Okay I apologize as I know I'm taking the easy way out, BUT: My first time to Europe: going to Italy:
What are tipping guidelines there?
Should I get a conversion after we are there or purchase euros here?
Will be very appreciative of not getting beat up here.

I know the anti-tipping brigade will attack me for this but I tip in Europe as I do in the US. Since many people are so not used to being tipped, if you find someone who helps you carry a bag, hail a taxi, etc, tip as you would in the US. They'll love you for it!

When you arrive in Italy, go to the nearest ATM and get money using your ATM card. Please make sure that your pin # is a 4 digit pin. Then go to a bank at the airport and ask them to make change. Keep in mind 1 euro is worth more than $1 and that the first foldable money is 10 euro. You will be inundated with coins: 5 euro, 2 euro, 1 euro, 50 cent, 20 cent, 10 cent, 5 cent, & 1 cent.

Tipping: It's that simple. If you go to a restaurant and are particularly pleased by the service, it's a good idea to tip by 10-15%. Otherwise tipping serves no purpose other than for rounding-up purposes. Please do not spread the tipping disease- I like my "all inclusive" prices.

Currency Exchange: This is so 20th century. Just make sure your cashcard is valid internationally (look for one of the following signs: Cirrus, Plus, Visa, Maestro) then withdraw as much as you want when you want. Cheaper and easier than over-the-counter transactions.

The European Central Bank would be glad to hear about your experiences with 5 Euro coins. Their website suggests that "The eight denominations of coins vary in size, colour and thickness according to their values, which are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent or EUR 1 and EUR 2", and my experience hasn't been any different.

Not surprised that I added one since there are a whopping 7 different coins. Thanks for the heads up. Just keep in mind, Marysunshine, that 2 euro coin ain't a quarter so don't spend it like it is.

Hello FT,

The smallest foldable bill is 5 Euro.

I've been going to Rome once a month for work for the past 7 months.
Tipping : Tip what you feel like doing - I usually do 10% at restaurants because service charge and VAT is already in the listed price. Service charge is basically for the servers. Other people say a one euro per person suffices as a tip regardless of size of bill but not greater than 10%.

Do a google search or read the guide books - they have sensible guidelines. Tip your coffee guy 5-10 cents a cup.

Possibly a couple euros a day in the hotel room if your like that.

Cab drivers will try to rip you off everywhere. It's tough to argue because they won't speak english to you. I've been here 8 times already and they still try to rip me off every time. There are honest ones though. Don't tip cabbies more than a couple euros for a ride if you feel they haven't pulled a fast one on you. The most you should pay from FCO to Rome is 50Euro.

You can either draw cash from ATMs that have international logos like cirrus, star, plus - and you can use credit cards. DON'T USE Currency exchanges and when you leave hotel, use the rest of euros to cut down teh bill and pay w/ the CC.

Buon Fortuna!
Ciao!
(sitting in rome right now as i write this)

Most of them do not speak english. Very few taxi drivers anywhere speak any foreign languages. But my advice is to avoid taxis altogether when in italy: (legitimate) taxi prices are very very high (almost as expensive as in Scandinavia), while public transport links tend to be fairly good.

Seems like nearly ALL the taxi drivers in NYC speak foreign languages!

I tip like here. But no tipping in restaurants; tip is included in most bills. I just "round up".

Don't buy Euros here, get them in Europe with your bank card from ATMs. I always have two cards, in case one does not work. My NETBANK card is only for my foreign travel - they never charged me a fee.

Have fun...

I assume you are talking about restaurants. Look at the bill, if it says �servizio includere� or something like it, 15% has been added to your bill and there is no need to pay more. Don�t be too cheap as some have suggested, tipping for good service in a restaurant is a long standing, and world-wide, tradition; don�t become the ugly American.

Can't say about taxis, try to take public transit whenever possible.
Leave sine loose change for the coffee guy, maybe the gelato person too.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. That helps tremendously. So now I will be greedy and ask:
We have one full day tour of Pompeii and Capri booked @ $80. USD pp with a tour company and the following day I have hired a local gentleman who is taking us along the Amalfi Coast to visit Ravello, Positano and amalfi. He is charging us $200. USD for a 6 hour day for four of us using a minivan.
In each case do we tip? and if so, how much?

Sorry I can't help you on the guide question but I wanted to add one more comment on tipping. If you do, DON'T add it to the restaurant charge slip. We tried that in a couple of places in Italy and they always asked us not to. (This happened in Brazil, too.) Don't know if they didn't want their tips documented or if it was just a bookkeeping hassle because it was unusual for them.

The ugly American is the one who is totally culturally insensitive, not the one that doesn't tip... I suggest you take your tipping approach to Japan and see how much luck you have with it!

In Italy, excessive tipping won't cause offence, because the Italians will be quite happy to take your money. It will probably make you look clueless in front of business contacts though.

I just Google'd on this, and I'm astonished by the advice on a lot of websites. There are sites that proclaim it is generally accepted that you should tip the guy who serves you coffee at a bar. Uh. OK. I have never seen an Italian tip the barista.

Don't tip in Italy, just round up the bill.

A while back I was with a girlfriend in Italy who tried to tip a cab driver and he actually refused the tip.

I'm very much an advocate of "When in Rome ... " and agree with the others who encourage you to avoid spreading the tipping disease.

As for your guide, I have a driver on the Amalfi Coast who I've used many times. I don't tip him either, but I do pay him in cash even though he takes credit cards. I think he appreciates the ability to not have to report the income and that basically is a nice tip for him.

BTW, many stores in Italy will give you a discount if you either pay in cash or ask about VAT refund (they'd rather give a discount than deal with the paperwork of that).

Also, know that you will be charged more for your food at a cafe if you sit than if you stand at the counter.