Tipping Tops the List of Travel Concerns in Survey from Carrentals.co.uk

    SURREY, ENGLAND, August 21, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The most vexing aspect of international travel for most people is tipping in restaurants and taxis, according to a new survey conducted by the popular online car hire rate comparison site.

The company's latest questionnaire asked over 1,000 travellers to list their biggest worries in order to learn what topics they needed information on. Carrentals.co.uk discovered that more than legal rules or festival descriptions travellers want to know the right way to deal with tipping in a foreign country.

Some countries tip and others don't. It's a bit of a blessing when you don't have to shell out an extra 20% to eat in a restaurant, but rules are rules and it's best to know the etiquette that dominates the destination. The quantity of the tip is another issue that always seems to vex customers, as well as how to deal with service charges tacked onto the bill.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, says: "More and more the institution of tipping in restaurants is gaining ground across the globe. It's quite rare to find a culture where waiters don't get tipped for their work, so travellers need to expect this. In America, for example, waiters these days expect at least 15%, up to as much as 25% in hot dining hubs like New York or San Francisco."

"Our team is now working on bringing all this diverse information to our world famous car rental booking site so that there won't be any nasty surprises or embarrassing moments on your next trip abroad. Whether it's a taxi, the hotel bellhop or the waiter in your cafe, it's important to follow local protocol and give gratuity when it's a part of the culture. This way, everyone feels satisfied."

The popular car hire UK website, Carrentals.co.uk, compares car rental rates and deals from over 50 of the top international firms such as Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Holiday Autos and Sixt, and has processed more than 650,000 rentals to date. For more information visit www.carrentals.co.uk.

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.

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