, until a few years ago when I went to work for a resort hotel, that I should be tipping housekeeping as a thank you for keeping our hotel room clean. Oooh, faux pas! Since then I’ve consulted a few sources to come up with a comprehensive vacation tipping guide when vacationing in the United States.

If in doubt, always go with 15-20% of the total bill. In a post-pandemic year, or for excellent service, always go with a higher tip amount. From housekeeping and your server to the taxi driver and coffee shop barista, here’s a tipping guide. A well-deserved tip can make all the difference for someone working federal minimum wage to support their family. And, a kind note to go along with it can make their day.

Other countries have different tipping etiquette than the United States, so be sure to research your specific international destination. Tipping customs vary from country to country and you don’t want to offend.

Certainly we can appreciate the Skycap who takes our luggage curbside with a tip.
Tip the skycap who takes your luggage curbside and helps ensure its delivery to your airplane, tip $1-3 per bag. Photo credit: Liana Moore 

Family Vacation Tipping Guide: Who & How Much

This tipping guide gives you a good rule of thumb for several categories of service workers. The last year has been tough for all service and hospitality workers relying on a percent tip to feed their families. When you can, always be a bigger tipper, particularly for excellent service.

Airport Skycap

These workers lift heavy bags and help us get to our flights on time with less hassle. Don’t forget to tip them. $1-3 per bag is appropriate.

Bellhop

The valet readying Mountain SheBuysTravel's Silvercar by Audi, making travel easier and earning a tip.
The valet readying my Audi as we departed Royal Pacific Universal Studios Florida for Disney World Resort. Photo credit: Liana Moore

Plan to tip $1 to $5 depending on how many bags and how much trouble it saves you. If a doorman doubles as a bellhop, follow the same advice.

Valet Service

You know to tip the valet service. But do you know when to tip? American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) suggests tipping $1-5 when your car is delivered. They say that giving a tip when your car is parked is optional. We’d suggest that $1 is a bit low and that you should start at $2 or $3.

Front Desk

There is no need to tip the front desk unless they take on extra tasks for you. There are times that a front desk agent may double as a concierge. Or, they may retrieve packages for you. There are any number of additional tasks they may help you with and then you would want to tip.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping ensures that your room is clean and neat. Don't forget tipping your housekeeper! Photo: Mountain SheBuysTravel/ Liana Moore
Housekeeping makes sure that your room is spotless. They work hard and deserve a tip. Don’t forget them! Photo credit:  Liana Moore

This may be the one area of services most overlooked, yet most deserved. Housekeepers work extraordinarily hard. And, isn’t cleanliness the most important part of any vacation? So, how much should you tip housekeeping? The AHLA suggests $1-5 per night.

However, if you aren’t tidy or are a large group, you certainly want to err on the higher side. Or, if you are staying in a condo and they are helping to wash dishes or other services outside of their scope of work, you certainly will want to leave a larger tip. And, really, these are the people who will most appreciate it.

What else should you know about tipping maid service? Your housekeeper may change daily. So it is actually a good idea to tip daily, rather than at the end of your vacation. During this last year of the Pandemic, housekeeping services may have been limited. Should you tip less? The SheBuysTravel consensus is, no. Continue to tip the same or even more. Be a good tipper.

Should you request items delivered to your room such as an extra blanket or toiletries, make sure to give that person $1-3 for their trouble.

On a cruise, this person is a room attendant. And, the cruise line will likely recommend an amount that they may add to your final bill. This SheBuysTravel was grateful for their room attendant on their Disney Cruise. Keeping a small space tidy is a difficult task. And, the kids’ stuffed animals tucked into bed was an appreciated extra touch.

Concierge

How much to tip the concierge really depends on the service provided. Start at $5 for a fairly basic service and go up from there for help landing hard-to-score reservations.

Room Service

Generally, room service food delivery should be tipped similarly as wait staff at a restaurant at 15-20% of the total bill. But many hotels and resorts will add a tip onto the bill. So, look at the bill before tipping. If it is included, consider adding a little extra.

This last year, food delivery has taken many new forms other than just traditional wait staff. Don’t forget to tip anyone who brings you food or drink in any form, with the exception of fast food. It has never been expected to tip on fast food. But again, when you receive good service if not a tip, then a good review is appreciated.

Shuttle Driver

Consider tipping $1-2 per person for a hotel courtesy shuttle driver. If the driver does something extra, consider giving more. For example, they may make an extra stop for you.

Spa Services

From the hairdresser and manicurist to the masseuse, 15-20% is an appropriate tip.

Courtesy Car Driver

Some luxury hotels include free rides in their private house car as a part of your stay. This is a private ride and you should tip more. We suggest $5 to $10 per ride.

Taxi, Uber, Lyft or Private Shuttle

The recommendations differ greatly here, ranging from 10 – 20%. You may need to factor in the cost. If you’ve taken a $5 Uber ride, 20% may still be on the low side. Surge pricing has become more reasonable. But there is still a valid reason for surge pricing. A driver may have to spend a lot of time getting to a destination, and then getting out of there. Same goes for taxi drivers.

When what should be a five-minute drive takes forty-five minutes, I certainly wouldn’t scrimp on a tip. Fortunately most of these car services offer the ability to add the tip to your credit card.

For questions on how to use Lyft or Uber when traveling with kids, check out this article.

Tour & Activity Providers

white water rafting tips on the royal gorge
The author white water rafting through Royal Gorge Canyon in Colorado. The guide much deserved a good tip not just for successfully navigating us through the rapids, but also for keeping us enthralled with stories. Photo credit: Echo Canyon River Expeditions

Recommendations for tour guides and activity providers vary. 10 to 20% is a safe guideline. If it is a group tour, or shorter in length you can probably tip on the lower end. But for private tours and day-long activities, you will want to tip on the higher end. The more personal the service, the more you should tip. This could be a white water raft guide or wrangler leading a horseback riding trail ride.

More Vacation Tipping Guidelines

Remember that. for someone working as a tipped worker, a tip can make all the difference to them and their family. So, include tips in your vacation budget. Bring cash with some in smaller bills so that you are prepared.

Increasing a tip is an excellent way to reward good service. Yet, if someone goes above and beyond, a note to the manager or mention in a review could mean a lot to them too.

If you are receiving a discount, make sure to tip on the full price.

Generally the tipping point is at the end of service, with the exception of housekeeping as described above.

And finally, when traveling outside of America, make sure to check guidelines for that specific country. It is possible to offend in a different culture with tips. Tipping customs are different in different parts of the world.

photo credit: Liana Moore

Filed Under: Travel Tips

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donna says

    October 5, 2022 at 10:06 pm

    Thank you so much. These tipping guidelines are so helpful in planning my bucket list trip. Your guidelines are explained so well and let’s me know how to guage my tip amount. It can save me money as well as embarrassment. Again, very grateful .

    Reply
  2. Rosie says

    October 6, 2020 at 9:20 pm

    Please don’t overlook any Activities staff that cares for your children!

    Reply
  3. Christine Tibbetts says

    January 15, 2019 at 5:58 pm

    These specific suggestions are really helpful to read all together. Certainly helps shape a realistic budget for the entire trip. Planning ahead for small bills is wise too, as per your suggestions.

    Reply
    • Liana Moore, Mountain SheBuysTravel says

      January 24, 2019 at 1:33 pm

      Thanks, Christine! Glad you found it helpful. Remembering smaller bills for tipping is the one area of travel planning where my husband bests me.

      Reply
  4. Janet says

    July 2, 2013 at 11:49 am

    This is a great post for anyone thinking of taking a family vacation soon. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine exactly how much to tip, but this article is really helpful!

    Reply

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