Take a tip from the Europeans and tip as they do

  • By Rick Steves Herald Columnist
  • Thursday, July 10, 2014 3:01pm
  • Life

Here’s a tip. Don’t stress over tipping.

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 percent or 20 percent in Europe is unnecessary, if not culturally ignorant.

Virtually anywhere in Europe, you can do as the Europeans do and (if you’re pleased with the service) add a euro or two for each person in your party. 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. The stakes are low, and it’s no big deal if you choose the “wrong” amount. And note that tipping is an issue only at restaurants that have waiters and waitresses. If you order your food at a counter, don’t tip.

At table-service restaurants, the tipping etiquette and procedure vary 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 many countries, 5 percent to 10 percent is sufficient.

In Mediterranean countries, the “service charge” (“servizio” in Italian, “service” in French, “servicio” in Spanish) can be handled in different ways. Sometimes the menu will note that the service is included (“servizio incluso”), meaning that the prices listed on the menu already have this charge built in. When the service is not included (“servizio non incluso”), the service charge might show up as a separate line item at the end of your bill.

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.

To get the bill, you’ll have to ask for it. Before it comes, make a mental tally of roughly how much your meal should cost. The bill should vaguely resemble the figure you expected. (It should at least have the same number of digits.) Look at your bill carefully; if you have questions, ask your server.

Of course, each country has its own quirks when it comes to tipping. In Germanic countries, 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 41 euros, hand him 50 while saying, “45.” You’ll get 5 euros back and feel pretty European.

In Prague and most places in the Czech Republic, your bill will state — in English — whether or not service is included. In most cases it’s not, so round up the bill by adding 5 percent to 10 percent and paying in cash. Speaking just a few Czech words will get you better service (if you greet your waiter in English, he’ll want a 15 percent tip).

In London many restaurants list a 12.5 percent “optional” tip on the bill, but you should tip only what you feel the service warrants.

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. Servers prefer to be tipped in cash even if you pay with your credit card (otherwise the tip may never reach your server); in many cases, there isn’t even a line on the credit-card receipt for a tip.

Americans frequently worry about tipping cabbies. It’s simple: For a typical cab ride, round up to the next euro on the fare (to pay a 13 euro fare, give 14 euros); for a long ride, to the nearest 10 (for a 76 euro fare, give 80 euros). If you feel like you’re being driven in circles or otherwise ripped off, skip the tip.

Tipping for special service is optional. Guides who give talks at public sights or on bus tours often hold out their hands for tips after they give their spiel. If I’ve already paid for the tour or admission to the sight, I don’t tip extra (but if you want to tip, a euro or two is enough). 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. The French and British generally tip hairdressers, the Dutch and Swedish usually don’t. If you’re not sure whether (or how much) to tip for a service, ask your hotelier or the tourist information office; they’ll fill you in on how it’s done on their turf.

Rick Steves, www.ricksteves.com, writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.

(c) 2014 Rick Steves distributed by Tribune Content Agency, Llc.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.