The Only Tipping Guide You'll Ever Really Need | HuffPost Life

The Only Tipping Guide You'll Ever Really Need

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Senior Editor, HuffPost Culture + Parenting

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We all know Americans like to tip (and that's a good thing) and it seems as though we're always trying to remember how much to tip everyone from bell hops to restroom attendants when we're on the road.

Now we don't have to try to remember it, thanks to the folks at Fodor's who have basically created a little one-sheet that we're pretty sure we're gonna laminate before our next trip.

Consider this the handiest little guide you'll ever really need.

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Before You Go

Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

No. 1 Kansas City, MO(01 of07)

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It’s one of the few cities where hotel prices have stayed the same or even dropped in the past year (the average summer rate is $137, according to Kayak). Sightseeing also remains a great value: you’ll get in free at three of Kansas City’s main art museums, as well as two fun factory-style tours (the Hallmark Visitors Center and the Boulevard Brewing Company). The savings continue at dinnertime. KC won the survey for its budget-minded, slow-smoked barbecue: a classic “burnt ends” sandwich at Danny Edwards’ Boulevard BBQ is just $5.99.

Photo © Ann Shields

No. 2 Nashville(02 of07)

See More of the Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

Voters increasingly love affable Nashville for its locavore-friendly food scene, ranking the city highly for burgers, cafés, and microbrews. At East Nashville’s Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden—where toppings include wasabi aioli, stroganoff béchamel, and “beer gravy”—the local-beef burgers start at $7. Meanwhile, you can see early shows for free at the legendary Bluebird Café (where a kid named Garth Brooks once played open mikes). To boost your odds of getting in, reserve your seat online.

Photo © Brian Jannsen / Alamy

No. 3 San Antonio,TX(03 of07)

See More of the Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

The Texas city inched two spots closer to No. 1 this year and ranked near the top for its free attractions—such as all five of the city’s historic missions, including the Alamo. The city has become more eco-friendly. Along the Mission Reach section of the Riverwalk, a 15-mile stretch of urban ecosystem restoration, you can rent bicycles (through B-Cycles) for $10 a day. Voters preferred San Antonio during cooler months, particularly around Christmas, when the city is full of luminarias and one of the holiday’s best cheap eats, tamales.

Photo © Carol Barrington/SACVB

No. 4 Minneapolis/St. Paul(04 of07)

See More of the Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

With 20 lakes and more than 200 miles of biking and walking trails, this down-to-earth metro area climbed nine spots for affordability this year. No surprise, the Twin Cities scored at the top of the survey for those easy-access parks, where trails even get plowed during the long winters. Voters also commended the cities for their brainy, offbeat locals—which seems to translate into a wealth of affordable, hipster-friendly fun: check out Bryant Lake Bowl’s weekly Cheap Date Night (dinner for two, a bottle of wine, and bowling for $28).

Photo © iStock

No. 5 Memphis, TN(05 of07)

See More of the Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

Memphis ranked in the top five for the free, omnipresent tunes of street performers. You can also sit down and hear free music at the city’s WPA-built Levitt Shell, which has its own historical relevance: Elvis was the opening act here one night in 1954, which many consider the Big Bang of the rock ’n’ roll era. Finger-friendly gourmet food is also easy to come by: at Hog & Hominy—named by GQ as one of this year’s best U.S. restaurants—you can try the duck sausage with brussels sprouts slaw, or a mortadella corn dog, for under $10 each.

Photo © iStock

No. 6 Salt Lake City(06 of07)

See More of the Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

While the Utah city dropped four spots in the survey’s affordability category this year, readers still found it to be family-friendly, peaceful, and pleasantly spic-and-span. Like a lot of reasonably priced cities, Salt Lake offers a discount pass on its tourist board website: Connect Pass easily pays for itself by bundling a long list of free meals and attractions, such as tours of Olympic Park or admission to the Natural History Museum of Utah and the Hogle Zoo.

Photo © Danita Delimont / Alamy

No. 7 Houston(07 of07)

See More of the Best U.S. Cities for Affordable Getaways

Business travelers will like how this city affects their per diem: according to Zagat, restaurant meals are about $3 cheaper than the national average. You can bring that average down even more if you stick with the city’s old-school Tex-Mex—like Ninfa’s on Navigation, which claims to be home of the nation’s first fajitas (Mama’s Tacos al Carbon, $9.99). Hotel values, meanwhile, include Midtown’s new La Maison, which starts at $159 a night. The city also scored in the top 10 for its classical music, which can be heard for free at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park.

Photo © iStockphoto

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