Tipping Tactics
 |
| No matter where you are, tip extra if the service has been especially good. |
Tipping in Europe isn't as automatic and generous as it is in the US — but for special service, tips are appreciated, if not expected. As in the US, the proper amount depends on your resources, tipping philosophy, and the circumstance. That said, some general guidelines apply.
Restaurants: See Tipping in Restaurants, below.
Taxis: To tip the cabbie, round up. For a typical ride, round up about 5–10 percent (to pay a €4.50 fare, give €5; for a €28 fare, give €30). If the cabbie hauls your bags and zips you to the airport to help you catch your flight, you might want to toss in a little more. But if you feel like you're being driven in circles or otherwise ripped off, skip the tip.
Special Services: It's thoughtful to tip a couple of euros to someone who shows you a special sight and who is paid in no other way. Tour guides at public sights often hold out their hands for tips after they give their spiel; if I've already paid for the tour, I don't tip extra unless they've really impressed me (€1–2). At hotels, porters expect a euro for each bag they carry (another reason to pack light). Leaving the maid a euro per overnight at the end of your stay is a nice touch. In general, if someone in the service industry does a super job for you, a tip of a couple of euros is appropriate...but not required.
When in doubt, ask. If you're not sure whether (or how much) to tip for a service, ask your hotelier or the TI; they'll fill you in on how it's done on their turf.
Tipping in Restaurants
Restaurant tips are more modest in Europe than in America. In most places, 10 percent is a big tip. If your bucks talk at home, muzzle them on your travels. As a matter of principle, if not economy, the local price should prevail. Please believe me — tipping 15 or 20 percent in Europe is unnecessary, if not culturally insensitive.
Tipping is an issue only at restaurants that have waiters and waitresses. If you order your food at a counter (in a pub, for example), don't tip.
At table-service restaurants, the tipping etiquette and procedure varies 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. In most countries, 5 percent is adequate, 10 verges on excessive, and 15 or 20 percent is unheard-of.
In Mediterranean countries, the "service charge" servizio in Italian, service in French, servicio in Spanish) — usually figured at 10 or 15 percent of your total bill — can be handled in different ways. Sometimes the menu will note that the service is included (e.g., servizio incluso), meaning that the prices listed in the menu already have this charge built in. In other cases, the service might show up as a separate line item at the end of your bill. (In this case, in Italy, the menu might say servizio non incluso — meaning the individual prices don't include service.) Fixed-price tourist deals (a.k.a. menu) include service.
In Northern and Eastern Europe, the menu or bill is less likely to address the "service charge," but you can usually assume that it's included in the prices.
Virtually anywhere in Europe, you can do as the Europeans do and (if you're pleased with the service) round up a euro or two. This can vary a bit. For example, a 10 percent tip is expected in Hungary. And in very touristy areas, some servers have noticed the American obsession with overtipping — and might hope for a Yankee-size tip. But the good news is that European servers and diners are far more laid-back about all this than we are. Any tip is appreciated, the stakes are low, and it's no big deal if you choose the "wrong" amount.
Typically, it's better to hand the tip to the waiter when you're paying your bill than to leave it on the table, particularly in busy places where the wrong party might pocket the change. In Germanic countries, rather than physically leaving a tip on the table, it's considered discreet and classy to say the total number of euros you'd like the waiter to keep (including his tip) when paying. So, if the bill is €42, hand him €50 while saying, "45." You'll get €5 back and feel pretty European. In most of Europe, servers prefer to be tipped in cash even if you pay with your credit card. (Otherwise the tip may never reach your server.)
Read what Europeans themselves have to say about tipping...
Updated for 2009. For lots more tips, check out our best-selling Europe Through the Back Door travel skills guidebook.