Is there a tipping culture in Europe?

Tipping culture in Europe is very different, so there are some habits American travelers will want to leave at home. For most, tips are not expected in Europe, and it's fine not to tip at all, especially in more casual settings like bars or cafes. In other cases, though, small tips may be warranted.



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By all means, tip a few extra euros to a bartender who's gone the extra mile, or drop a few euros in the tip jar before you stagger out into the night, but tipping is always the exception when you order a drink at the bar, not the rule.

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In America, it's pretty standard to tip 15%-20% to a server for a meal at a restaurant. However, etiquette experts suggest that you tip other service workers, like bartenders, counter servers, and delivery drivers.

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Whenever you tip during your trip to Switzerland it is important to use the local currency, that is - Swiss francs. Otherwise you'll leave your service providers with cash they can't use without paying high fees on currency exchange.

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If you ask locals “Do you tip in Italy?”, they'll explain that while they sometimes leave a small tip, it's generally not necessary. In Italy, gratuity (or una mancia, pronounced oo-nah MAN-chah) is considered a bonus for exceptional service. And it's not often that you'll find a tip jar at a register.

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At table-service restaurants, the tipping etiquette and procedure vary slightly from country to country. But in general, European servers are well paid, and tips are considered a small bonus — to reward great service or for simplicity in rounding the total bill to a convenient number.

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In Spain, tipping is entirely optional and it's not very common. You may see people leaving small change at cafés and bars and, eventually, someone tipping at a nice expensive restaurant. But most of the time, you won't see anyone other than tourists leaving a tip.

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In restaurants, cafés and bars and Berlin, service is usually not included in the bill. Therefore, tipping is customary, but not compulsory.

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For the chambermaid or cleaning service, 2 to 3 euros per day is a standard amount. Tips for the concierge or reception desk may go up to 5 to 10 euros depending on the additional services provided. If you're staying in a cheap establishment such as a hostel or campsite, tips are not required or expected.

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Most people tip in restaurants, but it's okay if you don't. The waiter won't be rude to you if you don't tip. German waiters don't need tips to survive, but it's a big part of their income.

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20% is the REAL standard for tips Industry insider: common consensus says 15-20% is considered a normal tip, but honestly any amount less than 20% is considered a bad tip. If I (or the other servers I worked with) got less, we wondered what we did wrong.

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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 Switzerland, the guest is not obliged to tip. In many restaurants, however, it is customary to pay a tip. This amounts to approximately 10 percent or it is rounded up to a round amount.

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How much should you tip? When tipping serving staff, Austrians normally add 5% to 15% to the bill so it's rounded up to a convenient number. If the bill is 9 Euro, maybe round up to 10. If it's 25, round up to 28.

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