suze1

Is the tipping for meals and taxis the same in Germany and Austria as it is in the US. In Italy we were told that tipping was not necessary since the waiters made good wages but I'm not sure what the rule is in Germany, and Austria.

Also, how do you say water please in German. Should we be drinking bottled water?

logos999

This will gererate tons of answers
"Ein Wasser bitte".
No need for bottled water.
> the waiters made good wages
Nope
Tip up to 10% is normal in Germany, but no "need" to tip

Lesli

Most guidebooks provide tipping guidelines.


http://frommers.com/destinations/aus...757020157.html

http://frommers.com/destinations/ger...224020157.html

enzian

If you want tap water, ask for "Leitungwasser, bitte." For tipping, you can "round up" to the next even euro amount when you pay. For example, if the bill is 23.60 euro, give the waiter 25 euro and say "Stimmt so".

treplow

I, too, usually follow enzian's practice on tipping. As for the "stimmt's so?" question, what do you do if he/she doesn't like it? Kind of reminds me of the supermarkets here, when they ask: "Did you find everything that you were looking for?". Did you ever get a satisfactory answer when you said "no"?

LoveItaly

Treplow, LOL as my local Safeway's cashiers always in a chirpy voice ask "did you find everything you were looking for?". Almost always my answer is "no" or "not really"..end of conversation, sigh.

logos999

Well, the customer says "Stimmt so!" so it's not a question. The question would be something like "War's recht?", "Hat es geschmeckt?", "War alles in Ordnung?".

J_Correa

I used to work at a hardware store, sometimes cashiering, and we were required to ask if the customers found everything they were looking for. Drove me up the wall. Hello! This is the checkout - time to get rung up and get out of there. By that time, people are done shopping. If they were still interested in finding whatever it was, then they wouldn't be in the checkout line yet.

Craigellachie

My sister who has lived in Berlin for several years tells me the way the Germans do it is to hand over the cash and say what they want the total bill, including tip, to be. For example if the bill was 20 euros and you wanted to leave a 2 euro tip you could hand over 25 or 30 and say "22" and they would bring you the correct change. If your German and their English won't cope with this, pay the bill, wait for the change then hand over a tip. In some countries it's common to leave the tip on the table but I'm told this doesn't go down well in Berlin.

enzian

I'm just going by what my kids---both of whom spent many months there in college---told me to do. I see the "Stimmt so" as the equivalent of "we're good" or that's it".

And Craigellachie---yes, that way works when you don't have the exact amount and need change.

walkinaround

like Craigellachie says.

grsing

Tips are included, though you might add just a bit (round up), small tip for exceptional service

Depends what kind of water you want. Tap water is fine throughout (some places, such as Vienna, are particularly proud of their tap water, as it's pumped in from the alps). If you just say "Ein Wasser bitte", you'll probably get mineral water. "Mineralwasser" will ensure that's what you get, "Mineralwasser mit Gas" is carbonated, "Mineralwasser ohne Gas" is still (tastes like liquid rocks to me, but YMMV). "Leitungswasser" is tap water; some places may look at you a little funny, because they'd prefer you to pay for a drink, but will oblige.

suze1

Wow, I guess it's generating a lot of feedback, we always use the credit card, can we put the tip on there, in Italy it was a NO. I hate gas water so if the bottled waters are all gas I'll have to take my chances and drink tap water. Hopefully it will agree with my stomach because I drink a lot of water.

Neopolitan

A "tip" is a gift for special services. I have never been to any country in Europe where "tips" were included. I've been to many where "service" was included. There's a big difference. If you appreciated special service from a server particularly because he helped you with your language deficiency and you want to leave a tip -- that is separate from the included service. In that case 10% would be very generous.
Never in Europe is it wise to leave an extra tip by adding it to the charge receipt. It is extremely unlikely the server will ever see that money.

logos999

>"Mineralwasser mit Gas"
Do they really say that in Austria??? In Germany this would sound very silly and I've never heard or said it?
"Gas, what kind of gas?" would be the answer I expected.
"Mineralwasser mit Kohlensäure" would be the term people use.

GSteed

Suggestion: Try 'environmental scanning'. Tips; 1st. There are no 'rules'. Inquire or ask another customer. Most locals will welcome the chance to talk with an American. Water! What are the natives drinking? Do not drink from any open water source. Giardia is a constant threat.

gargamel

hi there,
funny, one question and sooo many answers. Guess a few makes Germans really smile. Service is included in Germany and the waiters are payed well. So a tip is on You if You think the job is "not only done".
Dont leave tipps on the table.
Of course You can add the tip if using a creditcard. And the waiter will get this, those guys working wih electronic cash and they can handle this for sure ;-) Perhaps in Italy they want it the other way to saf this extra money from the tax ;-)
have fun
Gar

Geordie

<<"Mineralwasser mit Kohlensäure">>

genau

Geordie

Tere

No it isn't. The way you tip in the USA is absurd. In Europe no one tips like that!

BTilke

Austrian guidebooks suggest 10% as a general rule. In the Vienna guides that you find in hotels (with an intro by the vice mayor), again, the suggested amount is 10%. If you feel that this is too much, don't take it up with me, take it up with the guidebooks and the vice mayor of Vienna ;-)