Whenever I’m traveling abroad with friends or family I am always asked how much to tip. And when I tell them a few Euros for example on a 50 € lunch bill they look at me like I am cheap and in some cases insist on leaving much more. How much to tip when you are dining abroad can be a source of confusion for some travelers. How much do you generally tip? Are you tipping too much or too little? When planning a trip to a different country, learning tipping customs is an important way to ensure good service and avoid offending your server. For example if you are traveling in Japan and you throw around extra money for tips, this is considered rude and disrespectful–obviously not what you intended, but good to know.
I’ve put together a list of tipping guidelines for popular destinations this summer:
- France— In France, most locals will leave up to 10% (in coins) on their restaurant bill. If you see service compris, it means that you do not need to leave a tip. Bartenders are not tipped in France. If you are using a bellhop, make sure you tip 1 euro per bag. The housekeeping staff should receive 1-2 euro per night. If you take advantage of the concierge for reservations at local restaurants, tip between 10-15 euro (half at the beginning of your stay and half at the end).
- Italy— You should tip 10% for restaurant bills. Bellhops should receive 5 euros, 1-2 euro per night for housekeeping.
- Greece— At at restaurant round up the bill, and to the nearest 5 for great service. Bellhops should get 1 euro per bag, housekeepers 1 euro per night, and concierges only if they go above and beyond for you.
- Spain— If you experience good service at the restaurant, leave between 7 and 13%. You should leave the tip in cash, not on your credit card. If you feel that your service was not very good, it is completely unacceptable to not leave a tip. Bellhops should receive 1 euro per bag, housekeeping 5 euros per night, and the concierge between 5-10 euros (only if they have done something exceptional for you).
- Germany— A 10-15% tip should be added to restaurant bills and bar tabs. In Germany, the bell hop gets 3 euro per bag, the housekeeper should receive 5 euro per night, and 20 euro for the helpful concierge.
- United Kingdom— In the UK, service charges are often included in your bill. If the service is not included, tip 10-15% on your restaurant bill. There is no need to tip the bartender at your pub. The bellhop should get 1-2 euros per bag, housekeeping 1-2 euro per night (up to 5 euro if it’s a luxury hotel).
- Switzerland— Most restaurants in Switzerland include a 15% service charge on the restaurant bill. You can add a little extra if it’s a really posh restaurant or if you feel the service was exceptional. In hotels, service charges are included. You only need to tip the concierge extra if they have provided you with exceptional service as well.
- Morocco— In Morocco, you should make sure a service charge isn’t already included in the bill. If not, 10% is considered to be generous. The bellhop should receive two dollars per bag, housekeeping should receive $5 per night (preferable to pay each day), and the concierge $10 when you arrive to ensure good service.
In addition to your servers, make sure you are aware of others that you may need to tip (and how much to tip) like the bartender, tour guide, taxi driver, maitre d’ and more. It’s always I good idea, however, to check if a service charge was already included in your bill to avoid tipping twice. 😉
