This guide to understanding how much and when to tip in the United States will help demystify the bizarre and antiquated tipping culture, help you calculate the appropriate gratuity amounts, and make sense of why the amount on your bill is different from listed prices in spas, hotels, restaurants, salons, cafés, cruise ships, and more. Whether you’re a US citizen trying to wrap your head around tipping, or you’re visiting for the first time and don’t want to offend anyone, this guide will go through practically every scenario where tipping is involved, or isn’t involved, and will help you ensure you’re giving the correct amount.
Understanding Tipping Culture in the United States
5 of the Prettiest Cafés in London
London is full of fun, fanciful cafés that are perfect for a light afternoon meal or the perfect instagram photo. Here are 5 of my favorite London Cafés, along with my recommendations on what to order at each. What’re your favorite London cafés?
Visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in Kyoto, Japan
Fushimi Inarir Taisha Shrine is perhaps Japan’s most famous and photographed shrine. This beautiful collection of thousands of red torii gates, which wind up and around Kyoto’s Mt. Inari, leads visitors through breathtaking views of the city of Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital city, and offers incredible insight into Japanese culture and traditions. Read on to see how to reach the shrine, what to do at the shrine, where to eat near the shrine, and much more.
Hakone, Japan: The Official Travel Guide
Hakone, Japan is only about an hour away from Tokyo by shinkansen, or bullet train, making it the perfect day trip from Japan’s capital. Famed for its proximity to Mount Fuji, and home to beautiful Lake Ashi and several sacred Shinto shrines historically popular with samurai, Hakone is a wonderful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s big cities, explore the great outdoors, and learn more about Japanese culture and traditions. Explore where to stay, what to do, where to eat, and how to make the most of your Hakone adventure in this travel guide.
We Spent the Night in a Scottish Castle | Luxurious Glengarry Castle Hotel
Regal Glengarry Castle Hotel in Invergarry, Scotland was the perfect place for us to base our adventures in the Scottish Highlands during our anniversary trip in our ancestral homeland. This enchanting former castle was near Loch Ness, Inverness, and not terribly far from the Isle of Skye, which made it the perfect place for us to get a taste of country life in Scotland, while still being within driving distance of many fascinating points of interest and nearby cities.
Tokyo DisneySea: The Official Travel Guide
Tokyo DisneySea was our last stop during our tour of Japan, and I couldn’t think of a better way to end our time in the Land of the Rising Sun than by visiting Tokyo Disney’s water themed park before heading to Haneda Airport. Inspired by classic fairytales of the sea, like The Little Mermaid, Tokyo DisneySea is an incredible expression of storytelling taken to the next level. The park consists of 7 themed ports, Port Discovery, the American Waterfront, Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island, Arabian Coast, Mermaid Lagoon, and the Lost River Delta. Read on to see how much there is to do at the park, from marveling at the incredibly ornate architecture and trying foods unique to the park, to riding rides, meeting characters, and experiencing your favorite films in a larger-than-life setting.
Is Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh the World’s Most Haunted Graveyard?
Greyfriars Kirkyard, or church graveyard, which is at the southern edge of Edinburgh Old Town, is a beautiful realm of contradictions. Filled with the dead and visited frequently by the living, we strolled through and admiring the fantastically ornate, weathered headstones and mausoleums that were covered in verdant, plush moss, creeping ivy, and gorgeous wild flowers growing in abundance. The motifs of the tombstones was eerie, covered in a blend of cherubs, skulls and cross bones, and worn statues of the interred, as was common the 1500s to 1800s. Allegedly one of the most haunted places in the world, this graveyard was the site of a rash of university sanctioned grave robbings, murders, and also served as inspiration for much of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
Fall Essentials Vol. I
In the first edition of my Fall Essentials post, Fall Essentials Vol. I, I’m sharing some darker colors for fall. I’ve been wearing black quite often lately, and I’m excited to share some of my favorite pieces with you in this post.
How to Turn Your Guest Bedroom Into a Luxurious Retreat
When Serena & Lily approached me with an invitation to refresh my guest room ahead of the holidays, I couldn’t believe how perfect the timing was. Not only is Serena & Lily my favorite home decor brand because of the beautiful variety of decor, linens, and furniture that they offer, but also because of how luxurious and high-quality everything is that I own from them. Our living room, bathroom, and about half of my home office is from Serena & Lily, and not only do we receive lots of compliments on our home decor, but our linens and decor have also lasted much longer than any other brands we purchased when we were first married.
Loch Ness: The Official Travel Guide
Loch Ness, in beautiful Scotland, was a place we didn’t originally plan to visit during our anniversary trip this summer. However, when we realized it was only a short distance from our hotel, the Glengarry Castle Hotel, we realized it would be silly not to check it out! I’m glad we took the afternoon to go explore this little town made famous by the alleged presence of the Loch Ness Monster, because it had beautiful views of the surrounding Loch Ness (Loch meaning lake in Scottish Gaelic)…
How to Build Your Dream Wardrobe
In this guide, I’m going to give you step-by-step instructions on how to thin out your closet, and fill it with items that you actually want to wear. Last year, I went through my closet and donated nearly half of it, which ended up filling an entire car with clothing I did’t love, wasn’t wearing, and wouldn’t reach for again, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Learn what steps I took to slash my clothing budget and my collection down to a fraction of what it was, how I focus on the pieces I love to keep my wardrobe fresh, and ways to stop buying things you’ll never actually use.
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