Am I expected to tip in France?

It's common (but not required) to leave a small tip at French restaurants. Although tipping isn't required or expected, customers often leave a tip of a few coins after they have a drink, or a few euros after a meal. This is usually done if they feel the service was good, but it may even be systematic.



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Tipping in restaurants and cafés Whether it's a cozy café, the local bistro, or a Michelin-starred establishment, a service charge of 15 percent is automatically included by law in most French restaurants. You'll see it listed on the menu or your check under “service compris” (service included).

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In France, leaving a tip swings both ways. If you don't tip, that's fine – no one will think you're particularly rude. Pressuring you to leave a tip is exceedingly rare and I've only seen it happen in establishments that cater almost exclusively to tourists.

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Tipping taxi drivers isn't required; however, locals often round up to the nearest euro or leave up to 5 percent. If the driver helps you with your bags (particularly if they're large), it's customary to tip one or two euros per bag.

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There are exceptions if your specific tour experience includes gratuities or you simply didn't have a good time, but in general, tipping your guide at the end of the tour is customary in the U.S. and Europe, though it's much more common in the States.

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Tipping is therefore voluntary in Australia and is most commonly used to show appreciation for good service. Tipping is most common in the hospitality industry, especially at high end restaurants and bars. If you choose to tip, the general rule is to add 10% to the bill or to round up to the nearest $10.

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In Taxis. Rounding up the fare to the next euro usually suffices for a tip amount, but if that seems paltry, go ahead and leave 5–10% on top of the fare.

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Yes, tap water in Paris is perfectly safe to drink and is readily available wherever you go, even at public water fountains. As long as taps aren't labeled eau non potable—meaning “not for drinking” in French—everything else is potable. In fact, drinking water from the fountains of Paris has been encouraged.

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You will be charged for the journey to get to you. By the way, if you have to get to the airport in the morning, be sure to order your taxi the day before. Taxis in Paris generally do not take credit cards, so be prepared to pay in cash.

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Sometimes they deliberately take detours to increase the total amount you'll have to pay! You can pay in cash or by card (if the taxi has a card device). You may pay extra if you take the taxi at night, if you have additional luggage (each additional bag can be charged at 1€) or there's more than 1 passenger.

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The French have a reputation of being late often; whether it's true or false, being late is always considered rude. In France, we refrain from calling after 22:00 hours on the phone (10 pm), except when calling close friends. Spitting in the street is strictly prohibited. Belching in public is very rude.

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In Greece it's considered bad form to leave a single euro, even for a small total — if service isn't already included in the bill and it's for, say, €10, leave a €2 tip. Iceland is an emphatically no-tipping country.

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Splitting bills used to be a pain, but now it is very easy in France. Waiter comes to table with credit card machine, each payer says how much they pay, et voilà. It works best if you do the math before the waiter comes, or if you just split the total 4 ways. It is very commonly done, no worries at all!

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