Tipping in Turkey ...and Europe
 

Hello!

I have a trip planned in September to Turkey with two friends. The topic of tipping, when, to whom, and how much, has become such a talked about subject that I am now totally confused.

The subject when it came up with my travelling friends started as a seemingly easy decision to make, but it evolved to the point where we are all unsure.

When in doubt, I tend to tip. When I'm unsure of how much should be tipped, I add a little extra. This is especially true when travelling with these two friends, partly due to the fact that I feel one of my friends under tips (she does not believe so).

Could you help? I would love some personal guidelines for hotel tipping, private guide tipping, public tour group tipping, restaurant tipping, taxi tipping...any old tipping you can think of and help with!!

Thank you. we are exhausted!!

Livinright

We tipped around 15% in restaurants.

We added maybe 5 lira to cabs or rounded up in certain instances.

We tipped our guide, but can't remember how much. Probably the equivalent of $20, which is what we normally do.

We tipped bellhops 5 lira per bag.

One thing is certain - tipping is customary in Turkey.

As for Europe, it depends upon the country.

Groan, a tipping question. Here goes the battle no doubt.

Here are the only facts you will get.

There is no rule. It's your money to do with as you please.

The idea what someone would say they were 'confused' and 'exausted' about the question before they have even left home, boogles the mind.

No tipping in French restaurants.

Look at the recent Fodor's guides. The one I have on Amsterdam gives the following rule:

"Tipping 15% to 20% of the cost of a meal is not common practice in the Netherlands. Instead, is is customary to round off the total to a convenient figure ..." (p. 337)

<i>There is no rule.</i>

So a European visiting the States can simply forget about tipping?

I can't comment on Turkey. We are in Venice right now.

Breakfast at our local bar - 2 coffees and 2 brioche - costs 4.80 euro. I leave the 20 cents as a tip.

Dinner last night at a place where we have eaten several times before. Tab came to 80 euro, and I left five as a tip.

Two spritzes and a snack in the Piazza at Quadri. Tab came to 49 euro, and I kept the one euro change.

In Europe, tipping is much less than in N America, and 15% would be seen as generous.

15% would be seen as VERY generous in Europe and a bit odd.

I've seldom tipped in Turkey, just rounded up.

I think I go now before I join into the usual bun fight.

One thing is absolutely sure.

If you wear shell suits, bum bags, speak loudly and don't brush your hair in the morning, then they sure as hell will expect a tip.

There is only one country in the world that consistently tips the pub dog 20%.

Tipping in Turkey :

restaurants : 8-15% notwithstanding any service charge stated on receipt. Rounding up within those percentages is acceptable and 15% is for exceptional service. If eating at high end very expensive restaurant and with high bill, you can stay at the 8% end. Very few restaurants will allow you to add tip to bill for charging to credit card.

Taxi : round up but not less than 1-2 Liras.

hotels : to bell boy : 5-20 TL depending on hotel and number of luggage.
to doorman : an occasional 5TL for calling cab, opening doors at 5 Star hotel
at front desk : 20-50 TL depending on length of stay and hotel. Usually not expected except from frequent visitors or long stays or upgrades.
to maid : 2-5TL/day depending on hotel if pleased with her service. Otherwise not expected.

<i>I've seldom tipped in Turkey, just rounded up.</i>

That is not the local custom. People need to do their research.

<i>There is no rule.</i>

There is customary practice. In some places, that is to tip. Other places, to not tip. The considerate traveler learns before going.

<i>Rounding up within those percentages is acceptable and 15% is for exceptional service.</i>

We consistently received excellent service in Turkey. 15% may have been on the high end, but we usually felt it deserved.

"That is not the local custom. People need to do their research"

TG : utter crap again, lost count of the number of times I post that phrase to you.

Your American version of tipping doesn't exist in Middel Eastern countries. There, Basheesh is used as a
demonstrations of gratitude which isn't expected or obliged to be given. That is the local custom.

This has been exploited and contorted by locals who expect visitors to dole out cash left right and centre for any level of service. In local circumstances few Middle Eastern countries would tip but in areas with high levels of visitors, as ever, the expectation of a gratuity has increased simply to "get some cash" out of a rich foreigner.

Dickie_Gr

I regret that you view Turkey as an "Arabic" Middle Eastern country, and disregard the clearly written rules on tipping in Turkey that a resident has already posted.

You should also realize that very few of the 35 million tourists arriving in Turkey every year are rich enough to "dole out cash" as you put it. Some, will even be too stingy to give a well deserved and customary tip to a waiter, as you have witnessed above.

(By the way, most waiters in restaurants in turkey do not get paid a salary, and if they do it is almost always minimun wage, which is about $450/month. Starvation level in Turkey for a family of four is $850/month.

The "getting some cash out of a rich foreigner" applies to the dishonest shops at resort areas which sell illegal replicas of designer brand clothing, bags, watches and shoes towards which many SO VERY ETHICAL RICH TOURISTS are drawn to as moths.

Speaks one who was sold a shell of a camera at a shop on 5th Avenue in New York, and an urgently needed carry-on which should have cost a fraction of what i payed for it at a similar shop in London when in a rush

"Speaks one who was sold a shell of a camera at a shop on 5th Avenue in New York, and an urgently needed carry-on which should have cost a fraction of what i payed for it at a similar shop in London when in a rush"

Sorry could I have a Scottish translation please.

Lallans or Gaelic?

Yes Michael, a European visiting the States can simply forget about tipping. Anyone is free to tip or not tip anywhere. That's what 'there is no rule' means.

Whether it is a good idea to forget about tipping is a whole other question is it not? To the best of my knowledge, there is no country in which tipping is required by law.

Add 10%, 15%, 20%, round up to the nearest whole number, tip nothing, do as you please. It simply isn't important enough to go through yet another travel forum battle on the subject.

Livinright talks about being 'confused' and 'exhausted' after discussing the topic. It just isn't worth that.

Read here, see if you can find a consensus, MAKE A DECISION and then FORGET about it. There are a lot of better things to spend time and effort on. https://www.google.ca/#q=tipping+in+turkey

<i>a European visiting the States can simply forget about tipping. Anyone is free to tip or not tip anywhere. That's what 'there is no rule' means.</i>

Most of our interactions with a society and its culture do not have to do with legal requirements but with customs and habits. When in Rome ...

<I>TG : utter crap again, lost count of the number of times I post that phrase to you.</I>

You are an idiot. Even for a Brit.

But thanks for proving my point. I suggest staying home, given your indifference to learning local customs.

<I> regret that you view Turkey as an "Arabic" Middle Eastern country, and disregard the clearly written rules on tipping in Turkey that a resident has already posted. </I>

Thank you.

But forgive dickie. He is British. They aren't very worldly. They think that anything beyond the channel is the realm of barbarians.

What's not understandable about otherchelebi's very clear post? You need a translation? I thought they spoke English in Scotland.

And how ignorant can it be to suggest that Turkey is "the Middle East?"

"But forgive dickie. He is British. They aren't very worldly. They think that anything beyond the channel is the realm of barbarians"

At least we are clear on your generalised views of Britain.

Shame your views of Scots are also culturally inept. I am Scottish and 47% of us do not consider ourselves British.


StCirq

The term is Baksheeh, it is a Middle Esstern cultural term. Pleae someone correct me and say it isn't used in Turkey! I didnt post it was in the Middle East but it is far closer to Middle Eastern countries than say Greece. It has applied for EU membership but is far from any level of acceptance.

Dickie_Gr,

Baksheesh ıs an Arabic word.

The term was adopted for use in Turkey but used to mean gratuity and/or tip in the Western sense rather than the Arabic one.

On the other hand, Fodor's threads are not "correctional facilities"

I have to remark that I thought that the only people who believed Turkey was a Middle Eastern culture lived in the Appalachians.

Politically, Turkey is now trying out the earlıer 20th Century examples of Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal in terms of authoritarian rule and possible use of a dictator, and even considering an earlier East German type police statehood. EU will wait until such time as it finds this acceptable for membership or Turkey decides to change again.

We know all about Scotts in Turkey: The team I support has a coach who must be from your country called, Bog-Dan-O-Witch. -:)

Thank you. I knew this would be a difficult and subjective subject with personal approaches. However, looking at a few individual "rules" does give you a sense of what is expected.

Could I have a few more guidelines for private tours and group tour tipping?

Thank you all. I think we are doing a marvelous job of keeping it helpful!!