In Costa Rica, ideas aren’t as giant—or as anticipated—as they’re in the USA and Mexico. In reality, Costa Ricans (in any other case often known as Ticos) aren’t within the behavior of routinely doling out gratuities to restaurant staff, taxi drivers, and resort workers.
However that doesn’t imply guests shouldn’t present a bit financial appreciation for good service. Listed below are some tips about tipping to comply with whereas staying at seaside resorts, driving in cabs from the airport, eating out, and taking excursions of famed nature reserves.
In Bars and Eating places
Sit-down eating institutions routinely add to the invoice a 10% service cost for wait workers. You don’t should tip on prime of that, but when your server was particularly attentive, go away a bit further—although not more than 10% of the ultimate invoice quantity.
Bars don’t do the service-charge factor as a rule, so go away the equal of US$1 (600 CRC, as of this writing) per drink.
For those who’re at a café the place you notice a tip jar, spherical up your invoice to the closest colón (the nation’s foreign money) and toss that become the jar.
At Accommodations
For hauling baggage to and out of your room, give bellhops 600–900 CRC (US$1–$1.50) per bag.
Depart housekeeping 1,200 CRC (US$2) per evening. You would possibly discover an envelope for this function subsequent to the mattress.
In Taxis
Tico taxi drivers don’t count on ideas as a matter after all, however you’ll be able to spherical up your fare to the closest colón and let the change function because of the driving force for getting you to your vacation spot in a single piece.
If the cabbie helps with baggage or transports you a protracted distance, add 600–3,000 CRC (US$1–$5) to the fare, relying on the variety of luggage and high quality of the driving.
On Day Excursions
For displaying you Costa Rica’s jungles, volcanoes, colourful birds, and plentiful zip strains, give tour guides a minimum of 3,000 CRC (US$5) per particular person. Improve that quantity as much as 6,000 CRC (US$10) per particular person primarily based on the scale of your group.
The smaller the group, the larger the tip ought to be as a result of presumably the information gives you extra private consideration that manner—and can solely be getting gratuities from, say, eight of us as an alternative of 15.
In every part you do, you wish to be the sort of well mannered customer who received’t remind your hosts of the howler monkeys within the nation’s rainforests.
For extra assist planning your journey, order the most recent version of Frommer’s Costa Rica in our on-line retailer.
