Tipping cabbies in Paris and Barcelona
 

Recently, I asked if you tip waiters in Paris and Barcelona. I forgot to include cab drivers. What is the customary practice as to whether or not you tip cabbies and, if so, what percentage.?

Paris : Zero.
I got an angry french taxidriver on another forum saying it was nearly insulting to give a tip of 'only' 2 € or so.
I usually round up to nearest 5 € increment.

Barcelona : I do the same.

I will respectfully mention you also forgot the poor, hard-working hotel maid. Please give her a thought as well.

How much do you tip restaurant wait staff? Are not they the same as cabbies or maids or should be tipped as well?

There are people on this forum who have special technology that searches the word "tipping" and launches a heat-seeking missile at the thread.

They haven't perfected their drones yet.

For taxis, just round the fare up to the next euro unless he/she does something incredible like taking your luggage up three flights of stairs.

I do not worry about taxi drivers being disappointed with the tip.

How much do Uber drivers get tipped?

Speaking as a former New York City taxi cab driver (college job), the bigger the better always worked. :)

Tipping in New York (20% mandatory unless the driver is an axe murderer) is NOT the same as tipping in europe.

Just for future reference, how much does one trip an axe murderer?

Depends on how badly you want him to put the axe down >)

What kerouac said.

Tip everybody - you can't go wrong and the love it. Bus drivers, store clerks, etc. then you can't go wrong.

Tip ME

Holly Woodlawn offered to mix a vodka screwdriver for me as we were driving to the National Lampoon. I declined, but the offer was appreciated. (S)he still left the customary American cash tip.

Is that acceptable in Paris/Barcelona? Just carry a flask and some orange juice around and offer everyone a drink?!

I still remember the only person who stiffed me: a little old grandma I dropped at an expensive apartment on the upper East Side. "Oh, I seem to have forgotten some bills! Can you wait here and I'll be right back down". I knew I'd never see her again.

Forty five later I also remember the person who gave me the biggest tip. But yes, this was NYC not Paris.

I have no clue about what goes on in Barcelona.
Not tipping in Paris is not "stiffing" anyone.
It is fine to walk away without leaving even one little centime.
Most of the people who live here do that every day and life goes on just fine. Remember that.

<i>I usually round up to nearest 5 € increment.</i>

If I am not mistaken, I think that most of the trips made by pariswat are on business, and he almost certainly has an adequate expense account.

<i>> Not tipping in Paris is not "stiffing" anyone.</i>

But getting out of the cab without paying at all is probably frowned upon. That's what happened in my case, I should have made that clearer.

Yes Kerouac and no.
I actually pay the tip myself. Taxi goes on expense but not the tip.
So it is relatively easy since I only pay the tip, but I could pay nothing.
When I say I go to next increment, it means I pay on average 2,5 €.
I'm a (very) talkative guy, so it is my way of thanking them. I love to talk to taxidrivers. If they don't talk to me I don't tip. But it never happens. They all talk to me.

so contrary to Fodor's mantra Europeans do tip, routinely tip in certain selected situations - enough said about Europeans never tipping.