how much to tip?

Sally, our extraordinary private guide in London

How much should you tip your driver, guide, or waiter when on tour in Europe? Abercrombie and Kent, one of our preferred suppliers of customized, private luxury tours in Europe, passes along the following advice.

If you're on an independent itinerary (as opposed to a group tour), the cost of your tour does not include gratuities. Although not required, tips should be considered when someone goes above and beyond for you. A&K provides the following guide for tipping in Europe:

Transfer Driver — 10€ per transfer

Local Guide or Driver-Guide — 15€ for half day, 30€ for full day of sightseeing

Driver — 10€ for half day, 15€ for full day

Restaurant Service — when service is included on the check, not required. If not, 10% of the total.

Taxi drivers — round up the fare

I hope you find this information useful! For more information about organizing private tours in Europe or anywhere in the world, we are here to assist.

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

guided tours vs. "do it yourself"

crowded Floating Market an hour outside of Bangkok

Guided tour or do-it-yourself? There's a lot to recommend each way of exploring a new destination. Frankly, I've been spoiled by my experience as a Virtuoso travel consultant. Having experienced guided tours on Educational Trips, it's hard for me to go back, especially in a place where traveling is difficult.

There is a huge advantage to hiring a private guide. You don't waste time figuring out logistics, buying tickets, and determining the best use of your precious vacation time. An expert local guide is working for you, to help you make the most of every day. We had an Abercrombie and Kent guide (Sue) and driver in Bangkok.

An experienced guide makes sure everything goes smoothly. One day we visited the Mae Klong Market whose claim to fame is that a railroad track runs right through it. Whenever the local train comes through, all of the merchants using the (free) stall space next to the tracks have to move their merchandise. Our next stop, the Amphawa Floating Market (pictured above) is crowded with both merchants and shoppers. We saw both, without a moment's worry about how to get there or what to do once we did.

And if things do go wrong, a great guide can fix them in a hurry. On our way back to Bangkok, the transmission on our car broke down… but not to worry. Sue got out of the car, flagged down a taxi, and got us to our next destination (lunch at The Siam) without our having to break a sweat. By the time we had finished lunch, a new car and driver were waiting to take us back to the Four Seasons.

There's much to be said about wandering, getting lost, and making new discoveries on your own. This is my preferred way to travel in lots of places, from Paris to New York to Venice. But if you want to just sit back, experience the destination, and travel in style, there's nothing better than a private guide.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

ultimate African safari | March, 2014

picture courtesy of Abercrombie and Kent 

The ultimate African safari is being planned for March, 2014. A most exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experience, Abercrombie and Kent is planning an exclusive safari by private chartered jet for fortunate 40 guests. Here's your itinerary:

2MAR-1NT — Your adventure begins in Rome.

3MAR-2NT — Ethiopia — visit ancient stone-carved churches in Lalibela

5MAR-3NT — Uganda — Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, gorilla tracking adventure

Mountain Gorillas - picture courtesy of Abercrombie and Kent

8MAR-3NT — Tanzania — Serengeti National Park

On Safari - picture courtesy of Abercrombie and Kent

11MAR-3NT — Zambia — Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls - picture courtesy of Abercrombie and Kent

14MAR-3NT — Botswana — Chobe National Park

Wildlife - picture courtesy of Abercrombie and Kent

17MAR-2NT — Namibia — Desert Dunes

Desert Dunes - picture courtesy of Abercrombie and Kent

19MAR-2NT — South Africa — Cape Town

Table Mountain - picture courtesy of Abercrombie and Kent

Virtually impossible to re-create traveling on your own, Abercrombie and Kent has chartered a 737-900 fitted with just 44 seats to make this journey with ease. Guests will treasure memories of this incredible experience for the rest of their lives. Not inexpensive at $79,995 per person (double occupancy), this travel investment will return many times that value in return on life.

This exclusive sneak preview will allow Travel Horizons readers to book their space on this ultimate African safari before it is announced to the general public later this week or next. Email our safari specialist for complete information.

ultimate African safari (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

A&K's Egypt: A Moment in History

Abercrombie & Kent is one of the world's preeminent luxury tour companies, and rarely can they offer values like what is currently available in Egypt. In the aftermath of its birth of freedom, tourism is still markedly down. There has never been a better time to visit Egypt and see the normally crowded historic sites. In addition, your dollars will never go further.

Egypt: A Moment in History is a brand-new, limited time A&K itinerary that features all of the iconic sites of Egypt, as well as four nights on board the Sun Boat IV. There are just two departures, October 27 and December 8, and prices start at $1,995 per person for this 11-day, 10-night tour. A&K is offering significant discounts on its other tours as well. Contact your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant for to take advantage of these offers.


visit Egypt (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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