Tipping

Tipping has become a very important part of the culture in Latin America for the service industry, as the wages are extremely low, and many people must rely on tips to subsidize their income. In general, a tip is expected for guides and restaurant services and is accepted gladly for local transportation. Taxis do not expect a tip, though it is acceptable to leave a bit of change for them. Porters or anyone carrying your luggage will expect a tip as well as service attendants at gas stations. For the cleaning ladies in the hotels, approximately 1 US $ per day is appreciated for their cleaning services.

In general a 10-15% tip is expected for restaurant and bar services.  You should always check to see if the restaurant has added this automatically to the total of your bill. If it has been added it should say so at the bottom next to the word servicios or propina.  In some countries restaurants have the government taxes included in the menu prices, and if the taxes aren't included they usually post it somewhere on the menu that the tax will be added to your bill at the end. As for tipping in bars, leaving some change when you order drinks at the bar should be sufficient. However, if you are having table service you should leave about a 10% tip for the server.