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Gratuities and Tips

Gratuities and Tips
BY Rolando Arburola
President and CEO, Costa Rica Dive Inc.

Macchu Picchu

Tipping is entirely up to you. Level of service, whether or not you feel comfortable giving tips, and your budget are all important factors.

Personally, I love to tip (or not tip), depending on service. When I worked as a guide I loved to receive tips. I've tipped toll takers for giving me particularly careful, detailed directions. I've also left a penny in a full water glass after suffering through particularly surly service at a restaurant. I think of a tip as a statement.

Restaurants are required by law to add 15% tax and 10% tip to the bill. As a general rule, Costa Ricans do not tip. I tip up to 10% depending on service.

Taxi cab drivers are not usually tipped unless extra service is provided.

Bellboys are often tipped a minimum of US $1.00 up to US $1.50 per bag, at check-in and check-out. Remember that the people that carry luggage at out-of-town places are bellboys too, even if they are not sporting the normal bellboy attire.

Chamber maids: are so often overlooked. I think they are among the most important people to tip. You may want to consider US$0.50 - $1.00 per night.

Transfer Guides, Service Guides, average tip: US $3.00 per person per day. This tends to go up if the group size is less than 4 persons.

Naturalist Guides: average tip: US $10.00 per person per day. This tends to go up if the group size is less than 10 persons.

River Guides: average tip: US $5.00 per person per day. This tends to go up if there are less than 4 persons in the raft.

Drivers: Average tip: US $5.00 per person per day. This tends to go up if the group size is less than 4 persons.

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