Tipping in Budapest
 

I've heard that you don't leave a tip on the table in restaurants but tell the waiter/waitress how much you want back when you pay them (you include their tip in this amount.) Question : If you don't speak Hungarian how can you "tell" the waiter how much to give you back? Do you write it down? Is this a stupid question? (Obviously, not for me!)

Also - Is there a man or woman in the restaurant bathrooms that you are expected to tip and if so, how much?

I'm not sure what the regular Hungarian rules are but we just tipped like we do in the states. I know there is alot of discussion on what percentage and if any tip while travelling to other places but out of habit maybe I just always tip like I do at home. My mom's Hungarian and when she or her sisters go there they tip like they do here as well. I'm sure others will pipe in with their opinions, that's just mine so take it with a grain of salt. LOl

I tend to round up in Hungary with extra for excellent service as long as gypsey violinist are not included. If they turn up then no tip

Tipping is not expected in Hungary in the way it is in the US. Service is included in the price of your meal. Servers will gladly accept anything more you wish to give them, but will not resent you for "stiffing" them because they do not have that concept in Hungary. Locals give small tips or, quite often, no tip. as I said, tips are not particularly expected.

I think laartita's attitude, while generous, is inappropriate. It takes no account of the Hungarian way of doing things. How would it go down in NYC if a Hungarian followed his or her local tradition and gave no tip or even something of the order of 5%?

Don't worry about communication. Most servers have enough English for simple transactions. If your bill comes to, say, 14000 Ft and you tell the server to take 15000 Ft you will be understood.

Well Padrig, unfortunatly for the waiters and waitresses in the US that is the case more often than not. Europeans for the most part do not tip or leave a few coins as to round up if any. I should know. I worked as a server and bartender for 8 years thru college and grad program and often got stiffed by foreigners, as did everyone I know who has worked in food service. I'm sure the Hungarian servers don't find me innappropriate. See Ken I told you others would pipe in with their opinions. Do what you are comfortable with.

I think this is one of the points of fodors.com. We ought to be defining how to behave and deal with problems as they should be dealt with to the maximum benefit of all and to the retention of cultural difference ( you know take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints) hence we should advise correct tipping in all areas not this is what I do at home so I will do it here. After all if I do what I do at home in a strange place I will damage the strange place.

When I go to the states I grit my teeth and pay the tip. When I'm with American's (like 2 weekends ago in Paris) I gently explain without condeming.

I don't see overtipping if thats what I'm doing as a problem. Really how is that hurting a server? In the US servers get paid way below minumum wage and depend on their tips. If every foreigner so called behved the way you do when you visit waiters/waitresses would not cringe when they are sat a party from certain countries knowing they are going to work their asses off for NO TIP. And if you read my original reply carefully I said take what I say with a grain of salt and that's just me. Sorry I'm not changing my ways, I've been on the other side of that tray.

You clearly feel strongly about this and I respect your views.

I also respect the various waiters in france (and one in Hungary) who patiently explained to me that they are professional waiters and do not espect to get a tip. One said "do you tip your lawyer?".

I like to tip in Europe and GB -- I have never gotten a disapproving sneer or had it handed back to me, and my server actually smiled at me once in London.

It seems that most of you who answered seem to say that they don't expect a tip, but it's a nice thing to do if one wishes. I've also heard that some places the tip is not included but in some it is. Will the menu say that the tip is included?

Again, what about bathrooms?

Sometimes it might say tip included, you can also ask. In Budapest in most restaurants there is at least one person who speaks English. As far as bathrooms I don't recall seeing any attendents.

I think I understand laartista's position now: when Europeans go to America, it is better if they do things the American way; When Americans go to Europe, it is better if they do things the American way.

Let me suggest another point of view: overtipping by large amounts is culturally insensitive and many (including sone service staff) see it as vulgar.

LOL That's classic- vulgar. Well like I said my family is from Budapest they don't see it that way- I think that may just be your personal opinion. Hey, we can't all agree so I agree to disagree on this one.

Laartista, please, don't be so generous with tips here in Spain..maybe you will have some not funny surprises.
Many barmans or waiters here are professional people doing his work for lots of years and they get very annoyed when you tip them a big amount because they think you are mistaken them for a non professional one who needs the tip :) Also, at the Corte Ingles cafeteria they are not allowed to keep tips..so if you leave it at the table, the people sitting there after you will probably find it...

I gotta say I find this amusing. In all my years of travel I have never been given a sneer or a bad response to leaving a tip. What I have gotten is a thank you and a smile everytime. It's not like I'm leaving a 50% tip. LOL. Look I end up chatting with almost every service person I encounter, am I over friendly, I don't think so, I just like talking to different people I find it interesting. The day I encounter someone being insulted by me leaving a tip is the day I'll re-assess my ways. Until then I'll continue to be me- seems to working for me so far.

You have to be you, always !! and please don't change :) But I found the one who got insulted ...and he was the one who explained me that... he added that I shouldn't tip a person that probably earns more money than I , finally we had a nice conversation :)

A specific answer to kenav's question: the inclusion of 10% SC is fairly standard in Hungary. Some menus mention it, but I am not sure that all of them do. But it's charged and included in the headline price.

We followed the local custom of rounding up. However, we were negatively impacted by others using the American custom of tipping at the very touristy Gerbaud's where a service charge is included. We received poor service but still left a tip by rounding upwards, equal to about 5%. The waitress looked at our money and sneered, "is that all?" despite this being the local custom. Obviously she was expecting us as Americans to tip much more.
We were so disgusted by this behavior that we changed our plans of returning.

Please observe local customs on tipping. Yes, exceptional service may deserve more. But overtipping can negatively impact other tourists and change behavior of the servers for the worst.

Just got back from Budapest. We tipped around 10% because that's what's I'd read in my guidebook was customary.

If "service" was detailed out on the bill, then we did not tip, but it certainly was not included every place we went.

We were always given change, so we never had to tell them how much to keep. I think every server we came into contact with spoke some English.

I'm uncomfortable with "rounding up" because that could turn out to equal about 12 cents and I think that would be insulting. And I certainly don't see how tipping 10% on a $12 cafe check would be over-tipping or insulting to anyone.

Rarely were there restroom attendants, and if there were, they were ususally in public restrooms which charged an entrance fee.

Thank you Pedraig and Kristina.

Funny, just got a hold of "Lonely Planet Budapest" and they claim that in Budapest (compared to the rest of Hungary) a tip is expected!

Could get you crazy!