tipping tour guide and bus driver

How Much Should You Tip on a Guided Tour? All Your Gratuity Questions Answered

Everything you need to know about tipping on a guided tour..

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When you book a guided tour , it may seem like you’re covering most of your vacation costs before you even depart. Most tours include accommodations, trip leaders, local guides, transportation during the trip, admission fees, and many meals all in the upfront cost. But the addd cost of tour leader tips and other customary gratuities can sneak up on you unless you’ve factored them in at the beginning.

Inspired by my own frustration about the vague information available about how much to tip on guided tours, I’ve compared tipping guidelines and recommendations from a dozen different tour companies to create this tipping guide for tours. You can use it to get a sense of tour operator tipping norms and then plan accordingly.

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Which Gratuities Are Covered in Most Tours?

Many tour companies build tips for support staff into the tour price. That could include hotel staff, waiters, and sometimes (but not always) bus drivers. If your guided tour has a dedicated motor coach driver for the entire trip, for example, you may be expected to tip the driver in addition to your guides.

And almost none of the tour operators I spoke with include the priciest of all tips—tour leader gratuities—into the cost of a tour. The exception is Road Scholar , which includes group leader gratuities in the up-front tour cost. 

Which Gratuities Are Not Covered in Most Tours?

Beyond the above-mentioned exceptions, most tour companies do not include tips for guides and hotel housekeeping. Often, these people rely on tips as a vital part of their income, so it’s important to set your own budget accordingly to make sure you’re tipping at an appropriate level for their service.

• Tour Leader/Director: I’ll go into more detail below about tipping tour leaders, but in terms of the biggest gratuity expense to budget for on a tour, this is it, since the customary amount may well be in the hundreds of dollars.
• Local Tour Guides: Some tour companies will include local tour guides into the gratuities covered in the cost of the tour, while others say you should tip local tour guides individually. If you’re expected to tip local guides on your own, the daily amount usually falls somewhere in the $2 to $10 range. Local tour guides tend to be used for day tours, so you’ll want to tip them at the end of the day, as you may not see them again.
• Hotel Housekeeping: In-room tips for the cleaning staff aren’t generally paid by tour companies. TourScoop’s sister site FamilyVacationist has an explainer about hotel housekeeping tipping etiquette , but generally speaking the customary range is $3 to $10 per day depending on the hotel class. 
• Independent Meals: Learn tipping customs for your destinations before you go, since you’ll likely have some meals on your own and will want to be able to tip or not tip as the culture dictates. 

Why You Should Always Tip Your Tour Leaders

Ask a tour company why you should tip your tour leader and you’ll likely get some version of, “Well, it’s the customary way to thank them for all their hard work” or “It’s how you show appreciation and gratitude.” 

Intrepid Travel goes a bit deeper on its explanation, noting that “tipping is still a big part of leaders’ overall income” and that tipping locals for their guiding services is actually a powerful way to inject cash into the local economy. Since tip money doesn’t pass through a third party, the money “either go[es] straight to the leader, or get[s] divided up among your porters and local guides.”

A great tour leader turns a good experience into a great one, and it’s natural to want to make sure they feel appreciated, even if you have some resistance to the structures that require guests to heavily subsidize these hard-working wonders.

How Much to Tip Your Tour Leaders

The less helpful but most accurate answer to the question of how much to tip your tour leader is that information about tipping is generally found in the final documents you receive before your trip, so be sure to read those pages carefully when you get them (usually somewhere between a month and two weeks before the start of a tour). To give you a ballpark estimate, though, the daily per person tip for a tour leader tip should be somewhere in the range of $7 to $12, with $10 per person per day being the most widely recommended amount. 

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That amount can add up quickly, especially if you have more than one tour leader and/or are traveling with a family group . For instance, Adventures by Disney (which is refreshingly up-front about its tipping recommendations) pencils out gratuities for a 10-day tour with a family of four at $720 to $880, since its family travel adventures always include two tour leaders. That can be sticker-shock territory, which is why I suspect so many tour companies are so cagey about how much to tip tour leaders. 

How and When to Tip on a Guided Tour

Some companies—including Trafalgar , Globus , and Collette —may give you the option to pre-pay tour leader tips with your credit card at the time of booking. On the one hand, that’s great, since it means you don’t need to carry around cash to give at the very end of the trip. On the other hand, it pokes holes in the industry-wide story that the tip is tied to the service you’ve received.

Most tour companies still recommend tipping your tour leader at the end of the tour. Plan to tip in either the local currency or U.S. dollars if it’s a widely accepted currency in the destination country. Some tour leaders also accept Venmo or PayPal.

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We're presently on the first of three consecutive tours run by Cosmos / Globus. They are requesting tips of 4 to 6 Euros/Pounds per day for the tour director and half that for the driver. As the three tours total some 50 days, that would equate to about 750 Euros or Pounds. When we booked we were of the understanding that all tipping & gratuities were included. In Australia we only tip for great service as a thank you and to encourage great service. We really can't afford to pay out another €750 after what we paid for the tours originally.

What do others, particularly Aussies,think?

Thanks everyone :)

I've come across this before on a couple of occasions. Made me furious to be told I had to do it and how much. I have to say that I've seldom seen anyone pay the 'suggested amount' per day. It's always in their interests to ask.

Check your contract if you can and see if it states that tips are included. However I can't see how they can make you pay. That is a huge sum, is anyone else in the same position on the trip? Can you discuss with them? Another option if you have that sort of phone contract it to ring or email the company you booked with and say that for 3 tours you can't be expected to pay that much and hadn't expected it.

If not then you need to speak to whoever is suggesting this and explain. Perhaps work out what you are prepared to pay in your own mind and just say that you will tip but can't afford that sort of sum. Let's face it, they aren't going to follow you home and demand it ;-)

It happened to me on a Nile River Cruise where a standard amount was collected so the 'whole crew' could get a share. Laudable in a way but it wasn't in any documents and left me short. When I mentioned it to the company I went with they said there was no such thing and refused to acknowledge it.

Again on a tour of Borneo someone decided they would collect a large amount. Speaking to others they agreed we gave what we felt was right, it was a lot smaller,

Ditto on a boat in the Indian Ocean with £25 per week but it was a sealed envelope and I gave what I could and tipped those that had made my trip special.

I'm happy to give to someone who's given me a great experience as you say. I know it's a thing to tip the driver and guide and sometimes there's a suggested amount per day which mounts up to paying their wages I sometimes think.

<<<When we booked we were of the understanding that all tipping & gratuities were included. >>>

This is something that is worth well confirming any time you book a tour as tipping expectations vary greatly around the world. Usually there is something stated specifically in the tour or programme notes indicating if and what tips are usual and expected. If not, I'd ask very clearly and seek written explanation (at least through email) of what is guests are expected to do when it comes to tips and gratuities.

Based on you mentioning euro and pound sterling, then rest assured that it's not going to be illegal to not tip in any of the countries you'll be visiting. Tip whatever you want to tip, if anything at all, and ignore these suggestions!

This has been beaten to death in the Senior Travel forum. Personally, I would tip nothing in Europe. These 'recommendations' are made for the US market.

https://tinyurl.com/lldfeqh

I'm not Australian but I know what I'd tell them....and it's not repeatable here!

I dislike intensly this notion of expected tipping, it is not the norm in Europe, especially for someone just doing their job.

Not all of us frequent the Senior Travel forum, wigwam, though I probably should as I'm now of an age!

I have seen it suggested in the blurb for some tours in Europe. Usually it's coach tours and high street suppliers.

If you mention it the reply seems to be 'they don't get paid well' - there are so many answers to that I won't start.

I worked out what some were getting in tips once and looked into how to become a travel guide (seriously) because that is some serious money if they get it from whole groups of people.

Nobody tipped me for the many mirriad of jobs I've done,

Hi RojBlake, I wouldn't say I frequent the Senior Travel forum. I was browsing the Humtab forum to see how members felt about the restructure and I came across the Senior forum. I was intrigued by the number of conflicting posts on the Tipping driver and guide thread, so did recall it when I read this thread. I couldn't imagine being on a coach with such a group of unlikeminded people so I commented on being glad I didn't do tours and haven't been back since, although I am also of that age.

In many European cities the Tour Manager who is escorting you from A to B are not aloud to do any guiding in those cities. They have to pick up a local official guide who should be very knowledgable. So, the Tour Manager is basically somebody who shuttles you from one place to another.

Sometimes they can be very good and impart a lot of information, but sometimes they are just winging it as they have never escorted that particular tour before.

This huge tipping idea is directed at Americans who have spoilt it for other nationalities taking excursions and holidays outside their own countries.

Official guides are extremely well paid. Tour escorts can earn good money too by selling extra excursions.

If you feel you have had good service then I would leave €20 for the Tour Manager and €10 for the driver based on a 7 day tour. However, I wouldn't feel guilty in leaving nothing, either.

Interesting Hermanaeriza, that explains a lot. Your suggestion sounds reasonable.

I don't mind tipping for outstanding or extra service or experience but I've seen/experienced some downright shonkey and money for old rope practises too.

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How Much To Tip a Tour Guide in the U.S. and Europe

Let’s face it. Tipping can be a delicate topic, and how much to tip a tour guide can seem especially ambiguous. What’s the right amount? When do you tip? Is gratuity ever included? Do you tip for kids, too? What if you had a bad experience? Does the amount you need to tip change based on how long the tour is?

Those are all valid questions. We’ve worked with hundreds of local tour guides to offer tours in over a dozen cities across the U.S. and Europe. With that experience, we have some tipping know-how for tours in top tourist destinations like Paris, New York, and Rome. This isn’t meant as a rule book. Tipping is always at the guest’s discretion, but whether you tour with us or someone else, we want to demystify tour guide gratuities for everyone.

Below, we’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about tipping tour guides (plus a few you hadn’t thought to ask). But first, let’s define what gratuities are.

Gratuities and tour guides: an introduction

A gratuity is an amount of money given voluntarily to certain service workers as a thank you for excellent service. 

It’s considerably less than the full cost of the service, often a percentage or a flat amount, and it really is a way to show appreciation. Gratuity comes from the Latin word gratus , meaning thankful, the same word that gives us “gratitude.” And you thought we wouldn’t be covering etymology in this blog post.

Gratuities are most common in the restaurant and hospitality industry. You often tip cab drivers, bartenders, hair stylists, bellhops, and valets but not other service professionals like your accountant or plumber. Tour guides — those fearless leaders who show us new places and take us on exciting travel experiences — are in the group of hospitality workers who frequently are tipped for good service.

Should I tip my tour guide?

Basic tipping etiquette says, yes, you should tip your tour guide. There are exceptions if your specific tour experience includes gratuities or you simply didn’t have a good time, but in general, tipping your guide at the end of the tour is customary in the U.S. and Europe, though it’s much more common in the States.

Is tipping on vacation different in the U.S. vs. Europe?

Tipping is much more prevalent in the United States than it is in Europe. In America, a traveler will tip for all kinds of hospitality services, from wait staff to the person who carries your bags to your room.

People don’t tip as much in Europe, so travelers don’t there as much either. For example, servers at restaurants are paid a normal wage and don’t rely on tips for part of their income.

When it comes to tipping tour guides, a tip isn’t required in either region, but it’s much more expected in U.S. culture. Tips, when given, aren’t typically as high in Europe. Tipping a few euros after an excellent walking tour of 1-2 hours is considered sufficient. For a longer tour or a tour with a higher price point because it includes tickets, you might tip more, around 5%-10% of the total tour cost for each person in your group.

Because of globalization, especially with many American tourists in Western European countries like France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, you don’t have to worry about gratuity being awkward or unwelcome. Most tour guides are familiar with the custom of tipping and will anticipate (and appreciate) this from their guests. But even more so than in the U.S., tipping is a sign of excellent service, so if you feel your guide did a fabulous job, a tip is a good way to show that.

How much should I tip my tour guide?

This is the harder question, but it’s probably why you’re here. So you had a good time. Your tour guide shared some local recommendations, made you smile, and overall added to your experience. How much is the right amount to tip?

It’s up to each guest — and at the end of the day, it’s optional — but here are some rules of thumb from our guides and tour operators on the ground.

• For a short guided tour in the U.S.: Tip $5-$10 (or more) per person if your tour is around two hours or less. This would be an appropriate amount for most walking tours, like our JFK Assassination Tour , as well as some attraction tours, like our express Statue of Liberty visit. For a slightly longer tour, like our Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour , you might increase the gratuity some.
• For a full-day guided tour in the U.S.: Tip $10-$20 per person if it’s a longer guided tour (think six hours or more). A family of four might tip $40 for our guided six-hour Getty Center and Griffith Observatory Tour .
• For a short guided tour in Europe: Tip €5-€10 per person for a neighborhood walking tour that’s under two hours. This would be a good fit for our 90-minute Le Marais Walking Tour in Paris. For something longer, you might add a few more euros.
• For a full-day guided tour in Europe: Tip €10-€20 per person — or about 5%-10% of the total tour price — for a full-day guided tour. If it’s a bus tour, like our Normandy beach tour from Paris , it’s customary to include a tip for the bus driver as well.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour

Those ranges above are averages, and tipping may end up being more or less, but they’re practical guideposts that any tour guide would feel good about receiving.

When do you tip your guide?

This one is easy. You tip most commonly at the end of the tour. As you’re saying your goodbyes to the guide, you can simply hand off the money. 

“A tip shows that I did an outstanding job, that I exceeded guests’ expectations, especially here in Europe where it’s less common that in the U.S.” Cristina Carrisi, Barcelona tour guide

We’ve seen many people like to do it in a “secret handshake” sort of way, slipping them the money as they shake hands. This works, but a simple hand-off is fine, too.

What if I don’t have cash?

More and more today, people don’t carry cash when they travel. Guides are aware of this, and most have other ways to accept payment, such as Venmo or Zelle. Some guides even have a QR code guests can scan. 

If you’re not sure, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask what kind of electronic payment methods they accept for gratuities. You’ll find most guides have a way to tip without cash. For example, most of our guides in the U.S. have Venmo accounts. In Europe, cash is king, so bring money if you plan to tip.

Do you tip the driver for a bus tour?

This varies by tour. It’s common for bus drivers to have a jar or box near the front where guests can drop a few bills on their way out.

For our U.S.-based bus tours at ExperienceFirst, tipping $5-$10 per guest is appropriate to cover both the guide and the driver. The guides split their tips with the driver, so giving your tip directly to the guide works best. In Europe, tipping the bus driver is customary. Around 5%-10% of the tour price is a good rule of thumb.

This rate matches about how much you’d tip for a traditional 90-minute walking tour. Even though bus tours are much longer, buses tend to be fuller than a walking tour, so this smaller tip amount is adequate. As always, tipping more is appreciated, and it’s a great way to tell your guide they did an outstanding job.

Ancient Rome Walking Tour

How much do you tip a private tour guide?

Everything works pretty much the same for a private tour. On private tours, people are sometimes less likely to tip, but unless gratuity has been included in the tour cost, it’s a nice gesture to thank your guide for their time, especially if they went above and beyond to make it a special experience for your group.

When people do tip for private tours, they typically tip more since gratuity is usually a percentage of the total service cost, and prices are higher for private tours. Private tours are also often longer and frequently involve private transportation. For a longer private driving tour, for example, such as a private Los Angeles tour , $50-$100 in tips is common, but for a larger group of, say, eight people, that’s only around $10 per person.

Do you tip for free tours?

What about those “free” walking tours? Are they really free? In short, no. Locals who offer free walking tours expect gratuities nearly always, so you should factor this into your costs when you plan.

There are a few exceptions. Sometimes a tour will say “no tips accepted” or something similar. Perhaps it’s being put on by the local convention and visitors bureau or other tourism organization. In this case, take them at their word. The walking tour really is free. Here’s one such example of a genuinely free walking tour in Bath, England.

Is gratuity included with your tour ticket?

Generally, gratuity isn’t included in the tour price because it’s optional. A few tour operators may include gratuities, particularly for multi-day excursions that also include room and board, but this is typically listed under inclusions. If you’re unsure, feel free to ask before or after booking. 

Good tour operators will make it clear if gratuities are included or not. After all, the last thing we want is for people to be surprised or feel unprepared.

Fisherman’s Wharf Walking Tour With Alcatraz Ticket

Do you tip if you didn’t like the tour?

If you didn’t enjoy the tour, it’s acceptable not to tip. A gratuity really is a sign that you had a great time and want to show the guide your appreciation.

That said, not giving a tip sends the message that you didn’t enjoy the tour. You can view the tip as a way to communicate your feelings about the tour. 

Do you tip for every person in your group, including kids?

Does the tip amount change if you’re a solo traveler, a couple, or traveling with friends or kids in tow? It’s a good question. Tips are generally per person. While your guide probably isn’t expecting gratuity to cover an infant in arms, kids often require the guide’s attention as well as adults, so they’re typically factored into the tipping amount.

However, if you’re a larger family, it’s understandable to consider a sliding scale that you feel comfortable with to cover your group. A family with six kids might tip the same amount as one with five. As always with tipping, do what you feel is right for you.

What if you don’t know if tipping is appropriate?

After reading this article, hopefully you understand when and how much to tip guides. But you might be in a situation where you’re still not sure for some reason. Maybe it’s not even for a tour.

But there’s one hack you can always use — just ask. Even the famed Emily Post Institute, which provides etiquette training to businesses and individuals around the world, says it’s OK to simply ask in advance if you’re not sure about tipping protocols for the experience or country you’ll be in. Calling or emailing in advance with your questions can help settle any concerns you might have, and it’s better to know before you go, so you can come prepared and decide what you’d like to do.

What tips mean for tour guides

As we mentioned above, a tip shows appreciation. Tipping vs. not tipping lets the guide know if you did or didn’t have a good time. We asked a couple of our guides what tipping means to them. Here’s what they said.

“It is very appreciated when we receive tips,” said Jonathan Mannato, a tour guide in NYC. “For example, there was a tour I gave in pouring rain. We give tours rain or shine, but this obstacle can be hard to keep the guests happy and engaged. We work extra hard because of this. A family of four at the end generously tipped me for my work, and it made me as a guide feel valued. While we know tipping is not required, it is very helpful with our income in this role.”

Eiffel Tower Guided Climb

“A tip shows that I did an outstanding job, that I exceeded guests’ expectations, especially here in Europe where it’s less common that in the U.S.,” said Cristina Carrisi, a tour guide in Barcelona. “I remember one time as I was giving a tour, a 5 year old accidentally broke a small statue inside a shop. Her mother had stepped away to look for the rest of the family. I patiently took care of the child while still giving the tour. The tip her family gave me at the end of the tour showed me how well I had handled the situation.”

Demystifying tour guide tipping

I hope we helped demystify how, when, and how much to tip your tour guide. Not knowing the cultural norms or expectations around tipping can make guests feel nervous, which is the last thing any tour guide or operator wants. You’re on this trip to explore and have fun, not worry.

Now that you know how to tip your tour guide, tell a friend what you learned or join the conversation on Facebook if you have more questions. We’d love to hear from you.

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A Traveler’s Guide to Tipping in a Changed World

In the age of tip fatigue, many are bewildered by how much to tip in hotels and restaurants and on guided tours. Customs in foreign countries complicate the picture. Here’s some advice from experts.

By Elaine Glusac

Not long into the pandemic, Americans were eager to tip their front-line-working baristas and servers. But now that tip fatigue has set in — driven by the proliferation of payment tablets that suggest tipping for everything from a sandwich at a grab-and-go counter to an ultrasound — consumers are often bewildered by when and how much to tip.

“This is the hottest topic in etiquette right now,” said Daniel Post Senning, the co-author of “Emily Post Etiquette, The Centennial Edition” and the great-great grandson of the etiquette icon Emily Post . He cites the pressure of inflation, the disruption of the pandemic and the rush back to travel for the unease. “There’s growing anxiety and public discussion around tipping.”

Offering guidance on when and how much to tip when you travel, etiquette experts, academics and travelers weighed in with the following advice.

Make 15 to 20 percent your restaurant baseline

Tipping standards at restaurants vary widely around the world. In the United States, the American Hotel & Lodging Association suggests in its “Gratuity Guide” leaving 15 percent of the total bill or up to 20 percent for extraordinary service.

“The minimum is 15 percent,” said Elaine Swann, an etiquette expert and the founder of the Swann School of Protocol in Carlsbad, Calif. “It can be increased from there based on the level of service received.”

Before the pandemic, tip averages in restaurants nationally had crept up to 18 percent, a standard that fell back to 15 percent more recently as inflation grew, according to Amanda Belarmino, an assistant professor in the hospitality school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “I don’t think consumers want to be stingy, but everybody’s budget is tight and they’re trying to make trade-off decisions,” she said.

Despite expert advice, consumers may not have a choice. In many American cities, tips are increasingly included in the bill and often are well above 15 percent. A recent article making the rounds in New York argues for a 20 to 25 percent standard.

At a trendy cocktail bar in Los Angeles recently, an $18 drink came to $24 after an 18 percent gratuity and an additional fee for employee health care. The bartender mentioned that the establishment includes tips in their tallies because it serves many guests from foreign countries where tipping is not standard.

According to the Independent Restaurant Coalition , service charges benefit all employees, including cooks and dishwashers as well as waiters. “The service charge model ensures that employee compensation is fair, reliable and not reliant on the diners’ experience or bias,” said Erika Polmar, the executive director of the coalition.

Beyond the United States, tip amounts vary, as illustrated in this tipping map. Often, they are less than in the United States and are sometimes included as a service charge (see the section below on tipping abroad).

Don’t be afraid to say no

Some tip requests should be denied, according to experts.

For example, when you’re ordering coffee or a sandwich from a kiosk or counter and are presented with a payment screen including suggested tip amounts, “Push past that awkwardness and push no tip,” Ms. Swann said. “Proprietors are offering a perk to employees and they’re putting it on the backs of consumers to absorb.”

Caving in to social pressure or even a scowl from the employee is, in Ms. Swann’s opinion, “giving in to a level of entitlement that should be nonexistent.”

The growth of credit card payments over cash has made it harder to show a token of appreciation via the tip jar, especially if you’re not carrying cash. If in the past you would pay with cash and leave the coins, Mr. Senning advised rounding up on your credit card and doing the same thing virtually.

Stock up on small bills

Beyond restaurants, travel offers many other opportunities to leave tips for service providers such as cabdrivers, bellhops and valets. Before she takes a trip, Ms. Swann goes to the bank to get cash, especially the $1 and $5 bills that are nearly impossible to withdraw from A.T.M.s.

Most experts agree taxi or rideshare drivers deserve 15 to 20 percent of the fare, depending on the service and the cleanliness of the vehicle. (Ms. Swann once rode in a rideshare car filled with dog hair and made the rare decision not to tip.)

Airport skycaps and the bell people at a hotel should get a few dollars a bag, based on service, and perhaps more if the task is onerous, like handling golf or ski bags. Valet parkers should get $2 to $5 at drop-off and pickup.

And if you only have larger bills, Ms. Swann added, it’s perfectly fine to ask for change back.

Remember the hotel housekeeper

Etiquette experts say hotel guests should leave $2 to $5 a night for the housekeeper each morning. The American Hotel & Lodging Association recommends $1 to $5 a night left daily, preferably in a marked envelope making it clear that it is intended for the housekeeper. In its tipping guide , UNITE HERE, the labor union whose members include hotel workers, suggests a minimum of $5 a day and more for suites.

Not many travelers comply.

Despite having the most physically demanding jobs in hotels with few avenues for advancement, “hotel housekeepers are some of the least-often tipped employees in the service industry,” according to Dr. Belarmino of U.N.L.V. “Unlike servers, who are often paid less than minimum wage that is then made up by tips, hotel housekeepers’ pay is not contingent upon tips. However, it is a courtesy to tip them.”

But in the age of infrequent or optional room cleaning, which has become more common since the pandemic, the guidelines get murkier. “If you stay one night or if you choose to skip housekeeping, I would recommend tipping about $5 at checkout,” Dr. Belarmino said.

If housekeeping is available on demand, most experts recommend tipping each time the room is serviced. And you may want to consider raising the amount.

“If the hotel won’t do daily housekeeping, make sure to tip extra on the days that you do get service and at checkout, because rooms that have gone days without housekeeping are dirtier and harder for housekeepers to clean,” wrote D. Taylor, the international president of UNITE HERE, in an email.

Mind foreign tipping customs

Customs regarding gratuities vary by country. On some trips abroad, guides with the high-end tour company Abercrombie & Kent use orientation sessions to advise guests on when to tip in unexpected places — like bathrooms in Egypt — and provide travelers with small denominations in the local currency to do so.

If you don’t have a guide to instruct you, make learning the culture of tipping abroad part of your trip planning by consulting guidebooks, tourism board websites and online sources like Tripadvisor .

“You have to look at two things: Is it expected and mandatory as it is here in the U.S. for many service jobs? And what is the social safety net like in that place?” said Pauline Frommer, the editorial director of Frommer’s , which publishes travel guidebooks covering 48 countries, including advice on how to tip.

In countries like Mexico, where wages are low, she advised tipping in restaurants as you might at home. In Europe, where waiters are paid better, tipping is less important. On trips to London and Paris last summer, she found bills with service fees included, often listed as “S.C.” for “service charge.”

“If you didn’t know, you might tip on top of that,” she said, recommending that travelers scrutinize their bills and ask if something is unfamiliar.

In Italy, travelers might find a nominal charge called a “coperto” on their bill covering bread and water.

“It comes from the days when you would go to an inn and if you wanted to have a tablecloth and plates, they charged you for it,” said Pam Mercer, the owner of California-based Tuscany Tours , which specializes in small-group travel in Italy and France.

When it comes to restaurant meals in those countries, “There’s not a hard and fast rule,” Ms. Mercer said. Her company advises guests to tip 5 to 10 percent at restaurants and give the tip directly to the waiter.

In cafes and cabs, she rounds up and leaves the change.

“France pays its employees a living wage, unlike the U.S.,” wrote Janice Wang, an American living in France who runs a Facebook group for expatriates there, in an email. “Hence, servers, hairdressers and cabdrivers don’t need tips to live. They appreciate them, but don’t need them. And they never expect a tip.”

Tip your guide

Guide services come in many varieties — from a walking tour leader to a mountaineer who helps you navigate a rock face. Travelers might engage their services for a half-day trip, a two-week tour, and everything in between and beyond.

The global tour company Intrepid Travel states on its website that “tipping is never compulsory, but always appreciated,” while also making the point that tips are a big part of a guide’s income, especially in the United States and Southeast Asia. On a multiday small-group trip in the United States, the company suggests tipping $7 to $10 a day.

The tour company Exit Glacier Guides notes that 10 to 20 percent of the trip cost for its wilderness outings is standard where it operates in Seward, Alaska. The tip for a group walk led by a naturalist beside the Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park that costs $59 a person would therefore be about $6 to $12 a person.

CIE Tours , which offers group trips in Iceland, Ireland, Italy and Britain, recommends tipping tour leaders and bus drivers the equivalent in local currency of roughly $7 to $10 each a day, depending on the location.

But the platform ToursByLocals , where local residents set prices for their own tours, discourages tips.

“The guides are in essence entrepreneurs, rather than employees, and we suggest that the best tip a traveler can leave is to return to the site and leave a thoughtful review, which will help that guide to grow their business,” wrote Paul Melhus, the co-founder and chief executive of ToursByLocals, in an email.

Free tours make it trickier to calculate tips, even though guides work solely for gratuities. Free Tours by Foot , which offers city walking tours around the world, shies away from any guidance on tipping, noting on its website , “You name the price.”

In an email, a representative in the New York office of the company wrote that the range runs “anywhere from just a thank you to $100,” with the average at $10 to $20 a person.

On its website and in email communications, Free Chicago Walking Tours is more transparent, recommending $10 to $20 a person for the guided walks that generally last two hours. Jeff Mikos, who owns the company, estimates guides average about $10 a guest on groups that can be as big as 30, but are usually closer to half of that.

About a quarter of the group “will be genuine and thankful and won’t tip, and the middle-of-the-pack average is slightly under $10 a person,” Mr. Mikos said. “But there’s always one couple with $50.”

Elaine Glusac writes the Frugal Traveler column. Follow her on Instagram: @eglusac .

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Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

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Tipping: How Much to Tip Tour Guides, Taxis, Hotel Maids, and More?

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com , a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

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Most Americans pretty much know whom they want to tip and how much to give each person, but tipping is something of a conundrum once you leave the U.S. One reader recently asked:

“I’m curious about the going rate for tipping tour guides and bus drivers/assistants in cities I plan to visit. The tour operator’s suggestions sounded high but this is my first escorted tour. What can you tell me?”

I can tell you, first, that I sometimes share your concern and, second, that tipping varies sharply among various countries and situations. Here are some sources for more detailed information.

Tour guides and drivers

The best source I found was online at Gate 1 Travel . This site recommends that each traveler tip $6 to $7 a day for the tour guide, $3 a day for the tour bus driver, and $2 to a separate local tour guide for each half day of sightseeing. Those sound like reasonable guidelines to me, but maybe a little high for developing countries and for countries where tipping, in general, is not as common as it is in the U.S.

Other sources recommend 10 to 15 percent of the total price to the tour guide, about half that to the driver. Beyond that, my search didn’t reveal any useful repositories of info on tour tipping.

Cruising has always generated the largest amount of confusion, writeups, and comments about tipping. To make life easier for unsure travelers, several large cruise lines now assess an overall “service” charge designed to replace individual tipping. Rates run $7.50 to $15 a day, with most clustered around $10 to $11 a day. On one of those lines, you don’t need to tip any further unless you receive exceptional service from someone.

Lines that don’t set an overall service charge usually post “suggested” tipping schedules, which are probably at the high end of the normal range. Here are suggestions from other sources (all figures are per person, per day unless otherwise noted):

• Cruise Critic , a site that provides lots of cruise information and ship reviews, goes into great detail. It recommends $5 per cabin for the room steward/attendant, whether double or single occupied; $2 per visit for room service; $2 for a deck steward; $1 to the table “captain” for each visit to a restaurant; $5 a dinner visit for the waiters/stewards, total, for them to divide; $10 a week to the wine steward; and $1 to $2 a bag to porters. Most ships add a routine 15 percent to bar bills.
• Cruise Tip Calculator provides a comprehensive online tip calculator: You enter duration, party size, and cruise line, and the site immediately displays recommended tips&#8212daily and for the entire cruise&#8212for the usual list of staff. The test numbers I saw came out to a bit less than Cruise Critic’s recommendations.
• The Gate 1 Travel site recommends $8 to $10, total, apportioned between cabin attendants and restaurant waiters. Jane Engel, a well-known travel writer, suggests $3 to $4 each for cabin attendant and primary waiter, $1.50 to $2.50 for assistant waiter/busperson, and $0.50 to $1 for head waiter—which works out to about the same as Gate 1 Travel’s figures.

Your toughest tipping quandary seems to be when you sail with one of the few lines that nominally say “tipping is not required.” That’s fine on the few lines that say “absolutely no tipping,” but others provide the maddening policy, “Tipping is not required, but if you feel like it, it’s OK.” What are you supposed to do in that case? My guess is that most travelers add an additional tip, but less than the suggested guidelines.

Restaurants, hotels, taxis

Independent travelers face tipping questions anywhere they travel outside the U.S. They know that some people who serve them expect tips, while others find the offer of a tip insulting. Individual country, region, and city guidebooks usually include tipping customs and expectations as one of the standard items to cover. For an overall guide, the most comprehensive I’ve seen is posted by the online travel store Magellan’s . Here’s are some of the highlights:

Restaurants

• No tipping in Denmark, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, Australia (except in “fine” restaurants), and a few others.
• In Europe, even though restaurants nominally add a service charge, most travelers add an additional five to 10 percent.
• Elsewhere, where restaurants do not add service charges, tipping is generally 10 percent.

Hotel porters

• No tipping in Fiji, Hungary, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, a few others.
• Elsewhere, the general recommendation is $1 to $2 per bag. Given the weak dollar, I suspect that $2 would be more appropriate these days, at least in euro countries.

Taxi drivers

• No tipping in Chile, China, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, and a few others.
• Round up to the nearest even figure in most of continental Europe, Argentina, Australia, Egypt, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Iceland, Turkey, and a few others.
• Elsewhere, tipping is generally 10 percent; occasionally 15 percent.

In the U.S.

Presumably, you’re on surer ground here, In case you aren’t, FindALink posts a tipping guide that covers just about any situation you could think of&#8212plus quite a few you’ve never even considered.

(Editor’s Note: SmarterTravel.com and Cruise Critic are both members of the TripAdvisor Media Network, an operating company of Expedia, Inc.)

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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• Rick Steves Tours
• Do you tip your b...

Do you tip your bus drivers and guides?

We would normally tip both but the information on the tour said it wasn’t necessary and it was included. I noticed others tipping the bus driver when we departed. What has been your practice?

Absolutely they should not be tipping. They have already prepaid the gratuity. This type of behavior is frustrating…..,,

I’ve been on 7 tours and haven’t noticed anyone tipping the driver. Occasionally our group will buy a bottle of wine for the guide which I consider nominal and it was entirely the group’s decision.

An important reason I like Rick’s tours is there’s no tipping and the groups are not deposited at stores for shopping. The thought of this makes me scream!

It is a habit Americans can't seem to shake when in Europe. IMO if you think the driver has done something above and beyond for you personally or the entire group, I would very discreetly (not within view of others) give what you think appropriate. People who boldly do it in front of others will make the others feel guilty and that IMO is very inappropriate.

They have already prepaid the gratuity

I really don't understand this concept, how can you pre-pay a gratuity? A tip is something given to recognise good service which isn't a given. A pre-paid tip is not a tip it's a charge.

No tipping per se. On most of our tours someone has taken on collecting a small amount for a parting gift for the guide and sometimes the driver. This was done in such a way as to make it optional. On our Greece tour our bus driver acted as the guardian when the teens and our daughter ventured forth at night into the wee hours. I tipped him for that above and beyond care we so appreciated.

JC you're right of course, but we Americans refuse to believe that there need not be a gratuity for everything and everyone. So saying it's already included is more effective than just saying they're paid well.

OP, I think that if you had reported it, the driver would be in trouble with RS. Definitely the tour leader can get fired for accepting tips. Of course the tour leader can't physically stop people from handing over money to the driver, but its not right.

On a couple of our tours, we chipped in and bought gag gifts for the tour leader, for the last nights dinner. But that's all.

Rick Steves explains that the gratuities are handled by the guide, so "included" in your cost. I'd report this to the office.

I’ve been on 9 RS tours. On the first couple of tours one of the tour members collected 1 euro from each person and bought a small gift (flowers, wine, scarf) for the guide and bus driver. They were presented at the final dinner. I thought this was very nice.

On subsequent tours, no collection was taken. I questioned it but nobody was interested. Two times my friend and I did it on our own.

I think it’s a nice gesture.

If gratuity is included then why tip twice? I probably would feel pressured to do so, so as not to feel like a cheapskate, but I wouldn't like it.

On a cruise the gratuity is taken out but we still tipped our room attendant.

If someone is collecting a few dollars yes I would chip in.

On most of our tours someone has taken on collecting a small amount for a parting gift for the guide and sometimes the driver. This was done in such a way as to make it optional.

That has been our experience also. Just something small such as a scarf, bottle of wine, or similar token of appreciation.

But definitely no tipping per se.

@jC. Prepaid gratuities means that RS Tours has included this cost in your tour and pays it on to the driver and guide. This is important because is assures guides get paid and eliminates a kickback mentality.

One of the reasons RS has this policy is that it frees the tour leader to enforce the rules without fear of losing tip money.

On our very RS first tour, an envelop was passed around during the final dinner. We were surprised because our understanding was that tips were covered, yet we felt pressured to contribute.

On our second RS tour, our guide point-blank stated on Day One that under no circumstances should he or the driver be tipped, that they are well-compensated by RSE Tours. I gained incredible respect for this guide and have not tipped ever since.

Out of four RSE tours that we've travelled on, only one guide stated 'No Tips'. I would love for all the RSE Tour guides to state this on Day One as a matter of policy.

I have been on 3 RS tours.

My first tour I bought an artisan bar of soap and a card for the guide. For the driver, I put in 2-3 Euros extra when I paid my beverage fees. The driver keeps a cooler stocked on the bus. The second tour, our guide's wallet broke and she couldn't close it. It was an oversized wallet with multiple zippered compartments. When I was exploring Siena, I saw a leather handbag store with a really good sale. I purchased a new wallet for her. Many, but not all of my tour mates donated 1 or 2 euros to the cause, leaving me with about 4 euros balance. Again, I gave a few extra euros when I paid for my beverages to the driver. The third tour, my traveling companion and I purchased a bottle of raki for the guide and for the driver.

I don't consider these tips, just gifts of appreciation.

Do you really want the guide to spend an hour ( or more) at the first meeting reading all the T & C and all the other associated literature from the website that everyone has or has had the opportunity read on their own?

What's Included

**Plus you'll get all this, too. A small, friendly group of 24–28 people — half the size of most tour groups Full-time services of a professional Rick Steves guide and local experts All group transportation

All breakfasts and half your dinners* All tips for guides and driver

This is an excerpt from the 'What's included" that is part of ALL the tour descriptions

One of the reasons we choose Rick Steves tours is the freedom of pressure to tip drivers and guides.

No as it is against RS policy. I have many relatives in Europe and they rarely tip, and if they do they round up to the nearest euro.

On one of my 3 tours, the guide explained early on that RS staff are very well paid, that she "takes care of" hotel staff (including maids), restaurant staff, etc. and there is absolutely no tipping needed. Sometimes the group decides to chip in a nominal amount each to buy a present for the guide at the end of the tour.

No tipping is just one reason I prefer Rick's tours. The tip culture in the US just drives me nuts sometimes. I think part of his policy on tipping may also be part of his 'travel like a temporary European' philosophy. I have been on 7 RS tours and on most we did have a collection for a small gift of thanks like a scarf or a bottle of a particular liquor we had learned was a favorite. A small, thoughtful thank you gift is always appreciated and differs from a $$ tip.

Just finished 2 tours back to back and there was no tipping by anyone.

I know we ain't suppose to tip. But on my own I gave the tour guide some nice chocolates at the end of all my tours. I also left a couple euros for the hotel housekeeper before we departed for the next city. I think this should be ok.

We got a card for our tour guide which was passed around on the bus and we each wrote comments on it for her. She was very moved by the personalized comments. The guide passed around a card for us to sign for the bus driver who was awesome!

Are the RS tour directors told by the RS company not to accept tips? And to actively refuse if if someone offers one?

I’ve been on three RS yours and not one guide mentioned this in their orientation kickoff meeting?

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.

Tip Amounts for Tour Bus Drivers

by Johnno Cary

Published on 14 Jun 2023

Navigating narrow and winding roads, offering expert insight into local points of interest, dealing with tolls and parking so you don't have to – a tour bus driver is an integral part of many vacations. Having a bad one can disrupt plans or endanger your safety; a good one can elevate a trip from nice to unforgettable. Unless the driver or tour company outright refuses tips, plan to give a charter bus driver a cash gratuity at the end of the tour, whether it lasts three hours or 10 days. These full time workers often make minimum wage, and a token of appreciation from a tour group can help them continue to do what they love. Reading up about tip culture and tipping etiquette in the place you are touring is also very helpful in calculating the full tour price.

For a half- or full-day bus tour, a small tip is appropriate. Give $3 to $5 per person for half-day trips and $5 to $10 per person for a full-day excursion. For a one- or two-hour tour, $1 to $2 per person is sufficient. If the bus driver doubles as a tour guide upon reaching the destination, or if the driver goes above and beyond during the drive with their quality of service by perhaps narrating the trip and answering passenger questions, bump up the tip by 50 to 100 percent. Hand the tip directly to the driver when leaving the bus at the end of the trip.

Make an exception on free bus tours, which some sightseeing companies offer in major cities. If the trip doesn't cost anything, the driver and/or guide are working just for tips. Calculate a gratuity equal to at least $5 per person per hour of the trip, or ask the tour director or bus company to suggest an appropriate tip amount. When in doubt, give generously. Living in a large city like New York is expensive, and people working in tourism jobs depend on tips for survival, so reward their good service and hard work.

Multiday Trips

For a tour that includes overnight stops and uses the same driver each day, calculate a per-day tip and multiply it by the number of days for a total cost. So a driver who doesn't provide services other than driving might receive a $10 tip each day, totaling $40 at the end of a four-day tour. If the driver doubles as a local guide, you might decide those services warrant a $15 tip each day. Give the tip to the driver at the end of the last day. If the driver also handles loading and unloading luggage, add $1 or $2 per day for that work for their exceptional service.

Charter Buses

Individuals or groups chartering their own buses have to budget for a hefty tip. Typically, an appropriate tip in this situation is anywhere between 10 and 20 percent of the total trip cost – so if the cost of the charter is $500, tip the driver between $50 and $100. Again, a driver who also acts as a tour guide or otherwise provides great service should receive a tip on the higher end; for a driver who does just the bare minimum, a lower tip is fine.

On a charter trip where individuals are all contributing to the tip, calculate an appropriate tip and divide it by the number of passengers. Ask everyone to contribute that amount and collect it all to give to the driver. Leaving it to each passenger to give a tip could result in the driver being shorted. The person in charge of booking the charter is responsible for making sure that doesn't happen.

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Moscow Metro

Introduction of moscow subway system (metro).

Nowadays the Moscow Metro has 12 lines, light subway and monorail. All stations are unique and beautiful in their own way. Unfortunately, in order to visit them all, you need to spend many days. I invite guests to visit the ones that have the greatest cultural and historical interest from my point of view. Among them are the Revolution Square, Arbatskaya, Kievskaya (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line № 3); Kievskaya, Belarusskaya, Novoslobodskaya, Komsomolskaya (the Ring line number 5). Let us dwell a bit on each.

Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line

Subway station "revolution square".

Most recently - in the year 2008-2010 – the Eastern lobby was renovated. Because of the terrorist attacks in the Moscow subway that took place several hours before the planned opening of the East lobby after renovation, the solemn part of the event was canceled.

Subway station Arbatskaya

Subway Arbatskaya is located on the same subway line as the station "Revolution Square." It was founded in 1953. It received the name in honor of the Arbat Street. It has one ground lobby (Western). Initially, the lobby was in a separate building, but the new building of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense started, the lobby appeared to be in its atrium. The old exits were bricked up; a new entrance was built into the building of General Staff of the street Vozdvizhenka. There is a huge frame with a missing portrait in the ground lobby - until mid-1950 there was a portrait of Stalin. According to some reports, it survived, but closed with plaster.

The lobby was restored and partially reconstructed in 2007-2008.

The depth of the station is 41 meters.

Pylons are finished with red marble at the bottom, decorated with bouquets of flowers made from ceramics. The floor is laid out with gray granite. The walls lined with glazed ceramic tiles, white top and black bottom. The station hall is illuminated by massive bronze chandeliers in the form of rings.

Subway station Kievskaya

There are several subway stations "Kievskaya" in Moscow, located on different branches. This name is quite popular. It comes from the capital of Ukraine - one of Russia's nearest neighbors - the city of Kiev. The name is fully consistent with the idea of the subway station. The interior the station devoted to Soviet Ukraine and the reunification of Ukraine and Russia. The station is decorated with a large number of paintings .Twenty four murals depicting workers of Soviet Ukraine are placed on the arch above the pylons. The wall from the side of platform also contains frescos, mainly with images of fantastic plants. Pylons are decorated with light marble and additionally decorated with colorful ceramic cornice. The butt of the station has a large mosaic, depicting festivities to celebrate the 300 anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine and Russia.

Opened in 1953, this subway station for a long time was the final (1953-2003).

The station has one lobby, combined with the station ring line and located in the building of the Kievskaya railway station. The diameter of the central hall station is 9.5 m, the diameter of side one is 8.5 m. The depth of the station is 38 meters.

= Ring Line Subway =

It opened in 1954. The station received its name after the Kiev station, and locked the Ring line. During the construction of the station many projects were proposed, but the victory in the competition won the Kiev architects who made the construction of the station. It is the only station of the Ring Line which is not located in the Central Administrative District of Moscow.

The station has a pylon structure. Eighteen pylons are decorated with mosaic panels of glazes, decorated on the theme of Ukrainian history and friendship between the Ukrainian and Russian peoples, which started in the mid-17 century.

On the front wall of the central hall of the station a large panel with molding in the form of flags and a mosaic portrait of Lenin in the center are located. There are lines of the Soviet national anthem around the portrait, and under the portrait - the words of Lenin. One of the ways out of the station was designed by French architects modeled on the Paris Subway in 2006.

At one of the mosaics – “The Struggle for Soviet power in Ukraine "- modern passengers observe a mobile phone and PDA in the hand of one of the guerrillas, and on his knees - a laptop. In fact, he uses a field telephone, which was really a heavy thing (guerrillas holds it in two hands), and thing that people see a laptop is the lid of a box with a telephone. However, these phones have begun to produce only in the second half of the 20-ies of XX century. We must assume that the mosaic depicts a foreign field telephone transmitter.

Subway station Belorusskaya

The founded of the station was in 1952. It received the name after the Belarusian railway station nearby. The station has two ground-based lobbies. The Western one goes to Tverskaya  Zastava. It is decorated with beautiful carvings. The Eastern one leads to Butyrskiy shaft and Forest Street. The Eastern lobby is known for its majolica panels.

The station Belorusskaya is located at a depth of 42.5 m below ground. The diameter of the central hall is 9.5 meters.

Pylons are faced with light marble. The walls lined with white ceramic tiles, the floor is covered with ceramic tiles, gray, white and red colors. Lamps placed on pylons, in the form of vases made of glass and marble. The theme of decoration is economy and culture of Belarus. Decorative pattern on the floor repeats the theme of traditional Belarusian embroidery. Decorations of the ceiling consist of stucco decorations and 12 mosaic panels depicting the life of the Belarusian people.

Subway station Novoslobodskaya

Built in 1952, Subway station Novoslobodskaya got its name from the eponymous street:  the station is located at the very beginning of it.

Novoslobodskaya is pylon station of deep foundation (its depth is 40 m) with three arches.

Exit to the street is through the ground lobby with column portico, located on Novoslobodskaya Street lined with gray marble. Pylons of the underground station are faced with marble from the Urals. Thirty two spectacularly illuminated stained-glasses, placed inside the pylon and bordered by steel and gilt brass are splendid decoration of the station. A remarkable mosaic "World Peace" is located at the end of the central hall. The picture depicts a happy mother with a baby in her arms; it was the face of Stalin at the picture: the child gave a hand to him. But in times of Khrushchev the face of the former leader of USSR was removed from the panel. The walls are lined with bright marble; floor is covered with white and black granite slabs, placed in a checkerboard pattern.

Subway station Komsomolskaya

The station was built in 1952 and named in honor of the Komsomolskaya Square, which is situated nearby.

This subway station is the station of the deep bedding. Its depth is 37 meters. The station has column and three- arched design. Cast iron decoration is used in the construction, monolithic slab used as a tray for a collapsible finishing. The length of the boarding hall is 190 meters; width of it is 10 meters. There are 68 octagonal columns at station.

The main theme of the interior of the station is the fighting of the Russian people for their independence. The ceiling is decorated with eight station mosaic mural made from glazes and precious stones. Six of them represent the Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kutuzov, the Soviet soldiers and officers at the walls of the Reichstag.

 Two other panels, depicting Stalin ("Victory Parade" and "Presentation of the Guards Banner"), were replaced after the dethronement of Stalin's personality cult in 1963. New panels depict Lenin's speech in front of the Red Guards and the Motherland on the background of the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower.

The yellow ceiling is decorated with mosaic and moldings. The hall is illuminated by massive chandeliers hanging between the panels; platforms are illuminated with smaller chandeliers. The columns are decorated with marble capitals and trimmed with light marble, as well as the wall station. The floor is laid with pink granite. There is a bust of Lenin at the end of the hall. At the opposite end of the escalator is a large Florentine mosaic of the Order of Victory with red banners on the background. The ground lobby of the station is decorated with bas-reliefs.

In conclusion...

Each of the stations of the Moscow subway is attractive and interesting in its own way. Each has its own long and fascinating history and is beautifully decorated. The Moscow subway is a whole world, which can be talking about for hours. I suggest you short - no more than one hour and a half - and a fascinating journey through the world of the Moscow subway. The pleasure is guaranteed!

Sculpture Park "Art Muzeon"

Mausoleum and necropolis.

• Bombing in Moscow Metro On March 29, 2010, another tragic event happened in Moscow that shocked not only the citizens of the Russian Federation, but also many people from countries that oppose the threat of terrorism. In the early morning rush hour, two women bearing suicide weapons blasted themselves in the subway trains of the Moscow Metro.
• The Best Redesign of Moscow Metropolitan Map 2013 Russia's leading internet and graphic design agency has won an online vote for the best redesign of the Moscow Metro map. Art. Lebedev Studio is a design company in Russia, founded in 1995 by Artemy Lebedev. They redrew the Moscow Metro map for a second time in three years, with even cleaner graphics and a raft of new details and won more than 50% of the online vote.

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My name's Arthur Lookyanov, I'm a private tour guide, personal driver and photographer in Moscow, Russia. I work in my business and run my website Moscow-Driver.com from 2002. Read more about me and my services , check out testimonials of my former business and travel clients from all over the World, hit me up on Twitter or other social websites. I hope that you will like my photos as well.

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Moscow Metro Tour

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Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

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Moscow Metro 2019

Will it be easy to find my way in the Moscow Metro? It is a question many visitors ask themselves before hitting the streets of the Russian capital. As metro is the main means of transport in Moscow – fast, reliable and safe – having some skills in using it will help make your visit more successful and smooth. On top of this, it is the most beautiful metro in the world !

. There are over 220 stations and 15 lines in the Moscow Metro. It is open from 6 am to 1 am. Trains come very frequently: during the rush hour you won't wait for more than 90 seconds! Distances between stations are quite long – 1,5 to 2 or even 3 kilometers. Metro runs inside the city borders only. To get to the airport you will need to take an onground train - Aeroexpress.

RATES AND TICKETS

Paper ticket A fee is fixed and does not depend on how far you go. There are tickets for a number of trips: 1, 2 or 60 trips; or for a number of days: 1, 3 days or a month. Your trips are recorded on a paper ticket. Ifyou buy a ticket for several trips you can share it with your traveling partner passing it from one to the other at the turnstile.

On every station there is cashier and machines (you can switch it to English). Cards and cash are accepted. 1 trip - 55 RUB 2 trips - 110 RUB

Tickets for 60 trips and day passes are available only at the cashier's.

60 rides - 1900 RUB

1 day - 230 RUB 3 days - 438 RUB 30 days - 2170 RUB.

The cheapest way to travel is buying Troyka card . It is a plastic card you can top up for any amount at the machine or at the ticket office. With it every trip costs 38 RUB in the metro and 21 RUB in a bus. You can get the card in any ticket office. Be prepared to leave a deposit of 50 RUB. You can get it back returning the card to the cashier.

SamsungPay, ApplePay and PayPass cards.

One turnstile at every station accept PayPass and payments with phones. It has a sticker with the logos and located next to the security's cabin.

GETTING ORIENTED

At the platfrom you will see one of these signs.

It indicates the line you are at now (line 6), shows the direction train run and the final stations. Numbers below there are of those lines you can change from this line.

In trains, stations are announced in Russian and English. In newer trains there are also visual indication of there you are on the line.

To change lines look for these signs. This one shows the way to line 2.

There are also signs on the platfrom. They will help you to havigate yourself. (To the lines 3 and 5 in this case).