This is almost as likely to rouse turbulent passions as dress but this is helpful
http://www.theguardian.com/money/201..._gu&CMP=twt_gu

Not bad for the Graudian, though the London centric views of how to behave in the UK stand out as too generous, while the 10% max figures for various reason are just that, though some will read them as 10% average.

The advice for Germany is pretty much spot on.

Nevertheless, many restaurants, pubs and cafes in touristy spots now print "Tip not included" in English on the bill.
Which is true as tips are never included. But I guess it serves the purpose to misguide foreign visitors to assume that the service charge was not included. And make them "over tip".

The Italy one is a little weird. Yes, if you sit down at table in a bar, you might pay more, but that is not a tip.

A coperto is NOT a tip. It IS a cover charge, not "like a cover charge." A service charge would be listed as "servicio." And again its not really a tip.

The guy in Spain seems to know what he is talking about.

The guy in France is clueless.
We don't leave a tip as a rule. Zero.
Then we might leave a tip of a few euros.
Nobody will link it to a percentage of the meal.
Waiters don't count on tips to live. They count on their salary.

Hotels : I've never left a tip in all my life in a hotel in France. Never. Whatever the number of luggage (that I caay mostly myself, I'm not living in the times of royalty anymore, and France is a republic.

Well I hope the others are clearer than that for the US.

The idea of tipping waiters double the tax is OK for NYC only. The US does not have a national sales tax - but one that varies for each state and often city to city. In some places (5 states) it is zero - in NYC (where author is from) it's 8.5% and in some places as high as 10%. Not the 15% to 17% common in europe.

Thanks, MissPrism.