Tipping etiquette at a French B&B dinner
Aug 24th, 2012, 09:51 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tipping etiquette at a French B&B dinner
We will be staying at a few lovely B&B's in France. We will be having a dinner at one served at one large table for all the guests. If the owners are serving us, is it appropriate to tip? I do not want to insult our hosts.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Aug 24th, 2012, 10:03 AM
#3
mklovesny - is this a B&B that you will be staying at too? and will you be paying at the end of your stay? then PLEASE don't tip at the end of the dinner. just not appropriate.
if you have enjoyed your stay, at the end leave a €20 note in the room.
BTW, how's your french? We stayed at a B&B in Brittany last year where there was a communal breakfast table. surprisingly [to us!] none of the other guests, all french, spoke ANY english, though they were teachers, etc. nor did our hosts. fortunately we speak some french but we were plumbing depths that we don't normally have to touch.
so you might like to get practising!
if you have enjoyed your stay, at the end leave a €20 note in the room.
BTW, how's your french? We stayed at a B&B in Brittany last year where there was a communal breakfast table. surprisingly [to us!] none of the other guests, all french, spoke ANY english, though they were teachers, etc. nor did our hosts. fortunately we speak some french but we were plumbing depths that we don't normally have to touch.
so you might like to get practising!
Aug 24th, 2012, 10:22 AM
#6
you may have struck a match here, so take care. The European culture of tipping is very different to the US and it can take some getting used to. I suggest just stick "tipping" in the fodors search box and have a good read.
It may help to think, "did I tip my lawyer?"
It may help to think, "did I tip my lawyer?"
Aug 24th, 2012, 11:00 AM
#8
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 7,960
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In any business you never tip the owner,, even if you were at a restaurant and owner was helping host and seat people it would not be appropriate to tip him.
And in France tipping is not really part of the culture , a few coins are normally left but often not much more, a really nice dinner in a fancy place may qualify for 5-10 % tip, but it is not expected.
As for B@Bs one never tips as they are owner operated usually, you could tip the cleaning girl, but the hosts themselves, no, it would be considered a bit strange.
Gordon Ramsey did a show on helping revitalize hotel/restaurants. He did one on a small hotel in the States where the owner was taking a part of the tips , because he "helped serve and seat guests "in the restaurant. Gordon told him he was "disgusting" and "stealing" from his staff, that as owner he had no right to take tips.. just saying, thats what I saw,, so its not just a Europe thing, you don't tip owners!!
If you had a great stay and want to leave something, leave a bouquet of flowers or a nice box of chocolates at the desk,,with a note saying how much you enjoyed your stay,, that would be considered gracious.
And in France tipping is not really part of the culture , a few coins are normally left but often not much more, a really nice dinner in a fancy place may qualify for 5-10 % tip, but it is not expected.
As for B@Bs one never tips as they are owner operated usually, you could tip the cleaning girl, but the hosts themselves, no, it would be considered a bit strange.
Gordon Ramsey did a show on helping revitalize hotel/restaurants. He did one on a small hotel in the States where the owner was taking a part of the tips , because he "helped serve and seat guests "in the restaurant. Gordon told him he was "disgusting" and "stealing" from his staff, that as owner he had no right to take tips.. just saying, thats what I saw,, so its not just a Europe thing, you don't tip owners!!
If you had a great stay and want to leave something, leave a bouquet of flowers or a nice box of chocolates at the desk,,with a note saying how much you enjoyed your stay,, that would be considered gracious.
Aug 24th, 2012, 12:20 PM
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,238
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you are out to dinner or lunch in France, you will most likely see "ttc" on the menu. Loosely translated, this means that taxes and service charges are included.
Usually, if the service was good, you leave a small tip, usually coins in addition to the bill.
Usually, if the service was good, you leave a small tip, usually coins in addition to the bill.
Aug 24th, 2012, 03:31 PM
#15
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,849
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm really surprised someone has not brought up that wonderful old thread, "How Much Should I Tip The Pilot?", that gave us so much fun years ago. http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...fm#dest-header
Aug 25th, 2012, 02:47 AM
#17
in over 10 years of letting out a holiday home [very similar to a B&B in that it is entirely "owner-run"] we've never had anyone leave us a bean. the odd bottle of wine, chocolates and even a pair of knickers, but never any dosh.
nor do we expect anything.
nor do we expect anything.
Aug 25th, 2012, 05:53 AM
#19
tarquin - you're right. I'd forgotten the odd jar of local goodies, as well as the left-over hot chocolate mix, ground black pepper, [very popular with german guests] and olive oil. if it looks half-way decent and is within date we leave it for the next lot of guests, perishables and anything that looks at all "iffy", we remove.
