Tipping in Europe
Jul 25, 2007 | 10:25 am
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Houston, TX
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You'll probably get more responses in the Europe Forum which also has Germany and France sub-forums. I usually opt for 0-10% at restaurants, but that's me.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=477
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=477
Jul 26, 2007 | 2:19 am
#4
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
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Posts: 13,674
Service is included in almost all restaurants in France, you are only expected to tip for exceptional service.
Similar in Germany, although it's more common (IME) to round up the figure.
Taxis, well, unless they're exceptional (helping with luggage etc), then rounding up is optional.
Please don't overtip.
Similar in Germany, although it's more common (IME) to round up the figure.
Taxis, well, unless they're exceptional (helping with luggage etc), then rounding up is optional.
Please don't overtip.
Jul 26, 2007 | 2:23 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Spain LPA/OVD
Programs: Iberia Platinum
Posts: 185
Service is included in almost all restaurants in France, you are only expected to tip for exceptional service.
Similar in Germany, although it's more common (IME) to round up the figure.
Taxis, well, unless they're exceptional (helping with luggage etc), then rounding up is optional.
Please don't overtip.
Similar in Germany, although it's more common (IME) to round up the figure.
Taxis, well, unless they're exceptional (helping with luggage etc), then rounding up is optional.
Please don't overtip.
Jul 26, 2007 | 2:36 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5,267
Double-add, yes, please DO NOT overtip. It would be dreadful if we become the tipping culture like in US. I noticed that in the UK, tipping is becoming very like in US, worrying.
It is very common here to just round up the bill. Only for exceptional service do we ever tip, but even that is never really up to 10%, I would say in the region of 5 %, of course IF it is based on total of bill.
To me tipping is a way of showing your gratitude for the exceptional service, but not when service is as is from the book. And of course it is absurd to be made compulsory like in the US.
It is very common here to just round up the bill. Only for exceptional service do we ever tip, but even that is never really up to 10%, I would say in the region of 5 %, of course IF it is based on total of bill.
To me tipping is a way of showing your gratitude for the exceptional service, but not when service is as is from the book. And of course it is absurd to be made compulsory like in the US.
Jul 26, 2007 | 10:52 am
#8
Moderator: Flying Blue (Air France & KLM), France and TravelBuzz!
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Paris, France, AF F+ Rouge pour toujours, Flying Blue whatever, LH FTL, HHonors Gold, formerly proud SCC Executive, now IC Ambassador, BA down to nobody, Grand Voyageur Le Club
Posts: 12,511
As I travel abroad a lot, I usually tip about 10% of the restaurant bill. My Parisian friends are horrified. They agree that 10% is about right, but they do cap it around EUR 10 ! For our last dinner together in Paris, the price for 3 was about EUR 250 in a really nice restaurant with really nice service. They would have given EUR 5 for a tip and barely accepted that I go all the way up to EUR 10 (plus an additional EUR 10 for the voiturier 
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