Nikki wrote: "The reason tipping in Europe is confusing to me is that there is nothing mechanical about it. You have to give it thought, and the conflicting opinions I hear from Europeans themselves confuse me even more."

You have to start with the idea that Europe is less homogeneous than the US. There are great variations in customs - typically between countries, but sometimes even between regions in the one country.

What the intending visitor should do (which is precisely what OP in this thread is doing) is find out the guidelines that apply to the place he or she proposes to visit.

And then - please, please, please - observe the local custom.

Thanks, ya'll. I appreciate the insight. I like the whole master/servant viewpoint. Educational, indeed. Now I just have to figure out what/when/how to tip. :~/

"But if tipping is purely a mechanical response for Americans, and has no significance to either giver or receive, then why do you do it?"

For the same reason that I pay the check. It is required. It has no sociological significance; that does not mean it has no financial significance.

"You have to start with the idea that Europe is less homogeneous than the US."

I get that (although I am convinced that many Europeans on this board see the US as much more homogeneous than it is, for instance on the issues of capital punishment and gun control). But even within threads about specific countries I continually read differences of opinion on tipping. In this very thread, for instance.

There is nothing I would rather do than follow the local custom. But when I am given advice such as "tipping is never required", "round up unless it is over or under a certain amount, and then give a little extra", and "give 10-15% for good service (do I have to decide how good is good?)", I find myself walking out of restaurants always wondering whether I have done the right thing.

I don't know why I'm piping in here except that I've always been given a different impression on why "us yanks" should follow tipping protocols of the area that we are visiting. Being a huge international traveler, I think that I've done both, but when it was explained to me like this, I stopped completely.

The basic gist in that it is cultural imperialism. The U.S. exports our media and culture in droves and essentially is serving to undo many other countries unique culture. Which is a problem... of course. With tipping, what has happened is that we americans are visiting so often and giving these huge tips (innocently as it is), and then the waiters, bartenders, hair stylists, housekeepers, etc., now start to believe in these tips and expect it as the norm in countries that were formally "no tipping" cultures. This ends up screwing people in the country that has been "culturally raided" because now they are "expected" to tip. Then new protocols emerge, possibly even changing how each of these jobs are paid. For example, earlier this year in Australia, I was told by a few locals that this formally non tipping/paying fair wage culture was starting to change into a tipping culture where benefits and wages were being lost. The local consumers of these services never had to budget out the (sometimes huge) sums that we in the states consider the norm. Therefore, we just screwed up their whole culture on how they do things (in relation to jobs/tipping/peoples ability/willingness to pay).

I don't really know the answer to this, but I would make a huge leap to say that this 10-15% tip that you were suggesting for good service probably wasn't even around let's say 10-20 years ago... It's already happening... and already having real consequences.

Anyway, I'll be in Ireland this week for a last minute vacation and I will do my best to adhere to all of your local culture, because that's why I'm there! To experience your culture!

Tips have been around in one form or another in many cultures for many years, baksheesh and pourboire are not American terms.

What has happened is that tipping in the US has become a given, not always related to service. However, I don't see what is so traumatizing about working out a 15 or 20% tip if the service is decent.

If the service is poor, speak up and leave a lower or no tip. One caution, more and more places in the US are following the custom of adding in 15 to 18%, almost always for parties of 6 or more, but I'm seeing it now across the board. So, get out the reading glasses and check the total before leaving more.
I don't buy this Americam imperialism bit. I do not know any French people who feel under pressure or intimidated to change their tipping habits. In cafes here (SW France) you go to the counter to pay up, we don't wait for the change, if it's under a euro or two, we just wave merci and leave. In restaurants we do not tip other than rounding up if we pay cash. Our usual places often offer a free apero, because, I assume, they appreciate our business, not in the expectation of a tip.

These tipping threads can be such tempests in teapots. Yes, follow the local customs. Yes, be sensitive to other cultures. Use common sense, use good manners, don't be a pushover. The worst that can happen in Europe is that you overtip, and as someone said, it will be a rare day when the waitperson chases you down the road to return the tip.

"it will be a rare day when the waitperson chases you down the road to return the tip."

Only happened to me twice but it was in S France.

When traveling, I tip the same way I do at home (i.e., generously!). That way, I don't have to think about it at all...

"When traveling, I tip the same way I do at home"

Oh great! I can adopt the same approach in the States.

Yup, I'm with <b>trintraveler</b> now aswell; I don't want to have to think about it at all either, working out those 15 0r 20% tips when I'm in New York or Boston. So I'm just gonna tip as I do at home and round up to the nearest dollar.

I'm sure the waitstaff will be good with that. They'll understand - after all it seems a pretty widespread approach from what I read here.

Dr D.

I realize the sarcasm here is about as thick as January maple syrup, but are some of you actually suggesting that leaving more than the usual tip to a helpful server in a country without a specific standard of tipping is the SAME as leaving no tip to a good server in a country where a tip is generally accepted as the norm??? What a strange way to see things.

No problem - most servers I know don't expect foreign visitors to know US tipping customs - so you guys are off the hook!

trintraveler, most servers I know don't expect foreign visitors to TIP according to local US customs, but they generally feel that the travelers probably DO KNOW what is expected, but just choose not to do so. Some of the responses above would confirm that.

"No problem - most servers I know don't expect foreign visitors to know US tipping customs - so you guys are off the hook!"

Thanks, I'll print out that quote and take it with me next time.

Maybe if more Brits conveniently neglected to tip, yankee servers might ask their bosses to pay them rather than the customers having to. Bonkers system.

Never forget our first trip (Cape Cod). First lunch was at some tea shop in Chatham. There was a note at the bottom of the menu which went something like....

"a small note to our British visitors. we would like to remind you that it is customary to leave a 20% tip to the serving staff".

Our first reaction was... cheeky monkeys. Our next reaction was...

"When traveling, I tip the same way I do at home . That way, I don't have to think about it at all..."

"Maybe if more Brits conveniently neglected to tip, yankee servers might ask their bosses to pay them rather than the customers having to. Bonkers system."

You do understand that if the bosses all listened to the wait staff's request (and of course that would happen) and paid them more, the prices would rise accordingly, and the net result would be the same, right?

"a small note to our British visitors. we would like to remind you that it is customary to leave a 20% tip to the serving staff"
Whoa, that is very rude! We're not like that here in the Midwest :)

"You do understand that if the bosses all listened to the wait staff's request (and of course that would happen) and paid them more, the prices would rise accordingly, and the net result would be the same, right?"

But then the serving staff would be assured of a basic salary. Tipping in the US is still on a par with bartering in Turkey as the most bonkers commercial situation in the world. We also would see the fiddled menu prices which exclude serving costs and tax.

What I find fascinating in these discussions is that the same people who want US visitors to their country to follow the local customs (and I heartily concur with this) find it necessary to criticize the US system.

"Maybe if more Brits conveniently neglected to tip, yankee servers might ask their bosses to pay them rather than the customers having to. Bonkers system"

So you're saying because so many Brits are too stupid, uneducated, or caring to follow local tipping customs, then the system should change to meet them? And you call the US system bonkers? Amazing.
Or worse yet, you are saying that even when a Brit does know local customs he should deliberately try to ignore and sabotage the system. And yet, you complain that US travelers don't tip according to your customs? Even more amazing.

More on tipping:
http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...&page=1#112929