When travelling with Insight Vacations, certain tips and gratuities are included in your tour package. Baggage handling at hotels, service charges and tips for hotel waiting staff (for included meals) will be taken care of by your Travel Director. There are however a few instances where individual tipping is welcome. Hotel Services
It is customary to tip hotel staff for room service delivery if the charge has not already been added to the bill. Local Hosts and Local Specialists
Tours outside of the Americas do not include gratuities for Local Hosts and Local Specialists. It is customary to show appreciation for the insights, stories and know-how shared with you. Your Travel Director and Driver
At Insight Vacations, we pay our Travel Directors and Drivers a fair wage. However, at the end of your tour, you may wish to express appreciation for their excellent service.
For your convenience and ease, there is an option to prepay gratuities for the Travel Director and Driver at the time of booking on the majority of our tours. You will be able to use any of the payment methods available at the time of booking. If booking through a Travel Agent, please speak to them at the time of booking to pre-pay gratuities. Eating and drinking
Tips and gratuities will be taken care of by your Travel Director for all meals included in your itinerary. When you are exploring on your own, it's helpful to know regional norms around tipping.
In North America, it is customary to tip for a variety of services. A restaurant is usually tipped 15-20% of the total bill before tax. In bars and pubs, the bartender and cocktail server usually earns between $1-$2 per drink depending on the price of the drink. Other services from taxi drivers to hairdressers normally receive 10%. Your Travel Director can also answer any questions you may have regarding when and how much to tip.
In Europe, there is no obligation to leave a tip, but between 5% and 10% is normal in most European restaurants. Make sure to check that a service charge hasn’t already been added on as this is becoming more common. Also bear in mind that tipping is only necessary at a table service restaurant. When eating out at a pub or fast food outlet where you order your food from a counter, tipping isn’t necessary or expected. For some destinations, additional information on tipping can be found in your tour documentation when logging into MyInsight.