More than 1,000 travellers surveyed name tipping their biggest source of confusion when travelling abroad

Aug 19, 2011 — RTPR – When travelling abroad, UK residents find the issue of tipping more confusing than anything else and value advice on what to do in restaurants and taxis – a recent survey from Carrentals.co.uk reveals.

The online comparison experts interviewed 1,000 people who used car hire UK services in the past year to discover what issues they wanted advice on the most. Interestingly, more important topics like legal points and important festivals were passed over for the subject of tipping etiquette.

Although many countries still maintain a culture of no tipping, leaving a gratuity in restaurants is increasingly becoming the norm. When to tip or not to tip is a dilemma many travellers face, along with how much to leave the waiter. As many restaurants add a service charge to the bill, this only adds to the confusion.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of car hire specialist Carrentals.co.uk, says: “Lately it seems like wherever we travel in the world, waiters expect a tip when we eat out. When you come from a culture that doesn’t tip, this can feel like an uncomfortable process concerning how much is an appropriate amount. Places like the USA have a deeply entrenched tipping scene with tips averaging a whopping 20% in most restaurants.”

“When you know ahead of time what to expect from the restaurant in terms of service and gratuity you can avoid a mountain of frustration and embarrassment. We learned from our survey that people want to know what to do in restaurants, taxis and even hotels before they head off on holiday. Our goal now is provide our customers with everything they need to know in clear easy terms right on our car rental booking website.”

The popular Carrentals.co.uk website compares rental rates and deals from dozens of international firms including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Holiday Autos and Sixt, and has handled more than 650,000 rentals to date. For more information visitwww.carrentals.co.uk
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About Carrentals.co.uk
Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK’s leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 15,000 locations.

Websites searched include Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards, and in 2010 it was Highly Commended in the Best Meta-search/Price Comparison category. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk

Media Contact
Rachel Builder & Jenny White
Context
T: 01625 511966
F: 01625 511967
carrentals@contextpr.co.uk
www.contextpr.co.uk

Contact Details: Helen Young
press@asapventures.co.uk
ASAP Ventures Ltd
0844 448 1489
www.carrentals.co.uk

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