Hello -

I will be staying in a number of guest houses/pensions in Germany this month where breakfast is included in the price. I'd appreciate tipping advice for this type of breakfast. On past trips I either didn't tip (because I didn't think of it) or, once I saw an occasional person leave a tip, left a tip.

If I should tip, how much? So many articles say "change" but that could be anything from .25 to several Euro coins.

Do you ever give a small thank you gift as an appreciative token to small hotel/pension managers/owners? I've already talked to one lovely lady who was so kind as I struggled in broken German and, if this isn't inappropriate, I'd like suggestions for small token gifts.

I truly appreciate your advise. This is only my 3rd trip to Europe so I have lots to learn.

Thank you!

Sherrie

I would not tip for someone who just brings coffee or tea for a buffet breakfast. If it's a full breakfast that's served at your table, maybe a euro.

Gifts are a funny thing. This topic has been discussed before & the opinions have run from "what a nice, sweet idea" to "what a nutty idea-this is a business transaction, not your best friend." People have reported bringing small gifty items with them from home to give out for a special thanks or remembrance. Unless you're planning on maintaining a relationship for futures or someone has really gone above & beyond the call, I think it's unnecessary & just adds to your "to do" list. On the other hand, if you've developed an email relationship with someone who's mentioned "I always wanted to visit x (where you live) bring a small souvenir if you want.

Whilst I have never stayed in such establishments, may I offer this advice:

If the breakfast is not of the buffet variety, then a tip cannot do any harm whatsoever. As for tipping owners/managers - I never tip the owner at hair dressers so I don't see why this would be different - if they own the place then they don't need tips when they get the money directly.

Tip staff for service you have received, but not the owners.

I like to carry postcards of our home town with us when we travel so we can give them to people we meet along the way. I recently discovered I have an excess amount of folded road maps of the state I live in (I keep picking up free ones) so I'll probably take them with me on the next trip to hand out with the postcards. Happy travels. Peace.

Robyn

Thank you to everyone for all the excellent advice on tipping and gifts. I get carried away with gratitude for a person just performing good customer service .... thank you for bringing me "back to earth" by reminding me that it is a business transaction.

I always tip when a breakfast is included; buffet or not. Usually a dollar or so. The staff apreciates it. If you are staying a few days you will always get refills on coffee quickly.

I was taught that one leaves a tip in the room for the maid, so I do that. After all, in the US all the charities send us notecards and envelopes trying to solicit donations, so I am always well stocked.

When we started going to Europe, I asked about leaving a tip for the breakfastroom worker, but never got an answer. Where we first stayed, there was a lady who ran the breakfast room and, while it was largely self serve, she was always there to show us how to boil our eggs or to work the coffee machine, which seemed to me about as complicated as a refinery. I decided to equate this to the maid service, so our last day I left a tip in an envelope on our table. I don't know if it was expected or not, but as we checked out, she came up to us and thanked us.

I often leave a euro beside my plate for the young servers who are employeed. It's small act of gratitude and the service has been much faster for me. Makes for conversation as a solo female traveler.

Frankly, the places I've stayed in in Europe have never been "tip-dependent" in terms of getting "faster service" including coffee refills. The service has always been adequate and the refills have always been "fast."

But I tip according to services rendered and NOT to "make it better."

My advice remains the same as it always has: tip as you feel the service(s) warrant(s)..it is completely personal and subjective.

And with the VERY GREATEST of respect I still believe in that old adage, "if you ahve to ask whether or not to tip then you've probably never had to work for one yourself."

Germans don't go in for tipping. In fact they might even be embarrassed by it. Try and tell a German that your tip is to reward "excellence" in service, and s/he will say "But excellence is the ONLY standard - it comes with the price!"

Twoflower, wouldn't that be nice? But from what I've seen in Germany, excellence isn't the only standard these days. And I've never had a German waiter turn down a tip!
However, I don't tip at breakfast if it's a buffet. The waitress filling up coffee cups isn't always the one who did the breakfast setup.
I have given flowers to a very nice woman who ran a small guesthouse in Kalchreuth (outside Nuremberg) for being charming and helpful far above the call of duty.
In Vienna, at the Sofitel one of the front desk staff was very helpful and friendly, making sure that everyone greeted me by name each morning, reserving a fresh copy of the IHT for me, dishing the latest Vienna gossip, etc., that I gave him a bottle of wine when I left. But he wasn't the owner.