Tips question
 

Going to Budapest and Prague, what is the common practice , about tippings in restaurant, cafe and bars....is it included in the price..

We live in Vienna and travel often to the neighbors. Generally, though there are exceptions, the gratuity is not included in the final tab. In casual restaurants we offer 10% of our bill, rounding up gently (€2,50 versus €2,20 on a €22 receipt, for example). In more upscale restaurants, depending on our requirements (if we have a wine opened or more than one or two courses) , we offer 15%. In cafes, even in Vienna, we round up to the nearest €0,50 or €1 for just coffee, and a little more for coffee and torte.

Hope this is helpful.

Budapest watch out for many restaurants including a 12.5% “service charge” (“szervízdíj” in Hungarian) in the total. If then certainly no tip required. See below for normal advice.

You also have to watch out for advice from Americans who often just carry over their normal practice to Europe.

I ran a Czech planning team for a few years and I promise you no Czech would tip in Prague (the prices are already sky high by Czech norms) but as a foreigner you may be expected to conform to American norms (you all look the same to me!). I generally just round up to make change management easier. So if the bill is 9.50 pay 10.

One thing you will spot in Prague is the arrival of service charges "for foreigners only" as has been identified by tourist police posing as foreigners.

So, in conclusion, limit it a lot. You are visiting civilised countries. ;-)

Here's an article that covers tipping norms:
http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/20...-tipping-guide

Speaking for Prague a city I am in several times a year Bilboburgler is spot on, just round things up to the nearest 10kc or even 50 kc.
10% tip is pretty normal in restaurants but not mandatory and only give a tip if you get good service.In some of the tourist places they will sometimes write on the bill,"service not included" this is illegal and do not feel obliged to give at tip.This has only happened to me once over many trips.I did not give a tip.
I am very seldom in the tourist areas for meal these days though I do make some forays and I think this practise is not wide spread.

kja, I'm afraid that article has it pretty off for Germany, where I live. No one I know tips 10-20%; indeed, my German friends would laugh and think that quite extravagent.

Everyone I know rounds up (for coffee & cake) and MAYBE adds 2 Euro for a full meal.

CN Travler is usually a good source, but they missed it this time, at least for Germany. Servers here make a good living.

s

Oh, I see where the article says 10-15%, not 10-20%. But that's still off, I think. I really don't know anyone who tips more than up to 10%

s

@ swandav -- thanks for the info! I'll take that article off my useful info list.

that article is certainly off for the Czech republic too,very seldom have I seen a service charge and last time it was 10Kc in a pizza place for bread.
10-15% tip are you having a laugh,Dollars and Euros accepted, maybe in some Tourist Places but at a hourendously bad exchange rate. Good service in the Czech republic, really who wrote this crap,the Czech republic is famous for miserably gits serving you ,efficient but miserable and we would not have it any other way.
best thing to do with that article is print it off and use it for toilet paper.

@ unclegus -- thank you, too, for the corrective information!

BTW, I considered asking the editors to remove my post, but then no one will know WHICH article was so misleading, so I decided to let my post stand -- with my sincere apologies.

I think that article was written by someone on a higher end tour or was only going to higher end tourist places.I was in Prague a couple of weeks ago and the biggest tip I gave was less than 10%.however I am usually in the company of native Czechs and or people that have lived in Prague for many years and speak the language ( I speak it a very little, read it better than I speak it). The whole atmosphere of bars and restaurants are quite different when you get away from the tourist areas, but let us know where in Prague you are staying and we can maybe try and recommend a few less touristy places to have a meal or two.
I am back in Prague in August with a group of 8 from my walking group so we will be doing a couple of the more touristy places but mainly eating in some of my favourite less touristy places in the Dejvice area of the city where we are staying.we will also be doing a few walks outside of Prague and to places few tourists get to.

@ unclegus -- You could well be right! High end or not, though, there is -- IMO -- no reason that tourists should impose their standards on the local culture. I am quite thoroughly appalled that I shared information that could only serve to contribute to that problem. And I do, sincerely, regret having done so.

Kja, you were right to put information on the forum jut so others can debunk it,articles like this can only be an opinion and never fact .Over the years I have seen things change in the CR from no one ever tipping to it being very common in the tourist areas and tips being expected. I don't think it is wrong to tip but I think that doing what the locals do is the best way, that way nobody gets upset.

bil: >>So, in conclusion, limit it a lot. You are visiting civilised countries<<

We're doing our best to change that, one tip at a time.

:-0