Guide to Tipping when on Holiday

The unwritten rules surrounding when and how much to tip are confusing enough in Britain, so most of us are all at sea when it comes to tipping abroad. To help you save face and put you on good terms with the locals, take a look at our handy guide to tipping.

The United States

This is the country that prides itself on its service culture. That means that employees in service industries expect to be tipped.

Restaurants – Leave 15 to 20% of the bill. If you’re in a very smart or expensive place, expect to tip even more.
Bartenders – 10 to 15% of the bar bill.
Toilet attendant – a dollar or two.

Hotels

Concierge – $10 for a special effort such as handling airline tickets; offer the tip after each service or at the end of your stay.
Chambermaid – generally no tip for one-night stays; $2-$5 per night for longer stays.
Doorman – $1-$2 for hailing a taxi; $2-$5 for unloading luggage.
Room-service waiter – 15-20% of bill.
Valet parking attendant – $1-$2.

Taxis – 15-20% of fare; generally a minimum of $1.

In America hairdressers, fast food delivery employees and shoe shiners expect to be tipped around 10 to 20%.

In Europe, the rules tend to be simpler and there is not such an emphasis on tipping.

In France, you may even sometimes see the sign pourboire interdit, meaning tipping is not allowed.

France

Restaurants – Bills include service but it is customary to leave between €2-€4.50 for a meal.
Bartenders – no need to tip.
Taxis – Around 10%.
Hotel staff – for porters tip around €1.

Germany

Restaurants –Service is included, but you can round up any tip to the nearest euro. For particularly good service you can leave extra, but hand over any tip personally – leaving it on the table is considered rude.
Bartenders – no need to tip.
Hotels – For porters tip around €1.
Taxis – no need to tip, but round up the fare to the nearest euro.

Italy

Tipping is mostly restricted to the major cities.

Restaurants – A 15% service charge is usually added to your bill. You may give the waiter an extra 5%-10%.
Bartenders – no tip expected.
Taxis – Italians don’t often tip them but they are very happy with between 5% and 10%.
Hotel staff – tip chambermaids about a euro a day.

Spain

Restaurants – Around 10%; leave between 5-10% in cafιs.
Bartenders – no need to tip.
Taxis – Around 5 to 10%.
Hotel staff – give porters around 50 cents a bag.

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