Gettin’ Carried Away

As a part-time DJ and Karaoke Host in Chicago, I spend a lot of time hanging around the bar/club scene, and I’ve befriended many bartenders and servers over the years. When we’re having a particularly slow night, we’ll sit at the end of the bar together, sip some pops (aka sodas) and gab about “bar life.”

The other night, I started chatting about tips with my bartender friend Heather. In the United States, it is customary to tip a bartender/server/cabbie/etc. for his/her services. Unless the service is particularly poor, people in the U.S. typically leave an extra 10 to 15% with their bill and won’t think twice about it. However, when you’re traveling abroad, the act of leaving a tip might be a bit awkward. At least, it was for me.

Walking into a London pub for the first time, I was mostly excited about the atmosphere. I’m pretty sure I was one of the oldest people in the bar (at 21… at the time), as it was filled with students from the college just up the road. My friends found a seat outside at a wooden picnic table, and I went up to the bar to grab a few pints.

I ordered a Guinness, a Stella (Artois) and a Strongbow (English cider). Since I’ve been told that I look about 12 years old, I wasn’t surprised when the bartender asked to see my ID. Without thinking, I showed her my U.S. driver’s license, not my Goldsmiths student card. It was about nine quid (pounds) for the lot, and I left the bartender a 10 pound note and some coins and started to walk away. She quickly called for me to come back, and I was shocked because I thought I had paid her more than enough for the drinks. She proceeded to give me some change, and I said, “Oh no, that’s for you.” She replied, “Don’t be silly. This isn’t America.” She refused to take my tip, and I was a bit confused.

In some parts of the world, hospitality workers consider their wages to be more than enough compensation. But how do you know when you should leave a little something extra? What’s appropriate? And where in the world is it customary to tip… or not to tip?

So you don’t have to keep scrolling down and down, I’ll start with the UK and save other areas for later posts.

A general rule to remember while vacationing in England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales is that if you hire someone for his/her personal service, no tip is necessary. However, if you are served by a staff member of a company, 10 to 15% is sufficient. Again, what the heck does this mean?

• No tip: pubs, take away (fast food) restaurants, hostels, bed and breakfasts, WCs (public restrooms)
• Tip: taxi drivers, coach (private bus) drivers, sit-down restaurants, large hotels
• Borderline (if the service is exceptional): hairdressers

I’ll be covering more areas soon! And you can always email me at carrie [at] gettincarriedaway [dot] com.

If you’re taking a trip to London, you’ll most likely be using public transportation to get around the city. Forget about purchasing a one-day or three-day travelcard; I highly recommend getting an Oyster Card.

What is an Oyster Card?

An Oyster Card is a “Pay As You Go” plastic card (resembling a credit card) that you credit with money. That money gets deducted every time you use a London bus or the Underground.

Where can I get an Oyster Card?

You can get an Oyster Card online, but make sure to do this well before your journey, as it will be mailed to you. If you want to wait until you get to London, you will be able to get an Oyster Card at the Underground station in Heathrow Airport and in Gatwick Airport. Many of the centrally located Tube stations can also provide you with an Oyster Card. However, if you forgot to buy one at the airport, a newsagent would be good place to look, as well.

Do I have to pay for the Oyster Card?

You do have to pay a £3 deposit to get an Oyster Card. However, the money will be refunded if you choose to return the Oyster Card at the end of your trip.

How is an Oyster Card better than a Travelcard?

• A travelcard is only valid for the exact days you specify, whereas an Oyster Card is only debited when it is used. Even if you leave London for a year, when you come back, the money on your Oyster Card will still be useful.
• A single cash fare (one ride) costs £4 for the Tube and £2 for the bus, while a single ride using an Oyster Card costs £1.60 for a Tube ride and £1 for a bus ride.
• There is a cap rate for the Oyster card. This means, you can travel as much as you want in a 24-hour period, and you will be charged LESS than the total of a one-day travelcard. For example, a one-day travelcard for Zones 1 and 2 during peak hours costs £7.20. With an Oyster Card, you can take as many trips as you want during peak hours for £6.70.

This sounds too good to be true–are there any negatives to using an Oyster Card?

Just a few…

• When you return the card, if more than £5 is left on it, you’ll have to fill out a form and wait for a check. Remember, your refund will be issued in Sterling (aka £), so you’ll have to pay an exchange rate if you want another type of currency.
• There are quite a few places outside Central London where you cannot use an Oyster Card. Check out this map for a list of National Rail Service stations that only accept travelcards. Note, these are National Rail Service trains, not to be confused with Tube (subway) trains that also run in/out of many of these stations.
• If you will be using public transportation in London for a week, it may be cheaper to get the 7-day travelcard for £25.80. If you reach the cap for both peak and off peak hours on your Oyster Card all seven days, you’ll have paid about £70 to travel on the Tube and buses. However, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be on public transport that much. Do the math and see what would work for you.
• Travelcards can get you 2 for 1 admission into some London attractions like the Tower of London or the hop-on-hop-off tour buses; Oyster Cards do not. However, you have to purchase the travelcard from a rail station ticket office, not an Underground station, so many visitors don’t even get to take advantage of this 2 for 1 offer.

Inside tips:

• You may want to offer your Oyster Card to other travelers you meet in the hotel or out and about. This way, you can get your £3 back without having to wait in a long line.
• DON’T BUY THE VISITOR OYSTER CARD! It works the same way as any Oyster Card; however, you have to pay a non-refundable £2 fee to obtain the card, and it can only be purchased prior to your arrival in London. Why pay for an Oyster Card when you can use one for free (once you get your £3 deposit back)?

When all is said and done, you should buy an Oyster Card. Even though this seems like a ton of information to take in, YOU WILL SAVE MONEY. I’m happy to answer any other questions you have about Travelcards vs. Oyster Cards.

I find that, when people make plans to visit the UK, they tend to talk to me about London, Dublin, Glasgow, etc. No one ever mentions Wales! I think it’s a shame because, for one, I have several friends from Wales and two, I’ve been there and it’s gorgeous! I was lucky enough to be part of a student bus trip from London, England to Chepstow, Wales and the Wye Valley. It only took a few hours to drive there, so it’s a perfect day trip for anyone.

I had never seen such greenery in all my life. Of course, I’ve seen empty lands. But being from Illinois (USA), all I’ve seen is corn fields. But in Chepstow… vast, verdant lands stretch out as far as your eyes can see! You won’t see herds of cows, lost in countless stalks of corn. You will enjoy breathtaking views of warm, green planes that glimmer in the sunlight.

We headed to Wye Valley, a section of the Royal Forest that runs from Hereford to Chepstow and forms the borders between England and Wales. It has been said that this exact forest inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s descriptions of Fangorn Forest in Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of the winding road we took through the enchanting archways of trees. It’s not just because we stayed on the bus the whole time. Unfortunately, I sometimes get a little bit of motion sickness, and it happened to me on this journey. A bit of advice: If you don’t have any medicine, cold water and a fan work wonders… and will get you through the bumpiest, wildest rides.

After we drove through Wye Valley, we visited the ruins of the Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle. One of my most memorable experiences of this trip was when I got be in two places at once! I’m serious, too. Just up the road from Chepstow Castle, there is a tiny bridge that features two seemingly out-of-place squares. You are meant to put one foot in each square, thereby being in both England and Wales at the same time! Just take a look at this photo:

Another place I suggest seeing in Wales is Cardiff. Stay on the water near the River Taff and tour the luxurious Cardiff Castle. You can even grab a Mega Bus for under £20!