Travel Etiquette :: Tipping

This month we're featuring a topic that's become more and more relaxed since the golden age of travel has disappeared: etiquette. During a time where the Juicy tracksuit is considered appropriate travel wear and loud-talking cell phone users are commonplace, to borrow a line from Anchorman's Ron Burgundy, let's "stay classy" and bring some Pucci-inspired yesteryear back into travel. The first travel etiquette subject we'll tackle is North American tipping.

Like it or not, tipping everyone from the housekeeper to the concierge is a highly suggested travel practice in North America and other select destinations worldwide. Although tipping is not required, and should be based on excellence, it's generally uncouth if you don't. In fact, it has become such a significant part of traveling, it's worth adding a line-item in your travel budget so you don't wonder where all your USD $1s or Canadian Twoonies went at the end of your trip!

Not including restaurant or cab tipping, one could easily spend $20+/day tipping at their hotel alone. With this in mind, it's important that you load up on small bills pre-trip, or exchange money during your trip, so you have appropriate amounts to give those who help you on-demand.

Whether traveling for business or pleasure, here are some estimates of whom you should tip and by how much. The below amounts are based on 4- to 5-star travel experiences.

Hotels Valets - each time you call your vehicle - $2-10 {ie - if you drive a lambo, don't tip $2} Bellhops - when they help with luggage - $3-10 Door Men/Ladies - $1-2 for calling a cab Housekeeper - $2-5/day Concierge - $5-20 depending on how much advice you ask Pool/Beach Attendants - $2-5/day Restaurants - 15-20% of your bill pre-tax When you ask for something to be brought to your room that's extra - $2-5

Transportation Taxi or Limo Driver - fare + 15-20% Airport transfer - fare + 15% {for an all-inclusive shuttle, $2-5/person depending on length} Courtesy Shuttles - $1-2 per person, or $4-5 per small group

Tours Tour Guides - 10-15% of total price Tour Driver - $1/hour

{Trip Styler Tip: Pay close attention to the tipping practices in the countries you visit outside of North America. It's a faux pas to assume everyone has the same systems in place. For example, you don't tip much in Australia and you only round-up the restaurant bill in Italy. Do your research before leaving!}

Upcoming Tuesday, March 8th - Travel Etiquette App Friday, March 11th - Hotel Guest Etiquette Friday, March 18th - Plane Etiquette Monday, March 21st - The importance of USD $1s & Canadian Twoonies

[photo credit]

Healthy on the Road :: Active, Relax, Repeat

[trip style = active]

{Editor's Note: Below is Leah's (our healthy on the road contributor) account of a recent active weekend away. What I love about her winter wonderland escape is the mixture of activity and relaxation, and as you'll read, this was the perfect refresher.}

A Call to Play With a frozen lake right outside our front door and a gorgeous mountain minutes away, the call to play was clear. I just returned home from a long weekend away with aching muscles and a deep sense of satisfaction. My short getaway to Smithers, a small town in northern BC, had it all: great friends, delicious meals, late nights and lazy mornings. However, there was one thing we did every day which made these luxuries all the more enjoyable, we were physically active. Looking at the light, fluffy snow I simply could not wait to get out there!

New Recruit to Trip Style = Active I would like to point out that our friend, who only recently moved to Smithers on account of her husband’s job, was somewhat new to physical activity, and therefore unsure of how much fun {and rewarding} it would be. Personal reservations aside, our gracious hostess had everything set-up and planned so that we could make the most of our short time together. We drove from the airport directly to the sports shop to rent our cross-country gear. Before the first day was over we had already enjoyed a ski around the lake and a lazy afternoon catching up over coffee!

Pro{Active} Decisions It can be hard to make pro{active} decisions when lounging on vacation is so darn appealing, but the fact that we planned in advance to cross-country ski twice and downhill once, provided us with just enough of a schedule to make things happen. It was the perfect mix of winter-inspired activity followed by an exercised-induced relaxation.

A Good Dose of Balance I can honestly say that I have never returned home from a short getaway feeling so refreshed. My muscles were worked, my mind was rested, and my spirit was lifted. What’s even cooler is the fact that our newly active friend loved every moment of it too---even the tougher aerobic challenges left her beaming with satisfaction at the end of the day. That’s what a good dose of balance will do!

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy on the Road, published the first Thursday of every month.}

[photo by @tripstyler]

Jetset Jingles :: Turbulence Playlist

We're trying out something new this month, and want your feedback. Would you be interested in a once monthly music post featuring perfect playlists for all things travel? Jetset Jingles would feature music to get you in the Aloha spirit, to calm airport chaos, to transport you to beachy vistas, to complement a sunny afternoon spent dockside, and so on. The first Jetset Jangles is debuting with a turbulence playlist.

I hate turbulence, but unfortunately it's a mainstay of air travel. Some of the worst turbulence I ever experienced was on a flight from Toronto to Nassau. The entire {not exaggerating} 2.5 hour flight was fraught with big bumps and deep dips. Physically, I had the constant feeling of...let's just say my barf bag was on high alert. Mentally, I was in a anxiety-ridden tizzy.

Aside from the Tums and Gravol to counter in my physical angst, what I needed was a soothing, spa-like playlist that would calm the not always friendly skies. And don't worry, Tom Petty's "free falling" won't be making an appearance below.

Turbulence Playlist {turning storms into sunsets} 1/ Breathe In - Frou Frou 2/ Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap 3/ Watermark - Enya 4/ Try a Little Tenderness - Michael Bublé 5/ You Are the One - Elliott Yamin 6/ Everything - Lifehouse 7/ Lullaby - Creed 8/ Come Away With Me (Deluxe Version) - Norah Jones 9/ Gravity - John Mayer 10/ The Dress Looks Nice On You - Sufjan Stevens

Listen to the Turbulence Playlist here.

[photo by kevin dooley]

Travel Apps :: Jetsetter

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Hopefully you're not an impulse shopper, because having this next app at your fingertips could be dangerous!

Jetsetter, a trip style = luxury  travel flash sale website, has just launched an iPhone app where you can view and book current sales at any moment!

Jetsetter is a free-to-join, member's-only site, meaning you can't view the travel deals unless you're a member {see jetsetter link above to join}. HOWEVER, if you install the app, you can view the deals sans membership and get an instant membership upon download.

I've booked 2 trips via Jetsetter and have been really happy with both hotels, one in Portland and one in LA. Jetsetter's hotel descriptions and reviews are balanced, listing the features and drawbacks so you know what you’re getting into. Luckily, the app also includes these descriptions and reviews so you can make an informed decision when you succumb to the always-inspiring and always-changing travel flash sales; now, literally at your fingertips.

Details

• Free
• Works with iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad, and Blackberry
• Android is next on the list
• No word yet on a Blackberry platform

Other Travel Apps Don’t forget to peruse the other 60+ travel apps we’ve reviewed from travel first aid, to luxury and boutique hotel finders, to border waits and trip itinerary management. Here are the most recent:

• Metr0
• Google Translate
• Instagram
• Airbnb
• Book Crazy

Just Go With It....in Scottsdale

[trip style = "sun" + spa]

I recently saw the hilarious movie Just Go With Itwith Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler {mostly filmed in Wailea---a destination I adore}. The movie was a timely reminder about the importance of having a just go with it attitude when traveling, and incidentally, became the motto for my trip to Scottsdale, AZ last weekend.

Altered Expectations Leading up to the weekend away, the usually sunny Arizonian skies were looking like they'd commit a grey and wet faux pas. I have a love/hate relationship with previewing forecasts, and unfortunately the weather report was right. On top of this, the temperature seemed a lot like Vancouver's. The irony is, Scottdale's weather was nice every day before we arrived and every day after we left. Plans to escape Vancouver's winter and sit poolside in the desert had to be altered.

Just Going with It Being a big believer in just going with it {in life and in travel} and making the best of a situation....

• Mid-morning hot tubbing turned into a fabulous shopping day {Scottsdale has great malls like Kierland Commons and outlets like Neiman Marcus Last Call}.
• Lunching by the pool turned into lunching at True Foods, a natural-meets-industrial bunch of restaurants centered on the principals of Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Food Pyramid, then sipping coffee at beautifully designed coffee shop at the Elizabeth Arden Spa.
• Post-lunch bevvies turned into checking out the famed art deco, 1929-built Biltmore Hotel, rumored to be where White Christmas was written in 1938 or 1939.
• Late afternoon dozing turned into happy hour at La Hacienda {where we ate the best made-in-front-of-you guacamole in the world} and Bourbon Steak.
• Morning walks or runs turned into reading magazines and sipping Nespressos.
• A hike up Camelback turned into indoor yoga {best/hardest class ever, taught by a 75-year-old!}.

The best part of the weather's hiccup? We made impromptu appointments at the spa, spending the afternoon having massages, sipping prickly pear lemonade and recharging in the hot tub with a cascading theapudic waterfall.

All in all, though I missed my long lost friend the sun, we had a great time and didn't let the situation get us down. Next time you travel and your trip throws you a curve ball, just go with it---you might uncover a new trip style or experience a different type of break from the ordinary!

{Trip Styler Tip: Scottsdale {and its surrounding areas} is an excellent destination for solo, couple, group or family travel. It has something for everyone. Next time you travel, remember it as a less expensive alternative to Hawaii.}

Related Spotlight :: Scottsdale Scottsdale :: High/Low Rainy Day Vacay Ideas

[photos by @tripstyler, except bottom row by Scottsdale Princess]