Hints on Tipping in Europe

In the United States, we’ve been raised on a tradition of tipping cabbies, hotel staff, bartenders, waiters and a variety of other service-oriented personnel.  Consequently, for Americans it seems normal to provide a tip or gratuity for good service.   When traveling in Europe tipping is not near as common as you might think and it certainly is not as lavish. While nothing about tipping is concrete, I hope these guidelines will relieve some stress and help you fit in like a local when traveling through Europe.

The information provided here is based on my extensive travels in Europe and my conversations with restaurant and hotel employees as well as local patrons. I’ve found a few generalities, which I’ll discuss first, and then I’ll dive into a country-by-country account.

Generalities

Europeans tend not to be as generous with their tips as we Americans.  In general, European restaurant servers are paid a salary and tips are considered a bonus on top of their wages. When pondering your tip, keep in mind a 5-10 percent tip is normal.  Only well-meaning or lavish-spending Americans leave a tip of 15-20 percent.  This is absolutely unnecessary and culturally inconsiderate.  Anywhere in Europe you’ll be safe by following the lead of Europeans and leaving a euro or two per person in your party.  In most cases the tip should be given directly to your server, not left on the table.  It is always a good idea to pay for your meal in cash as most Europeans do.  Paying with a credit card is common in some countries, but there is seldom an opportunity to add the tip to the final total.  If you are dining with a group, remember there is no such thing as “splitting the bill” whether it be with cash or credit card.  Please don’t be an arrogant American and try to push our customs on your server; it is rude.

If you take a taxi it is appropriate to round up the fare a euro or two as the cabbie’s tip.  Be prepared to pay the fare and tip in cash; there are no credit card machines in taxis.  

In hotels, it is appropriate to leave a hotel housekeeper one or two euros a day for their service and provide a euro or two for portage to your room.  It is not necessary to tip a doorman or anyone who hails a taxi.

Austria

It is customary give a 10%-15% tip at restaurants. Pay the tip in cash and hand it directly to the waiter when paying your bill.  There is a little trick to doing this in “Germanic” countries.  Let’s say the bill is €25 and you want to give a €5 tip.  Hand the waiter a €50 note and say, “30”.  The waiter will give you back 20 euros and keep 5 for himself.  You can walk away feeling like a local!

Croatia

Tipping is becoming popular in Croatia with the influx of mass tourism.  In a bar or sandwich shop, round up.  In restaurants with great service, leave 10%-15%.  Always give your tip to the waiter or waitress in the local currency.

If cruising on a private charter along the Croatia coast, plan to tip the captain and crew (collectively) about $50-$60 per person in your party.  If there is a cruise tour director, you should tip them about $12 a day per person.  This should be done in kunu (the local currency) or euros.

Czech Republic

Often a service charge is included in your bill.  If so, it will be clearly stated, usually in English.  Whether it is included or not you might consider giving an extra 5%-10% tip for good service.  Give your tip, in cash, directly to the waiter or waitress. 

France

Tipping in France is not common nor is it expected.  Those in the service industry are paid a salary and therefore do not count on tips as part of their income.  If service is exceptional, rounding up a euro or two is plenty. Restaurants and cafés typically include a service charge in the price of your meal. It usually is noted on the menu as service compris and will not be a line item on your bill.  Some tourist restaurants do not include this (in hopes of getting a bigger tip from Americans).  This is noted on the menu as service non compris and in this case a 15% tip is ok.

Germany

It is customary give a 10%-15% tip at restaurants. Pay the tip in cash and hand it directly to the waiter when paying your bill.  There is a little trick to doing this in “Germanic” countries.  Let’s say the bill is €25 and you want to give a €5 tip.  Hand the waiter a €50 note and say, “30”.  The waiter will give you back 20 euros and keep 5 for himself.  You can walk away feeling like a local!

Greece

The general rule of thumb here is the more expensive the restaurant, the lower the tip.  If you dine in an inexpensive taverna and spend €20 or less per person, then tip 10%.  Anything over €20 per person, tip 5%.  

Ireland

The “old Irish people” never tip.  Tipping was never their custom and theirs was a hard life growing up in the mid-20^th century.  You’ll find them counting their pennies to the tee. The younger Irish, those under 40 years old, usually tip when ordering food but seldom when just having a drink.

Pubs - If you are simply served a drink by the guy/gal behind the bar then no tip is expected.  In the countryside, if it is not busy and the bartender “chats you up”, then leave a 15% tip with each drink or at the end of your drinking session. If the bartender is the proprietor, then no gratuity is expected, however it does not hurt to offer to buy him/her a drink.

Restaurants and Pubs that serve food – A 15% tip is standard for good table service. Up to 20% if exceptional service and extra “chatting up.”

Italy

Most often you will find a cover charge and service charge included in the price on the menu.  This will be noted, usually at the bottom of the menu, by il coperto and servizio incluso. The cover charge usually includes tap water and bread on the table.  The two usually add up to 15%-20%, but you’ll never see that published anywhere.  It is considered a generous gesture to round up your bill by a euro or two for exceptional service. Occasionally, you may find servizio non incluso (service not included) at tourist restaurants. In this case a 10% tip, handed to your waiter or left on the table, is fine.

The Netherlands

Value Added Tax (VAT) is included in every bill in the Netherlands.  It is not necessary to tip a taxi driver, hotel, restaurant or anyone in the service industry.

Spain

Service is always included at every bar or restaurant in Spain.  A tip is not necessary.  However, it is acceptable to leave 5%-8% for exceptional service.  Give your tip directly to the waiter or waitress in euro cash.  Do not leave it on the table.

Switzerland

A service charge is automatically calculated into your bill at restaurants.  For great service, you can round up or tip 5%, but it is not expected.  Always give your tip directly to the waiter in Swiss Franc cash.

United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

You do not need to tip in pubs when ordering drinks or food at the bar. In restaurants, often a service charge of 12.5% is added, so be sure to check your bill before paying. If no service charge is added, then a 10-15% tip will be appreciated, but it is not expected.  

Summary

When tipping in Europe it is important to keep in mind that the tip may already be included in the bill. You can always round up or leave a euro or two for each member of your party, like the Europeans do. A 5-10 percent tip is normal but anything more is excessive, since most servers receive a salary. Be sure to give the tip directly to the server in cash. It is also customary to tip cabbies and hotel staff a euro or two for their service.

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If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.

Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at http://davidmcguffin.com/.

David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on  Twitter,  Facebook,  Google+,  LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, http://davidmcguffin.com.

Restaurant Survival Guide for Traveler

When traveling abroad, a good traveler expects to run into cultural differences. With a little planning, we can prepare for the big ones, like the language or local customs. But it is often the little things, the things we take for granted and couldn’t fathom doing differently, that really trip us up. So to help you prepare, here is a guide to the little quirks of dining abroad from ordering drinks to interacting with your waiter and everything you need to know about refills, ice, water and tipping.

Drinks

Refills

Free refills on sodas, coffee, tea or any other beverage is an American thing. In Europe, you purchase your beverages by the glass. In most places there are no fountain drinks, so if you order a soda, you’ll get a can. And hopefully it was refrigerated, which brings me to the next item…

Ice

Until recently, Europeans would look at you like you were crazy if you asked for ice with your drink, and then bring you one single cube. It’s not common, it’s not the custom and it’s only for outsiders. Many restaurants don’t have ice on hand for cooling drinks. Instead, they use it to chill the fish. And you do not want that ice in your drink! The best outcome you can hope for is that the little cubes will lower the drink’s temperature at least a few degrees before melting away. 

We Americans are obsessed with having ice-cold drinks. I recently saw someone put ice in a glass of wine and I gasped in horror. I thought to myself, “If the Europeans could see you defiling that wine, they would die!” Let’s face it, that extra-large soft drink from your local fast-food joint is just a cupful of ice with a little bit of soda. But the fact is, ninety percent of the world’s population make do without ice every day and don’t even know what they are missing. 

Water

A few years ago I was hiking in the Alps near Interlaken, Switzerland. I was doing a little exploring on my own and checking out some new destinations for my tours. I decided to take on a rather challenging day hike high up in the mountains. Early in the morning, I took a train up to my starting point and off I went through green meadows that seemed to cascade endlessly down the steep hills under a blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. It was a perfect day for hiking! 

Three hours into the hike my water bottle was dry and I was looking for anything to rehydrate my aching body. I came across a little restaurant at one of the highest points on the trail and went in to buy a liter or two of water to get me through the next five hours of hiking. Well, all they had was water with gas! At the time I hated water with gas, but weighing the possibility of no water for the next five hours or water with gas, I purchased the water. That’s the day I learned to like the stuff.

Europeans have been purchasing their water for as long as I can remember. Originally this stemmed from the idea that tap water was unsanitary or that the natural minerals which bottled “spring water” contained were good for you. Whatever the reason, whether at a grocery store or in a restaurant, it is customary to purchase “bottled mineral water” when dining out. It is even customary to purchase water at the grocery for consumption at home.

Bottled water comes in two varieties: with and without gas. The gas is simply carbonation, CO2, the same stuff that makes a cola fizzy. But drinking it and enjoying it requires an acquired taste (It’s a lot like when you get a fountain drink and the syrup is running low). In North America, two popular brands of “water with gas,” or sparkling water, are Perrier (from France) and San Pellegrino (from Italy). Nowadays, you can find these at most grocery stores and finer-dining establishments in the US.

When traveling throughout most of Europe, you should plan on paying for a bottle of water with your meal. Doing so will ensure you get fresh and clean water that is reasonably chilled. It will come with glasses but no ice. Two varieties are readily available: with gas, and without gas. It’s not a problem to request either and most often the waiter will ask which you prefer.

How to request water:

ITALIAN - acqua natuarale senza gas (no gas); acqua con gas / acqua frizzante / acqua gazzata (with gas)
GERMAN - wasser no gas (no gas); wasser mit gas (with gas)
SPANISH - agua sin gas (no gas); agua con gas (with gas)
FRENCH - de l’eau plate (no gas); de l’eau gazeuse (with gas) 

Good news! In France it is customary to order a pitcher of fresh tap water at no charge. Simply ask for it! In French, it goes something like this: un carafe d’eau s’il vous plaît.

Interacting with your Waiter

Rule #1: Be kind to your waiter. 

This one may seem obvious, but the pressure of interacting with a language barrier tends to make people forget their manners. No one expects tourists to be fluent in a language before they travel, but learning the basics will go a long way. I can’t tell you how many times a simple “buongiorno” has prompted Italians to shower me with compliments on my “beautiful Italian.” At the very least, learn how to say hello, please and thank you and you will find a lot of friendly people willing to help you struggle through the rest of the conversation.   

Rule #2: Be aware of local dining customs. 

We Americans are always in a rush. So much so that we eat a lot of our meals on the go. In Europe, eating is a social event. And a 30-minute lunch is unheard of. Don’t expect your waiter to come by every five minutes to see if you are done. In Europe, this would be considered extremely rude. If you want something, chances are you’ll have to flag your waiter down. He isn’t being lazy or bad at his job; he’s giving you privacy to enjoy your meal in peace. This is great if you want to spend three hours catching up with your friends but can be frustrating when you are pressed for time. 

If you don’t have much time to eat, consider ordering from the “take away” counter. In fact, many restaurants and cafes near busy tourist sites offer the same menu to go. Just pick up your lunch and take it to a nearby park. This is a great option when the weather is nice. Don’t forget to grab a few napkins!

Rule #3: Reward your waiter for good service. 

Tipping rules vary from country to country, so you’ll want to do some research before you travel. Unlike in the United States, in many countries waiters must be paid at least the minimum wage. In those countries, a tip is appreciated but not expected and an excessively large tip can even be seen as an insult. 

Here are a few guidelines for tipping.

In France and Italy, a service charge is usually already included in the bill. If you stop for drinks, it is customary to leave the change, especially if the service was good. For example, if your bill is 3.50, you can leave .50 on the change tray. However, this is not required. If you are paying with a credit card, there probably won’t be a line on the receipt to leave a tip, so just leave some change on the table. For dinner, a tip of 5-10% is sufficient for all but the fanciest restaurants.

In the UK and Ireland, a service charge may be included in your bill. In the UK, the standard is 12.5%. If you can’t tell if it has been included, don’t be embarrassed to ask the waiter. In Ireland, this policy should be clearly listed on the menu. You can still leave an additional tip for particularly good service. If there is no service charge, plan to leave between 10 and 15%. In the pub, people generally do not leave a tip. But here again, if the service was exceptional, the bartender filled several orders or was very friendly, you can leave a small tip.  

Summary

Dining abroad doesn’t have to be stressful if you’re aware of a few key differences. There are no free refills on drinks, soda usually comes in a can, there is no ice for drinks and you have to purchase water. Remember to specify whether you want still or sparkling water. Being friendly to your waiter will make for an enjoyable experience. Try to learn a few words in the language, because this gesture is very much appreciated in non-English-speaking countries. Understand the local customs. Your waiter isn’t ignoring you, he’s giving you privacy to enjoy your meal without interruption. And finally, know the local tipping customs so that you can reward him for good service. With this in mind, you should be all set. Bon appétit!

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If you found this article informative, please share it with your friends, family, coworkers and associates. If you have something to add, just leave a comment in the box below.

Do you want to learn more about traveling to Europe? There is a wealth of information and special discount pricing on my tours at http://davidmcguffin.com/.

David McGuffin is Founder and CEO of David McGuffin’s Exploring Europe, Inc., based in Middleburg, Florida. You can connect with him on  Twitter,  Facebook,  Google+,  LinkedIn and YouTube. David spends his time in Europe organizing and leading small group and independent tours to European destinations. In business since 2001, David has provided exceptional travel opportunities to several thousand satisfied customers. You can find out more about David and his European tours at his website, http://davidmcguffin.com.