Quick help needed...

[555Ann555]

This isn't life or death, but if any of you can help it would be great...

How much should I be tipping in NY?

If someone takes our bag up to our room (an it isn't that fancy a hotel) how much would you give them?

I figure that with meals we'd just tip like we do over here, between 10-20% depending on how the service was... But I've never had to tip a porter What about taxis? I heard they were already pretty expensive...

[wynelle]

We usually tip about $2 per bag to the bellman.

Taxis, we see what the fare is and usually round up to the $10.00 or $20 mark, just so we don't have to get change back.

Resturants, usually 20%, unless it is horrible service.

[Heather]

Yep, $2 a bag is average. Same thing with taxis too, as Wynelle said. I've also never taken a cab in NYC that cost me more than $12 (with tip).

[Lizbet]

Originally Posted by wynelle

We usually tip about $2 per bag to the bellman.

Taxis, we see what the fare is and usually round up to the $10.00 or $20 mark, just so we don't have to get change back.

Resturants, usually 20%, unless it is horrible service.

This all sounds good to me.

When it comes to the restaurant tips. Wynelle is right. Waiters/waitresses in the US (especially in larger cities) will look at anything below 20% as a bad tip. So, DH and I who both used to be in the business usually tip 30+%. And, you should try to stick to the at least 20% unless the service is bad.

[555Ann555]

I wondered if $5 was going to seem rude to the porter I guess not. (we'll only have 2 bags)

Quite a lot of people over here don't tip restaurants at all! I think they'd love it if you all came over!

Then, I heard it costs a lot less for food over there, so it'd work out about the same price for the meal I guess

wee example...

we went out for dinner on Saturday night, just the two of us. It was a nice Italian restaurant but not super fancy...
I had a water & an espresso, Mo had a couple of beers... We each had a starter & a main course but no dessert...
It was £42 including the tip.

That was probably about average for around here, it costs a bit more if you go into Glasgow...

So that worked out as (give me a sec as I check xe.com) $78...

would that be about right over there?

[swtdl11552]

That does sound about right Ann. WAS THIS YOUR FIRST DINING EXCURSION AS A MARRIED COUPLE??!! AWWWWW..... wait, when do you finally come to NY???

[555Ann555]

Tomorrow!!!

We leave here in about 7 1/2 hrs!

We'll go to Glasgow airport & fly down to Heathrow (in London) then about lunch time over here (or when you are just getting up!) we'll board the flight for NY, do they call it Kennedy or JFK??? that one anyway... So we'll be with you by this time tomorrow!

[Indigo]

I would say here in Milwaukee that meal would have been about 64.00 plus a 13 dollar tip to make $77.00. 4 dollars each for esspresso, 5 dollars each for the beer, 10 dollars for the appetizer, and 18 dollars a plate for the main course. In a bigger city I am sure it would be more. I know we always end up spending more on our meals when we go to Chicago.

Here the standard for a tip and a normal restaurant is %15. People even bring out the tip card. In a nicer restaurant downtown you definately have to tip 20%. Some people do not get this and tip the 15 percent (they are usually from the suburbs). I was in the service industry downtown for awhile and no server wanted the people noticably from the burbs.

[ljeagle]

Some places will add the tip to the bill if you ask them. Then if you think you should give more you can.

[Kim&Bob2004]

We have an 8+% tax rate so Bob also doubles the tax on the bill and sometimes evens it to the next dollar up. So we give a min of 16-17%. Many people only tip a few dollars. Some, no matter what, think that $5 is a great tip. We have had drinks and a starter at a neighborhood chain restaurant and given 30%+ tip. It depends a lot on service too. How is NY City?