Tipping conventions in British Isles

[SeaMaster]

UNITED KINGDOM

At Restaurants: Service is often included; if not, tip 10–15 percent. Sometimes you'll see an

"optional" charge added to the bill; make sure you're not just blindly paying it but adjusting to

the level you feel comfortable with. And feel free to round to the nearest pound—up or down.

Tipping in pubs is not customary.

At Hotels: Porters, 1–2 pounds per bag; housekeepers, 1–2 pounds. Go up to 5 pounds apiece

at the five-star hotels.

Guides and Drivers: Taxis, 10 percent or less; tipping optional for a narrated boat tour through

the Thames—they'll certainly ask. A few pounds, up to 10 percent, for a guide or driver at the

end of the day, or maybe take him to lunch. Not much more is expected, as Brits don't always

expect to tip when they're abroad.

Dollars Accepted?: Pounds much preferred.

P.S. Tipping is said to have originated in sixteenth-century England, and though it has since

spread across the globe, England has by and large gone the way of most of Europe: Tips are

included in many bills, especially in formal settings, and discretion is key in handing them over.

[Calgon1]

A word of warning. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous types out there who will take advantage of foreign visitors, especially those whom they know are leaving shortly.

As previously mentioned, many credit card charges have a line for tips/gratuties and for the total. Many folks simply look at the base charge and sign the bill.

If you leave it blank and simply sign, the wait or management can (and, unfortunately, have been know to) add in whatever they want for a tip and a grand total. By the time you find out that you have been taken, you're back home and, if you even notice it (and the amount is grossly out of line) figure that the amount is not worth the trouble of fighting it.

So, either fill in the tip line, and do the math; or, line through the entry and list the total. and, Ask for a print out of the final charges (after the charge has been run).