We are taking several 1/2 day tours throughout Italy. Also, drivers from Naples to Amalfi Coast and to & from the airport in Naples. Suggestions for tipping? Euros or USD?
thanks

the only reason why I asked about USD is last year when we traveled all over Eastern Europe everyone loved getting USD for tips. And from what I have read, tipping is not required but is gladly accepted for exceptional service etc.

FWIW, I can't get my husband to stop tipping (always in the local currency). So far, no one has refused.

I think people love getting USD for tips in any country where their own currency isn't that convertible or valuable. I know they loved getting USD when I was in Egypt also.

But in stable countries and western Europe, that isn't true.

Thanks so much, sounds just like my husband. We will have plenty of Euros with us!

I think people love getting tips anywhere in exchange for attentive service, and especially for things you wouldn't ordinarily do yourself, Italy included. And you know what? Tipping is never "required" ,much of anywhere. Expected, perhaps, Required? Where would that be?

Agreed.

Sorry, but the days of the US$ being universally accepted are over, at least in western Europe. Many banks in France, for instance, won't change dollars any more, or at a cost that won't make the recipient grateful. On a longer tour, several days for instance, a tip may be suggested -- by the tour company or even the guide -- but cannot by mandatory. I believe there are better ways to distribute charity, and good will.

I always tip according to the local custom when traveling. jc seems to have a very low opinion of most Americans but is perhaps not considering a few possibilities. If an American knows the local custom and continues to overtip by Italian standards, they are not necessarily horrible, arrogant people trying to throw money around to get better service. Maybe they just like to tip. Maybe they just like to be generous. Maybe they even feel a bit guilty if they don't give what they perceive should be the tip, given how ingrained it is in America that you should be a generous tipper. Also, the waiter doesn't know until the end of the meal whether or not the American is an overtipper. I've been to Italy many times and have never experienced better service than fellow diners just because the waiter thought he might get a bigger tip because I'm American.

I've lived in Italy for over 20 years, and I don't think any Italians resent over-tipping Americans. It's true that compulsive tipping does create expectations, and many waiters in places like Rome, Florence, and Venice now expect tips (from everyone). However, when we provincials go to Rome, we ignore the expectations and don't tip. We've never got a dirty look.

In the provinces, where I live, I 've more than once seen waiters call a customer back to tell him he forgot his change. Once I saw a waitress run out to the parking lot to return the change.

My Italian husband strenuously dislikes tipping because he says it puts the waiter and the diner in a master-servant relationship. One situation when tipping does seem to be expected is in all-day group tours, when the group often passes a hat to collect a gift for the guide and the driver. Also, I'm beginning to see tip jars at the cash register in bars, although, quite truthfully, I've never seen anyone put a tip in. At a seaside bar near us, there is a tip jar labelled 'per Tenerife". We've joked about it with the barista, but we've never contributed. She continues to treat us as if we were her favorite customers.

If you really want to tip, just leave a token amount. One euro would be plenty in most circumstances.

I was in Parma in March and signed up for a small group all-day tour. On the day of the tour, I discovered I was the only person who signed up, so the tour company owner gave me what was essentially a private all-day tour. This gave us plenty of time to discuss more than just the subject of the tour and we became friendly after so many hours together.

I broached the subject with her. "On my online travel forums, tipping in Italy is often a topic of contention. Would you comment on tipping? My understanding both here and in the U.S. would be to not tip the owner of the company. Therefore I would not tip you. But what about your other guides--your employees? "

She replied firmly that tips were unnecessary. Her staff is well-paid. Better is to offer the company and staff person a good review. She gives them bonuses based on reviews and feedback from customers. She actually complained about people who tipped large amounts because it was changing her staff's expectations. She has warned them to not expect tips.
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Tipping in non-tipping cultures most certainly can create troubles. It has certainly created difficulties in China, which is traditionally a non-tipping culture. By 2010, Chinese people knew that they wouldn't be able to get a taxi at the main train station because the drivers wouldn't take them -- they were waiting for Americans who would tip. Of course those drivers didn't know which Americans knew not to tip, but they certainly knew that they had a much higher probability of getting a tip from an American (or any Westerner) than they did from any Chinese customer. By 2014, staff at some restaurants in Seoul began to put tip jars out because they are tired of trying to explain to Americans that tips aren't expected. It is not uncommon for people in non-tipping cultures to conclude that Americans are so rich that we don't know or appreciate the value of money, or worse. And it can be construed as an insult. As bvlenci suggested, it can be perceived as putting the relationship on a master-slave basis rather than a provider-service basis. There are lots of very good reasons to avoid tipping (or over-tipping) when in a non-tipping culture.

I was amazed the during a meal in more than one restaurant in Munich, I was "strongly reminded" that it was customary to leave a tip for the waitstaff. At least in the US, I am not "strong armed."

Thread closed and off-topic bickering posts deleted