Tipping Rules
#41
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,421
OK, so to have said, "Ich bin eine junge Frau" (I am a young woman) was not the best way to say she was a new bride, but by leaving the e off of junge, it went from being an adjective to being part of the noun. Eine Jungfrau is a virgin, so she introduced herself to the hostess as a virgin with her husband.
#42
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,421
I used to tip the way Enzian recommends. I would round the total up 50 cent, then to the next full full Euro. That is, for a €22,80 bill, I would give 24 EUR.
On my last trip to Germany, I spent a week in a "Privat Zimmer", where I got fairly friendly with my hostess. We had discussions, in German, about such things as German dialects. At one point I asked her about tipping. When I explained how I did it, she was appalled. "You give too much." In her opinion, I should only round the bill up to the nearest Euro, no more. For 22,90, I should only give 23,- Euro, an additional 10 cent. Seems it is impolite to take the small change, but no more is required. It should be noted that she is Schwäbisch, and they are noted to be frugal, sort of the German Scots.
What a contrast with Rothenburg, where, for a 22 Euro bill, I gave the waiter 30 Euro and specifically told him vier-und-zwanzig (24 EUR). I literally had to demand my change. I think he expected large tips from Americans.
On my last trip to Germany, I spent a week in a "Privat Zimmer", where I got fairly friendly with my hostess. We had discussions, in German, about such things as German dialects. At one point I asked her about tipping. When I explained how I did it, she was appalled. "You give too much." In her opinion, I should only round the bill up to the nearest Euro, no more. For 22,90, I should only give 23,- Euro, an additional 10 cent. Seems it is impolite to take the small change, but no more is required. It should be noted that she is Schwäbisch, and they are noted to be frugal, sort of the German Scots.
What a contrast with Rothenburg, where, for a 22 Euro bill, I gave the waiter 30 Euro and specifically told him vier-und-zwanzig (24 EUR). I literally had to demand my change. I think he expected large tips from Americans.
