Is it OK not to tip in France?

Tipping is not considered etiquette by French people in French restaurants, but if you enjoyed your meal, it's nice to leave 5 - 10%. If you really enjoyed the meal, or plan on returning to the restaurant and want the wait staff to like you, 15% is a generous tip.



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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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At bars in Europe, tips are not customary, but leaving change or a few euros is always appreciated, if not expected. For takeaway food or drinks, counter dining, or stand-up service, tips are also not customary.

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Tipping in French restaurants and cafés is not expected This is indicated on the menu or the bill with the phrase “service compris.” Nevertheless, if you have a friendly or efficient waiter, you can leave a small gratuity (un pourboire), but this is by no means required.

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Just as in Japan, it is not customary to tip in China. Tipping in China is generally uncommon and can even be considered rude or embarrassing in some circumstances so when taking a taxi, enjoying a refreshing drink or tucking into a delicious meal there's no requirement to leave any gratuities.

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All restaurant prices in France include a 12–15 percent service charge, so locals tip very little, if at all. Across Mediterranean Europe, a 10 percent service charge is ususally built into your bill. If you wish, you can add an extra €1–2 for each person in your party, or about 5 percent.

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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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Note, tipping in countries where it is not customary, or where service fees and gratuity are included, is often still appreciated.
  • China. Typically, nobody tips in China. ...
  • French Polynesia. Tipping in French Polynesia is not mandatory or expected. ...
  • Japan. ...
  • Korea. ...
  • Hong Kong. ...
  • Switzerland. ...
  • Australia. ...
  • Belgium.


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Restaurants. Tipping is not considered etiquette by French people in French restaurants, but if you enjoyed your meal, it's nice to leave 5 - 10%. If you really enjoyed the meal, or plan on returning to the restaurant and want the wait staff to like you, 15% is a generous tip.

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And of course, there's the widely accepted tipping system from the 15th century in England. There are many sources that claim any time from the 1400s to the 1700s for the true start of tipping in England. However, most sources accept that Tudor England is when the practice really began to take hold.

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In larger and more frequently visited cities (London, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Glasgow, etc.) tipping is more and more common; Americans are accustomed to leaving 20% at minimum, however the most common practice in the UK is to leave between 10 and 12%.

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Eat at the right hours As for dinner, we're a bit more flexible. We don't eat as late as our Spanish neighbors by any means, but most people won't sit down to dinner before 8 p.m., and in most places, looking for a full dinner after 10:30 p.m. can get complicated, as well.

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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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