How much to tip in CR
Jan 12th, 2006, 05:20 AM
#2
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There is a service charge added to most everything, but as I understand this service charge is split up amongst a large group of people. Whereas a tip directly to the housekeeping staff, waiter, tour guide, etc. goes directly to that individual. We have found the Costa Rican service employees to be very hard working, always eager to please. So our thoughts are to tip the same as we would at home.
Jan 12th, 2006, 07:31 AM
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I agree w/ dfarmer. I tip like I would here -- the Ticos bend over backwards to please you and they deserve a good tip. At restaurants there's a 10% charge added to the bill, but I'm told that the waiters rarely see any of it, so if you're happy w/ the service, leave a nice tip.
Sandy
Sandy
Jan 12th, 2006, 10:37 AM
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Pat Hewitt, a great travel agent who specializes in Costa Rica once posted the following advice re tipping in CR, which I clipped and saved. As always, I thought his advice sounded knowledgeable and sensitive.
There is a 10% tip added to all restaurant bills. If the service has been good, add another 10%.
Taxi drivers are rarely tipped, unless they perform a special service. But if you have a private airport transfer, you should tip a two or three dollars. Tip a little more if you have excess luggage or more than a couple of people in your group.
Bell hops (they are rare, except in the most expensive places) and maids are tipped just like you would in the US.
Tour guides are a special category. If you have a guide for multiple days, then figure up to ten dollars per day. A fishing charter crew should get fifteen to twenty dollars per man. A private guide (just your group) should get tipped a minimum of ten dollars, more like twenty if it is a full day or your group is large. Rafting guides and other group tours (Canopy?) about five bucks per person.
One other thing. Tipping is done discreetly. Even if you have the best intentions, you have to be careful that you don't look like you are trying to be a North America big shot. When you tip a guide, shake his hand an thank him when you give him his tip. The tip is important. But the fact that you appreciated his skills means as much. When you tip in restaurants, don't hand the tip to the waiter. Leave the extra tip on the table.
That reminds me of something else! You will never get a bill in a restaurant if you don't ask for it. This is just good manners on the restaurant's part. Some people like to linger over coffee. Throwing the bill on the table before you are ready to go is rude. It is like you are being told to leave. So you have to ask for the check. If you are not used to it, it is easy to mistake this simple courtesy as bad service.
There is a 10% tip added to all restaurant bills. If the service has been good, add another 10%.
Taxi drivers are rarely tipped, unless they perform a special service. But if you have a private airport transfer, you should tip a two or three dollars. Tip a little more if you have excess luggage or more than a couple of people in your group.
Bell hops (they are rare, except in the most expensive places) and maids are tipped just like you would in the US.
Tour guides are a special category. If you have a guide for multiple days, then figure up to ten dollars per day. A fishing charter crew should get fifteen to twenty dollars per man. A private guide (just your group) should get tipped a minimum of ten dollars, more like twenty if it is a full day or your group is large. Rafting guides and other group tours (Canopy?) about five bucks per person.
One other thing. Tipping is done discreetly. Even if you have the best intentions, you have to be careful that you don't look like you are trying to be a North America big shot. When you tip a guide, shake his hand an thank him when you give him his tip. The tip is important. But the fact that you appreciated his skills means as much. When you tip in restaurants, don't hand the tip to the waiter. Leave the extra tip on the table.
That reminds me of something else! You will never get a bill in a restaurant if you don't ask for it. This is just good manners on the restaurant's part. Some people like to linger over coffee. Throwing the bill on the table before you are ready to go is rude. It is like you are being told to leave. So you have to ask for the check. If you are not used to it, it is easy to mistake this simple courtesy as bad service.
Jan 14th, 2006, 12:10 PM
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Tipping is very difficult in Costa Rica. I agree the Ticos do bend over backwards to please you, but not all of them. At most of the restaurants we ate at the service was bad. Beside the 10% already added to the bill they are not use to getting an extra tip, so they don't check up on you throughout your meal. But if you feel your service was good by all means tip them. We tipped our tour guides on our first tour $20 ($10 each) there were two guides and only two of us so we felt they deserved it. When we got back to the hotel the hotel owner told us "That was too much. That was about what they make in a day. The minimum wage in Costa Rica is $1 an hour and if we tip too much it messes up their economy. So, you have to take in to consideration how much they make an hour and how much you tip them.”
Jan 14th, 2006, 01:22 PM
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I'm admittedly no economist, but I fail to see how overtipping guides is going to drastically affect Costa Rica's economy.It's sad to see how little some guides have. How much to tip depends also on how long a tour is. I think $10 per person is fair for an all-day tour.
Perhaps I'm totally off-base here as we've only been to CR once, but there seemed to be have and have-nots, with some of the "haves" (one hotel manager we met had this attitude) resentful of anything extra given the have-nots. Is this true?
Perhaps I'm totally off-base here as we've only been to CR once, but there seemed to be have and have-nots, with some of the "haves" (one hotel manager we met had this attitude) resentful of anything extra given the have-nots. Is this true?
