Tangata-you know you're stuff...and a pleasure to read a post from someone so well informed.

Actually you can get a cab for a daily fee and if you give that its usually fine. I give a bit more on top as a rule and its always been stress free. No hassles.

"Please don't import your tipping habits to the rest of the world" - couldn't agree more! And 15% in Europe? No.

I see that this is an excitable subject for some people.

Let me be quite clear....tipping is a personal choice...my attempt is to help indianapearl, who btw has not been heard from.

If you want to travel hassle free, tip accordingly. Agree with jacketwatch completely.

thursdaysd....I wouldn't tip 15% in Europe either. Most of the time the tip is already included in the bill. Hence no additional tip is required...zilch. Incidentally, Rick Steves has often spoken (written?) and Rick says "only confused tourists leave a tip" in Europe. So when tourists leave a tip they are OVER TIPPING.

Now, tourists don't mind leaving tips in Europe, on top of tips that are already added to the bill (most of the time this is true in Europe), but people seem to get worked up when they have to tip in India, where there is no tip added to the bill. Does anyone see the irony in this?

Is it because, like Tangata says, he/she can get away with it in India because they are glad to get Rs 20/day? It's OK to rip off a poor person in a poor country because they are glad to get any tip at all. I suspect that after Tangata has thought this through, he/she will agree that this is not OK. Why not leave a decent tip, and save yourself hassles, because when you tip well, you get extra care and attention. But again, this is a very personal choice.

In some countries, tipping is not acceptable...hence you are better off not tipping because that could be construed as insulting (?).

Hey Lyndie...nice to know that you eat at roadside cafes and been safe most of the time. Are you living in India now?

Peace.

hawaiiantraveler... good to see you again. Thanks for your support.

"Now, tourists don't mind leaving tips in Europe, on top of tips that are already added to the bill " - sweeping generalization. Maybe you do, I don't, other than maybe a few small coins.

magical: "Here is my rule of thumb...for places outside USA including Europe and including India. (Although most places in Europe tack on a tip to the bill...so check before tipping extra) Waiters in restaurants... 10-15%.Rarely 20%."

magical: "I wouldn't tip 15% in Europe either."

Hi magical-no I'm not in India right now-monsoon season drives me mad! All that humidity & rain-well I'm a fair weather gal! I travel/reside in India from October to April (best season to visit)usually,I'm in HP & Karnataka or out at the Andamans then head somewhere drier or cooler or back home to Oz. I am in Penang right now. Glorious weather here!

Re the local food-my idea is if the food's freshly cooked i.e. a dosa or you can see the food being prepared & there is a queue waiting for the stuff- i.e.samosa, or idli, or channa masala or whatever then it OK by me!

You get to meet locals & learn some lingo, actually interacting with them rather than being a tourist. My loveliest memories are smiles of some of those crazy wallahs serving chai or dahi or whatever! The love it when I break out the Hindi! Namaste!

Is it because, like Tangata says, he/she can get away with it in India because they are glad to get Rs 20/day? It's OK to rip off a poor person in a poor country because they are glad to get any tip at all. I suspect that after Tangata has thought this through, he/she will agree that this is not OK.

Did I say that? It is not a question of getting away with it, it is a question of an appropriate tip, if any tip at all is required. Certainly most of my Indian friends do not appear to tip, or if they do they just leave the small change.

Without wanting to widen the debate, I wonder how you would tip in Australia or New Zealand?

Every time this subject comes up why do my fellow countrymen(women) always make us(Aussies) sound so cheap(because we are)? It can get embarrassing I tell you. lol

Indiana Pearl is back on line!

I do thank all of you for the time you spent enlightening this poor cornpone from the midwest.

After reading everyone's comments, I think we'll do what we usually do in most countries. We were in Spain for the first time 15 years ago, having a lovely lunch at an outdoor restaurant in the Plaza Major in Madrid. When my husband left a tip, the waiter began to speak loudly in Spanish, which my husband understood, basically saying "No tipping in Espana!" I appreciated his honesty. Most Spanish restaurants have already tallied in the so-called gratuity as do many restaurants in other parts of Europe. Best to read the bottom line on the menu where one exists.

Why does not tipping in OZ etc. "sound so cheap"? People leave big tips in the US because it's part of the server's wage - they are deliberately paid a good bit less than the minimum wage because customers are expected to make up the difference. In countries where servers are paid properly, why would it be "cheap" not to tip?

Well said thursdaysd! Some people get the point, some will never get it!

My waitstaff mates are generally making a bunch of money from overtipping tourists. Enough to retire and head for no.7 beach in the Andamans!!!

Makes me want to don my black apron and get back to waiting on tables!

Have fun! Eat well!

And then there are the other people who just <b>have</b> to impress <i>their</i> point upon everyone and then have the nerve to make fun of others who have another opinion other than theirs. It's like their point was the gospel or something. How rude!

I recently moved from U.S to India and have struggled with this question. IMO, this is what I would give - In hotels charging Rs. 3000/night and above, I would tip Rs. 10 a day. Lesser amounts for other places.
Like someone mentioned, I keep lots of Rs. 10 in my pocket. In restaurants where the bill per person is Rs. 100 or more, I tip about 5 to 10%. Like, if a thali (buffet in a plate) costs 200/person, I would leave Rs. 20 as tip.
I completely agree with Jaya - don't over tip and get treated like a fool/ignorant person. On a separate note, during one of my local journeys, I spoke with an auto-rickshaw driver in a friendly manner asking about his family, the weather etc. I was just trying to be like what we do in U.S. The auto charge was Rs. 100 and he asked me Rs. 20 more just for being nice to him. He must have thought he found a 'fool' he can easily get some money from. There may be people who genuinely appreciate a tip but it is difficult to identify them.

2009 !

True, but advice on tipping is always "au courant"!

I guess so sf7307 but perhaps Sreeni did not realise that he/she was answering a question from 2009. Some of the people on this thread no longer post here or have passed away already!

I've moved to Texas, but I'm not dead yet . .

Indiana, have you seen this

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/rip-dogster.cfm