Tipping as a Local

Can those living in The EU and other parts of Europe provide some basic information on tipping in eating and drinking establishments? I don't want to debate the topic, I just want to understand what is a typical amount/percentage and the etiquette of how to present the tip. ( I heard it is rude to just leave the money on the table.)

In Budapest it is rude to leave tips on table.

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There isn't really one rule to follow in all EU countries, but if you want a general guideline then aim for 50% of what you would tip in the USA.

More specifically, when eating in a restaurant check the bill for words like 'Service charge' or 'service compris' and if you see that, no additional tip is required, but if you think the service was exceptional feel free to leave a little extra, and no, it is not rude to just leave it on the table.

Remember in the EU there is a decent minimum wage and unlike the USA there is no ability for employers to pay below that on the presumption of tips, so your waiting staff and other service staff for that matter are not as poorly paid as you may be used to.

Tipping housekeeping staff in Europe is something started by Americans and can cause problems, so if you really feel like you have to do it, use one of the envelopes you generally find in hotels and write something on there to make it 100% clear you are leaving it as a tip for the housekeeping staff so there is no misunderstanding, if you merely leave a little cash in the room it may get treated as 'lost property' to avoid any accusation of theft...

In short though it is neither needed nor expected unless trained over time by previous American visitors ...

In Budapest it is rude to leave tips on table.

Budapest is an unusual exception and it is expected that rather than leaving a separate tip, after you get the check you will tell the server how much you want to pay in total, including any tip and he/she will then give you the correct change.

The server will generally linger after handing you the check to facilitate the process, they are not being rude or trying to hurry you out of the door, it is just the way it is done there...

In general though, don't over-think this stuff, everyone knows you are not a local, and thousands of Americans who have gone before you have trained most service staff what to expect, which is generally more than they are used to getting from any other tourists, so what you leave, however you leave it is going to be welcome :)

Also do ask the staff and guides on the ship as they can give you advice as you move from one country to the next without trying to remember it all in advance...

In Germany service, tax and other charges are by law included in the end price on your bill. If a waiter says "4.60 euros" that will definitely be the price you have to pay. No extra. Here you can decide if you want to give a tip. General consensus is to tip if you are happy with the service. If it was just o.k. or below what you expected you would not tip. If you have a real complaint you can obviously voice it, which will make it clearer that you did not tip because something was "not up to standard".

The consensus is for 5 to 10 percent. Again a "4,60 Euro, bitte." I would answer with giving him a 5 Euro note saying: "Stimmt so." That means I do not want the change, i.e. the 40 cents is the tip. Or, if I do not have a 5 euro note but a 10 euro note I will say "Machen Sie 5 Euro." Meaning I would like 5 Euros change back, again the 40 cents is the tip. You can give above 10 percent, it will be gladly taken. :) But I would not overdo it.

For services in hotels there is a recommendation for 2 to 5 euros for a service that is not included in the price, for example carrying a suitcase to the room. If the reception has been really helpful with an exceptional request 5 to 10 euros in a very good hotel should be given as a tip.

I in general do not leave a tip on the table, but you can if you want to, especially if you are still working out what to give when the waiter is at your table. You should not let him wait for you working out euros and cents. ;) I work in the tourism service sector and have got used to uttering my opinion about service and prefer eye contact when tipping.

If you pay by credit card you can tip in cash or say that an amount named by you should be deducted from the card as tip.

notamermaid

OK, thanks . . . I don't want to raise expectations by being typical American nor do I want to be thought a Brexitor (with an odd accent). :rolleyes:

I'm set for Germany, and it looks like my lessons from 40 years ago are still valid. We're heading to France in the near future, any "tips" on gratuities?

What about Italy?

What about Italy?

Italy is essentially a non-tipping culture, but again sadly expectations in tourist areas have been fueled by US visitors.

Do tip your hotel porter for carrying your bags, don't tip in the cafe, taxi, restaurant etc. unless the service has been exceptional.

Do round up to the nearest Euro though.

If a server in a restaurant asks you if you need change, they are behaving badly and are only doing it because they recognize where you are from sadly.

Italy is essentially a non-tipping culture, but again sadly expectations in tourist areas have been fueled by US visitors.

 

Do tip your hotel porter for carrying your bags, don't tip in the cafe, taxi, restaurant etc. unless the service has been exceptional.

 

Do round up to the nearest Euro though.

 

If a server in a restaurant asks you if you need change, they are behaving badly and are only doing it because they recognize where you are from sadly.

That takes me back to the days when it was 1,000, or more. lira to the dollar. Coins were in short supply and change frequently included a telephone token and a piece of candy. ;)

More good info, thanks.

Budapest is an unusual exception and it is expected that rather than leaving a separate tip, after you get the check you will tell the server how much you want to pay in total, including any tip and he/she will then give you the correct change.

 

The server will generally linger after handing you the check to facilitate the process, they are not being rude or trying to hurry you out of the door, it is just the way it is done there...

How do you do that if you pay by credit card. Seems kind of weird to me. :confused:

JC

How do you do that if you pay by credit card. Seems kind of weird to me. :confused:

 

JC

Hi JC. It's not as weird as it may seem, just different. We read these exact instructions in a book, so we were ready. We got a check with a total of xyz forints. I handed the server my card, rounded the total up in my head, and said "please charge this many forints." Worked fine, and all were perfectly happy. :)

It's really the same principle that notamermaid posted earlier, but with a cc, not cash. Pay a €4.60 bill with a €10 note, and ask for €5 back. Pay with a cc, and ask them to charge €5, not €4.60.

When I pay in Germany I put the tip directly in the server's purse. I also have read that it's not polite to leave it on the table, but our friend notamermaid says that they will not be too upset, and I am sure she is right.

I enjoy these subtle differences. Learning them is fun, and a challenge, but when i do something different like that, it reminds me that I'm on a trip.

Hi JC. It's not as weird as it may seem, just different. We read these exact instructions in a book, so we were ready. We got a check with a total of xyz forints. I handed the server my card, rounded the total up in my head, and said "please charge this many forints." Worked fine, and all were perfectly happy. :)

 

It's really the same principle that notamermaid posted earlier, but with a cc, not cash. Pay a €4.60 bill with a €10 note, and ask for €5 back. Pay with a cc, and ask them to charge €5, not €4.60.

 

When I pay in Germany I put the tip directly in the server's purse. I also have read that it's not polite to leave it on the table, but our friend notamermaid says that they will not be too upset, and I am sure she is right.

 

I enjoy these subtle differences. Learning them is fun, and a challenge, but when i do something different like that, it reminds me that I'm on a trip.

We must have read the same book.

We rounded up, sometimes an extra euro above, just as you did.

It WAS fun to do things differently:)

Robin

On the credit card point, something you will see a lot more in Europe than you do in the USA (due to chip&pin) are handheld credit card terminals.

These can have the amount to be charged already entered into them, then when the server hands the terminal to you for you to enter your pin you'll see there will be an option to add a tip.

You can of course just tell the server the total to charge to the card as suggested above.

That takes me back to the days when it was 1,000, or more. lira to the dollar. Coins were in short supply and change frequently included a telephone token and a piece of candy. ;)

I remember those days all too well :)

We were told at the time that the Lira had got so low that the scrap metal value of the coins was higher than their face value so people were melting them down rather than using them...

Candy and single cigarettes often featured in the change, even in quite large stores as I recall, those were different days indeed...

I have been told numerous times by books and tour guides that when using a credit card to give the tip, if there is one, in cash. Apparently the waitstaff may never see the tip if it is charged.

I have been told numerous times by books and tour guides that when using a credit card to give the tip, if there is one, in cash. Apparently the waitstaff may never see the tip if it is charged.

It depends on the employer, the less honest may indeed not pass them on or not fully pass them on. Not all are dishonest, but if you have the cash available then it is usually better to use it.

Ask if they get the tip, sad to say it is quite prevalent that CC tips do not get to the staff. Also check if there is a service charge added to the bill this is sometimes shown on the menu and can catch you out in an unfamiliar language. Just go with what feels right you eventually get the hang of it. I expect gone are the days of a doller bill wherever you go in the states, shows how long it is since I've been, note to self must rectify that. Happy cruising CA

Anyone have any thoughts on what to do about tipping or not on a very very expensive bottle of wine in Vienna ? Does the sommelier get a tip? So unclear how to handle this.

Anyone have any thoughts on what to do about tipping or not on a very very expensive bottle of wine in Vienna ? Does the sommelier get a tip? So unclear how to handle this.

If you feel you'd like a specific tip to go to the sommelier then just tip him in cash at the end of your meal. As a European, and former hotel employee, I (and my friends) always handle tips this way. For most of us service charge and taxes are now included in our bills, this we pay usually by credit card and then leave a small'ish addition amount as a thank you for good service in cash - this you can split as you wish by giving more than one amount or as a single amount for all those who served you....My best advice is don't stress over tipping in Europe as with living wage legislation, inclusive service charge and taxes it really isn't expected, but anything given is appreciated. Personally, I struggle when travelling in the US where tipping is expected and in significant amounts - I never know who to tip or how much!!!

Anne..

Anyone have any thoughts on what to do about tipping or not on a very very expensive bottle of wine in Vienna ? Does the sommelier get a tip? So unclear how to handle this.

Don't worry about it, this isn't the USA :)

As Jayayeff suggests, your check will include whatever is expected in terms of a service or cover charge, anything over and above that is just a reflection of you wanting to do more to recognize exceptional service, and is not percentage based, so don't feel the need to directly reflect the price of the wine in any additional amount you decide to leave.

If the sommelier did more than simply correctly serve your wine then by all means give him a little cash in hand, but if he just served what you ordered without any special preparations or assistance with your choice then he is really not going to be expecting anything additional from you, he is just doing his job for which he is already being properly paid.

I need to correct what I said earlier. Although I have seen it done, a travel guide site says that you should not leave money on the table in Germany. O.k., I probably saw the "failing customers". But I cannot imagine a waiter being to upset about this. Sorry. In a hotel you do leave a tip for the room maid on the day you leave. Taxi drivers should be tipped, but do not overdo it. They also get a minimum wage by law now. They are not at the bottom of pay roll statistics. If they smoke in the car, do not tip.

In France, by the way, you usually get a plate (rarely a kind of folder) with the change (if there is any) and the bill still on it. You then leave the tip "on the table", i.e. the plate. Lookout for the mention of "pourboire" on the bill. That is the service charge. You need to tip according to whether that is on the bill or not. I am still confused by that system. :o Perhaps the frequent France travellers can explain that better.

notamermaid

I think the message to take from this thread is that even Europeans will tip differently from each other, and any method that leaves your server richer than when you arrived is likely to be appreciated :)

In the dim and distant past, I worked as a waiter and as bar staff and I never considered any particular method of giving me extra money as 'rude', so leaving it on the table or the plate is all good in my opinion if it gets money to the right place...

Regarding tips for housekeeping, in the UK, don't do it. It is not expected or required, unless you have asked for some special service or have left the room in a mess due to some accident/incident etc.

You may have problems even trying to tip the housekeeping staff in the UK as taking money left out in a guest room is a huge risk for them. So as I mentioned before, if you feel like you have to do it, put it in an envelope and mark it clearly.

Hello Mark T,

yes, I think one can be far ruder with words than with not giving the tip in the right way. And can spoil your country's reputation to a far greater extend that way...

As regards the UK, yes, tipping is not really done much. We pay extra only when we think we have had a great holiday somewhere. And again, words say so much more in England, the "please" goes a long way ensuring that you are appreciated as a tourist. Along with queueing the British way. On the continent I wish sometimes that some Britons would realize that their actions speak so much louder than words and spoil theircountry's reputation... Witness the first few days of Euro 2016 ... among many other incidents over the years. Do not get me wrong they are always in the minority, but bad news spread more wildly than good news it seems.

I, myself, inadvertently, have put my foot in it a few times on holiday. With tipping and in other ways. It happens. Tipping is one of the minor things. Do not worry too much about it.

The countries in Europe vary quite a lot as regards tipping. To remember all the little differences, well, who has time to do another university degree? ;)

notamermaid

Hi, to the OP I'd say please check the internet -easy to google tipping in europe and read some sites there. Most are consistent.

What you will read there is generally a little more generous than some posters here would have you believe.

Yes, we do tip ports, taxis etc as well as restaurants. Not leaving a tip would normally indicate you are not happy with the service. Restaurants can be complicated re service and cover charges, so read the websites. It is, of course, always nicer to be generous than mean, if you can afford to be so and luckily, most of us here on cruisecritic can.