Tipping And Haggling: How To Get it Right On The Road

Sustainable Travel

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Tipping and haggling can be tricky when you're travelling. This episode will show you how to get it right, so you can save money and avoid awkward situations. Listen now.

Wages in the tourism industry are often set low intentionally, with the expectation that travelers will offer cash tips. Even if your own country has no tipping culture, you should still tip abroad, particularly in developing countries, where hourly wages are too low for families to survive on. Restaurant workers, tour guides, housekeeping and hotel staff, bartenders, restroom attendants, and hairstylists or barbers should be tipped abroad even if these positions don’t rely on tips in your home country. Many of us come from countries with no haggling culture, so negotiating with a shopkeeper can be part of the travel experience. Though haggling can be fun, you should only encourage a merchant if you intend to buy something. Don’t waste a vendor’s time just so you can play the haggling game.