On my recent trip, for the first time I can remember, the wife and I had a LOT of luggage, more than we could easily handle by ourselves. Every check-in and every check-out required a bellman’s assistance and the familiar wheeled rack, on which our assembled cases made quite an impressive stack. (Next time perhaps we should just give in and take one giant trunk, like the one in the stateroom scene from A Night At The Opera.
So, these days, how much is considered an appropriate tip per bag?
Depends on where you go. My New York porter wasn’t happy with a ten-dollar tip for one bag. In Delhi, the porter thought 100 rupees (US$2) was a lot of money for three.
I travel light and always carry my own bag, so I never have to tip.
I always tip about 5 bucks a bag, and it never goes over well. But I’m not a rich person - it’s all I can do! I also insist on carrying my bags a lot though.
$5/bag is what I in fact did give them. I hoped it might be too much, but I see that’s not the case. Heck, I don’t get $20 for five minutes of my work, which is the amount of time I assume it takes the bellman to load our stuff on the rack and wheel it up to the room.
OK, on a related subject, what do you give a doorman for hailing a taxi?
Depends on the place, for all tips.
Lots of places in Europe have “NO TIPPING” signs and will take offence if you tip: after all, it implies that you think their employers aren’t paying them enough.
A tipping guide from the net. I did this as a quick look up so I’m sure there’s tons of other stuff but it gives what I think is some good guidelines. It was interesting to me to see that it was pretty close to what I’ve been doing all along. Hope it helps.
are some good guidelines. May the grammar nazis have mercy on me. :eek:
$10 a bag seems insane, $5 a bag still seems extraordinarily expensive. swampbear’s link says $1-2 a bag is appropriate, which seems about right to me. Bellhops do get paid a wage above min., don’t they? (Unlike waiters, for example who earn ~$2 an hour.)
That certainly sounds like Italy! Ditto, Italians associate tipping with bribing, a negative association and therefore refuse. However, after more insistance from you with explanation that your gesture is merely meant to express appreciation for their good service, then they graciously accept.
Italia, ti amo! 
I don’t! Hah! In fact, I reach into their back pocket and take their wallet!
(either that or I carry my own, whatever you want to believe.)
2 bucks a bag, period. I’ve read more than one story I’m too lazy to google about skycaps and bellmen (especially in high dollar places) making upwards of $60,000 a year. Probably not the norm, but I never pack more than I can manage anyhow.
Plus, I give 'em Sackies so it’s like a novelty. Plus, they’ll probably never spend 'em, which makes them kinda special, so even if only a little bit, I connect with the people that helped me.
Strippers on the other hand, are none too fond of the Golden Dollars. Really.
$2 a bag if they are heavy and it is a long way to the room, $1.50 or $1 if they are light and the room is close. If they don’t like it, f**k 'em. I’ll carry my own bags on the way out!