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What is tipping etiquette in France?

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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For housekeeping, you'd leave gratuity as you would in most hotels around the world—a few euro per day. And finally, for a concierge giving excellent recommendations or taking care of your reservations, you might tip five to €15 for each reservation or booking they handle.

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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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Tipping tour guides in France doesn't have to be expensive. You can tip between 2 and 5 euros a day for a day tour guide and 1 to 2 euros for a museum or gallery guide. Don't forget to tip the driver if you have one in addition to the tour guide on your trip.

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Tipping taxi drivers and private chauffeurs 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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You don't need to tip French waitstaff because they get a living wage and benefits. Unless a restaurant is hiring workers illegally, its waitstaff is being paid a living wage and has benefits, as well. So tips aren't a crucial part of a server's income in France.

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Tipping taxis in France It's common practice to tip taxi drivers in France. Although not mandatory, locals usually round up to the nearest euro or leave a gratuity of up to 5 percent. If the taxi driver helps you with your luggage, especially if you have large bags, it's customary to tip €1-2 per bag.

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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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According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), guests should tip housekeeping anywhere between $1 to $5 per night for a mid-range or business hotel. For luxury hotels where the staff offers daily cleaning services and nightly turndown services, guests should leave a little more.

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Transportation Tipping Cab driver: 15 percent to 20 percent tip of the fare. (Find out ahead of time if your cabbie accepts a credit card. If he or she doesn't, make sure you have enough cash for both fare and tip.)

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Tipping in France The French Government put in place a law that requires most restaurants and cafes to add a service charge to the bill, known in French as service compris. Establishments will usually add around 15% to the bill, and while it most often applies to restaurants, it can also be added in other instances.

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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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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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Typically a 5-10% tip is fine. If you tip more, you will often see looks of surprise and gratitude since it is not as common to see 15-20% tips.

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In general, tipping in France is always done with cash. For instance, in a restaurant, you pay your bill (this will either be when the server brings you the credit card reader or tray where you can leave money, or you'll go up to the counter to settle the bill) and leave the tip on the table, in the form of cash.

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