How much to tip on bike tour?

[Veronica]

I'm pretty WS went as low as 5% in their literature. It's at home, so i could be wrong.

We prepped our cash ahead of time and I brought it in a card so I could add a note of personal thanks.

Veronica

[indysteel]

I'm pretty WS went as low as 5% in their literature. It's at home, so i could be wrong.

We prepped our cash ahead of time and I brought it in a card so I could add a note of personal thanks.

Veronica

That's a nice touch. Thanks for the suggestion.

[DonnaS]

Womantours suggests $7-$12/day gratuity per guide, depending on your satisfation level. I'm doing their Moab tour next week... super excited although the temperatures (90 on our first day's ride) will be tough to take.

The card is a great suggestion!

[indysteel]

Wow; that sounds like a great tour, Donna. Have lots of fun. Out of curiosity, how many guides will there be on the trip?

I find the disparity in tour company suggestions to be interesting, although I'd add that the camping tour I'm doing is different from one in which attendees are staying in a hotel and largely eating at restaurants.

[DonnaS]

Two guides... usually they switch off with one riding sweep and the other driving the sag wagon/preparing lunch. There are just ten of us signed up last I heard. This is the second WT trip I've taken; they do an exceptional job.

I imagine the guides on a fully supported camping trip are on duty 24 hours/day!

[marni]

I have done several cross country trips with Woman Tours, led by two guides, one of which cooks and rides sweep, the other of whom drives the van pulling a trailer of luggage and bike bits, both of whom are mechanics, from three to four of the riders alternate as the drivers of the Sag station wagon ( for a discount from the fees) which meets us every 20 miles or so, alternating with the van with or without the trailer depending on the length of the day. The guides and sag drivers frequently have the baggage unloaded from the van and into the lobby, the sag wagon restocked and the cooler of drinks out waiting at the van for the riders as they reach the van and sign in.

Believe me, these guides earn every penny of tip and more. On the longer trips what usually happens is that someone in the group will offer to get a card and collect the tips and then do a little presentation at the closing night dinner.

I tip 12-15% but I really feel like they earn it because they such super women and they have to put up with all of us and our problems for a month or more at a time.

On other short trips with WT and other companies I usually tip 12%. About the only time I travel or spend any money on anything other than bare necessities is on one of these me vacations but that is just me.

marni

[aka_kim]

I usually tip $10-$20 per day per guide, given with a card to the main guide. On the hotel-based tours I've done costing $3000 and up I can't imagine tipping 10-20% of the tour price! Maybe I'm on the bike tour blacklist for my stinginess. On large tours of 50 or more people I don't usually tip at all ....