Seasoned travellers have a top tip for millions of British holidaymakers arriving at US airports this summer: 'Have a roll of $1 notes handy.' Americans are dedicated to tipping, as London taxi drivers will tell you, so everyone from porters at airports to hotel maids expects their fair share.

But British travellers often have problems grasping the intricacies of tipping in the US, after a long flight, and fail to understand how many people who help them on their way are expecting a few notes in return.

This is not helped when a stressed out father, for instance, digs into his pocket to pull out his dollars and finds nothing smaller than a $50 note. Confusion and embarrassment reign. Sue Ockwell of Discover New England, which promotes six US states, says: 'It is difficult, particularly if you haven't been there before. British people don't understand how low the wages are for US service staff and how much they rely on tipping,' she says.

There was outrage when Britons started hitting the ski slopes in the resort of Breckenridge because so few tips were handed out. Across America, waiting staff deprived of tips are even known to pursue customers down the street.

Some UK tour operators include tipping suggestions in their departure information, and passengers on US cruise ships often find a guide to tipping in their cabins. But keeping up with the tipping trends means staying up to date with the latest changes. Regular traveller Jo Malone, from Norwich, says: 'Tipping in US restaurants seems to be going up all the time. Last time I went to America it was 15 per cent, now I've been told you are expected to pay 20.'

But it's not all bad news: the prospect of a tip can bring better service. Ockwell says that in Vermont recently she gave a $5 tip to a hotel staff member who helped her find a UK plug adapter and 'he was delighted'.

As a rule of thumb, porters, red caps or anyone who helps with bags would expect a tip of $1 per bag and hotel maids expect $1 a day, which can be left in an envelope in your room. Other hotel staff who expect a tip include a concierge who books tickets for a show and a doorman who hails a taxi.

To add to the confusion, Britons can also be flummoxed by various travel taxes not quoted on a menu or hotel room rate, but found on the final bill. Restaurant taxes are different in every US state, so in Anaheim, California, home of Disneyland, it is 7.75 per cent, but in Orlando, home of Disney World, Florida, it is 6 per cent. Hotel tax changes by state too: so 15 per cent will be added to your hotel bill in Anaheim, but in Orlando it is only 11 per cent. No wonder tourists get confused.

There may be light at the end of the tipping tunnel: some new hotels in the US, including the Seaport Hotel in Boston, have introduced a no tipping rule. It will be no surprise if its popularity with Britons suddenly soars.