In general, if you're unsure on tipping, don't go any higher than 10% (unless of course that the service was so fantastic you feel you want to do so).
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On a Trafalgar, Insight or Cosmos Tour, some gratuities are included: Baggage handling, meal service for all meals included, and hotel service for all normal service, but not room service or tips to local guides, the Tour Director and Driver. Recommended Tipping: Taxi-fare on meter 10-15% Restaurant - total bill 10-15%
Typically, the gratuity rate for guides should be around 10 to 20 percent of the total trip cost. That means if you're paying $500 for a day or two of guided rock climbing, an appropriate tip for your guide would be between $50 and $100.
Having said that, they of course do hope to receive a tip, which is token of your appreciation for a job exceptionally well done by the tour guide. Typically, people don't tip the guide(s) individually, but as a group. Between 10-15 Euro is common.
There are exceptions if your specific tour experience includes gratuities or you simply didn't have a good time, but in general, tipping your guide at the end of the tour is customary in the U.S. and Europe, though it's much more common in the States.
Either it is a walking tour or a bus tour, it is appropriate to tip your guide with at least one euro per person, depending on how long the tour was. If it was a bus tour, maybe you'll want to give one euro for the driver and one or two for the guide (it's best to give each their tip, as not always they'll be sharing).
About.com has a Tipping Guide for travelers that further suggests that the tour guide should receive a tip of 10% to 20% of the tour cost. As a last thought, the guide still needs to earn his or her tip. Just with any other profession, the tip should match the level of service.
Tipping in Spain works differently: The customer actually has the option to not leave any tip at all. However, restaurants expect a 10% tip on each bill—although it's not a formal rule, and that percentage is much lower than tipping practices in other countries.
Tours. At the end of a guided tour, it's customary to give your guide a small tip for a job well done. If you've had a good time and you've been well looked after and well entertained, you can tip 10 to 15 percent of the cost of the tour.
At table-service restaurants, the tipping etiquette and procedure vary slightly from country to country. But in general, European servers are well paid, and tips are considered a small bonus — to reward great service or for simplicity in rounding the total bill to a convenient number.
What is the average age you would say that go on these tours? any early-mid 20 year olds? There are sometimes a few early-mid 20 yo on those tours, but as a general rule they would be travelling with parents/family members. The average age is around 45-55, but it depends on time of year and tour type.
In Spain, tipping is entirely optional and it's not very common. You may see people leaving small change at cafés and bars and, eventually, someone tipping at a nice expensive restaurant. But most of the time, you won't see anyone other than tourists leaving a tip.
Housekeeping. Leave one euro for each night of your stay; for exemplary service, leave more. (The people who clean your room are often the least well-paid members of a hotel staff, so if you can afford it, be a little more generous here.)
A half-day tour with a private guide usually costs $100–300. Guides generally don't charge per person, so hiring one isn't nearly as budget-straining if you can split the cost with fellow travelers. (To get some of the same local info for less, join a group walking tour or hop a sightseeing bus.)
Typically, people tip around 10-15% in London, except for when using taxis or public transport, where a smaller tip is frequently accepted. Tour guides do not need to be tipped, but this is up to the customer to decide. Some restaurants add an automatic tip to your bill. This is commonly known as the service charge.
Tour Guides: Is a tip required? Tipping tour guides is very much appreciated but not expected. Common practice is in the range of £5 per person for half a day, or £10 per person for a full day.