Euro tipping at Rome air terminal and ship port.

[Preacherman46]

We haven't come into the Rome airport before or cruised out of the Civi port. Also will need to tip at airport in Amsterdam. Thanks.

[CruiserBruce]

Putting on the flame retardant suit, as this is a very hot topic. Reading some of the many threads around tehse boards, like this one:

 

would be beneficial.

 

In 25 words or less, tipping in Europe is not anything like the US. You will be rounding up checks, or giving a couple euros here and there. Think 5%, not 15 or 20%. And to fewer people. Far fewer people.

[hallasm]

I never tip at airport or cruise terminals in Europe!

[euro cruiser]

Who do you think you would be tipping at the airport?

 

I bring a group of mostly older folks to Europe once a year and each year at least one or two of them require a wheelchair at the airport.  Inevitably the Americans try to tip the wheelchair pushers and in every case (when we are in Italy) they are politely turned down as they are not allowed to accept tips, no matter how much they do for you.

[Preacherman46]

2 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Who do you think you would be tipping at the airport?

 

I bring a group of mostly older folks to Europe once a year and each year at least one or two of them require a wheelchair at the airport.  Inevitably the Americans try to tip the wheelchair pushers and in every case (when we are in Italy) they are politely turned down as they are not allowed to accept tips, no matter how much they do for you.

We may have a wheelchair. Thanks for the info!

[styles27]

Good info, thanks!  We’ll be in Italy in about 2 weeks, what is the protocol for tipping at restaurants?  Of course in the US we tip our servers as they make less than $3 an hour and depend on the gratuities.   

Is the gratuity built into the charge at restaurants in Italy (and Spain and France since we’ll be traveling to those two countries as well) or do we add it on as we do in the US?

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

Good info, thanks!  We’ll be in Italy in about 2 weeks, what is the protocol for tipping at restaurants?  Of course in the US we tip our servers as they make less than $3 an hour and depend on the gratuities.   

Is the gratuity built into the charge at restaurants in Italy (and Spain and France since we’ll be traveling to those two countries as well) or do we add it on as we do in the US?

 

 

 

As mentioned in post #2 and in the thread attached, for restaurants you round up the bill. If your bill comes to 36 euros, perhaps you leave 40. The gratuity is not built in to the bill in any place we have ever eaten.

[euro cruiser]

Service is included in every restaurant bill in Italy, even if it does not say so in writing (and even if it did, it would not be in English).

 

Tipping is a very hot topic here (and other travel boards, for that matter).  Italians will round up for ease but often do not even do that.  Nothing different is expected from visitors.

[steamboats]

You will find an item called "coperta" on your bill in an Italian restaurant. This covers the service and bread. But anyway it´s usual to give a tip. There´s no percentage like in the US but as said before... When you have a bill of 36 Euro some give 38 others 40. In the meantime I even tip 10 % in Germany (being German) for a good service.

 

steamboats

[GrJ Berks]

Tipping is not expected in Europe and is only rounding up, not the exorbitant levels of the US. The only expectations are when they hear an American accent, as this gives the impression of a potential tip.The US reputation now precedes the local custom. In Italy it has always been from lira days not giving small change. All Italian restaurants include service and pay proper wages, not the top up slave wages in the States. Enjoy and don't worry about tipping, act as a European and try to drop the accent !!  

[John Bull]

On 4/7/2019 at 1:08 PM, styles27 said:

 Of course in the US we tip our servers as they make less than $3 an hour and depend on the gratuities.   

Is the gratuity built into the charge at restaurants in Italy (and Spain and France since we’ll be traveling to those two

 

 

 

In Europe, certainly in those countries, there's a legal minimum wage - in France it's now €10 per hour (increased as a result of the gilets jaune protests), in Spain it's an annual figure which equates to somewhere over €6 per hour..

Most front-line workers in service industries like restaurants don't get more than the minimum, but it's a living wage. So the wage provides the bread, and tips - which are earned by good service - provide the jam (jelly) on top. Hence anywhere from zilch to a max 10% 

 

Especially in tourist areas you are likely to find a service charge in some restaurants, anywhere from 10% to 20%. This is one of the less-welcome US exports.

EU law requires any service charge (and other add-ons) to be clearly displayed on menus, so watch out for it & take it into account when comparing restaurants.

As a matter of principle, If there's a service charge we don't tip at all - even for excellent service.

And on one occasion (Budapest) a service charge was added despite not being on the menu, plus a charge for bread which was brought out with the soup!! We declined to pay either, citing them as unlawful hidden extras, paid the menu prices for the meal in cash, and walked away.

 

BTW, except for business-to-business transactions, taxes must by law be inclusive in he quoted prices in bars, restaurants, shops, tours, taxi fares, etc infinitum. - the price you see is the price you pay, so that's another difference from the US model.

 

I don't recall any reason to tip at any European port or airport. That includes luggage handlers at the port, altho I know it's the norm at US ports.   

 

JB 

 

ps Re GrJ's comment. Yes, try to develop a British accent, old bean - or better still, an Australian or Japanese accent. 

That will drastically reduce the server's expectations  

Edited April 8, 2019 by John Bull

[steamboats]

@John Bull In Germany it´s pretty common that bread (especially here in Bavaria Brezn / pretzels) are standing on the table and when you ask for the bill you are asked how many Brezn you had. The price is noted somewhere in the menu but noone really is taking notice of that. It´s sort of a common knowledge that they are not for free.

 

It´s another thing when a piece of bread is coming with a soup or some other dish (and usually it is marked in the menu that the bread is part of the dish). Then you don´t have to pay it extra.

 

steamboats

[styles27]

4 hours ago, GrJ Berks said:

Tipping is not expected in Europe and is only rounding up, not the exorbitant levels of the US. The only expectations are when they hear an American accent, as this gives the impression of a potential tip.The US reputation now precedes the local custom. In Italy it has always been from lira days not giving small change. All Italian restaurants include service and pay proper wages, not the top up slave wages in the States. Enjoy and don't worry about tipping, act as a European and try to drop the accent !!  

You made me laugh out loud!  Since I’m a born and bred New Englander, it’ll be difficult to hide our Boston accents!  lol They’ll hear it from the first hello! 🙂 

 

 

Thanks for the info, it will also be difficult to remember not to automatically add 18-20% to every tab but we’ll catch on fast I’m sure.

[styles27]

53 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

In Europe, certainly in those countries, there's a legal minimum wage - in France it's now €10 per hour (increased as a result of the gilets jaune protests), in Spain it's an annual figure which equates to somewhere over €6 per hour..

Most front-line workers in service industries like restaurants don't get more than the minimum, but it's a living wage. So the wage provides the bread, and tips - which are earned by good service - provide the jam (jelly) on top. Hence anywhere from zilch to a max 10% 

 

Especially in tourist areas you are likely to find a service charge in some restaurants, anywhere from 10% to 20%. This is one of the less-welcome US exports.

EU law requires any service charge (and other add-ons) to be clearly displayed on menus, so watch out for it & take it into account when comparing restaurants.

As a matter of principle, If there's a service charge we don't tip at all - even for excellent service.

And on one occasion (Budapest) a service charge was added despite not being on the menu, plus a charge for bread which was brought out with the soup!! We declined to pay either, citing them as unlawful hidden extras, paid the menu prices for the meal in cash, and walked away.

 

BTW, except for business-to-business transactions, taxes must by law be inclusive in he quoted prices in bars, restaurants, shops, tours, taxi fares, etc infinitum. - the price you see is the price you pay, so that's another difference from the US model.

 

I don't recall any reason to tip at any European port or airport. That includes luggage handlers at the port, altho I know it's the norm at US ports.   

 

JB 

 

ps Re GrJ's comment. Yes, try to develop a British accent, old bean - or better still, an Australian or Japanese accent. 

That will drastically reduce the server's expectations  

 

You guys are cracking me up!  I’ll work on those accents!

 

 Thank you for the heads up to look for service charges!

[euro cruiser]

1 hour ago, styles27 said:

Thanks for the info, it will also be difficult to remember not to automatically add 18-20% to every tab but we’ll catch on fast I’m sure.

 

One big clue, if you pay by credit card, is that there is no line to add a tip.

[Despegue]

Please please do not overtip in Europe.

round up the bill to the nearest 5 Euro is more than sufficient, and NEVER EVER tip at Airports. 

 

Also the taxi or shuttle to Civitavecchia... Please do not overtip. These companies are simply scamming Americans and even write on their websites that tips are not included blablabla. Well, THEY ARE included boys and girls. 

[styles27]

53 minutes ago, Despegue said:

Please please do not overtip in Europe.

round up the bill to the nearest 5 Euro is more than sufficient, and NEVER EVER tip at Airports. 

 

Also the taxi or shuttle to Civitavecchia... Please do not overtip. These companies are simply scamming Americans and even write on their websites that tips are not included blablabla. Well, THEY ARE included boys and girls. 

Our Airbnb host made transportation arrangements for us to the port in Civitavecchia and she said “Don’t tip it’s already included”

 

Really wish that were the case in the US.  

[Host Bonjour]

No tipping, no tipping, no tipping. I slip into the local language or, just another one I know if it seems I'm assumed to be American but oddly enough, I'm not usually guessed for one. Worst case, I hold the passport that isn't American. Done and done. 

 

But....even if I still only had the American one - which I love and was my first - I still won't tip because that is not the practice in most of the countries. 

 

If I'm in a country where workers depend on tips - not a lot like are like America - than I'll tip. Otherwise, if I get a bill for €28.00 and I'm ready to split, I'll leave the €30 and go. But most servers tend to not bring the bill until you ask for it and then they know if you have, you are ready to pay so it's likely they'll keep an eye out, or even wait for the card or money (probably depends upon the place) in order to close out the deal. You'll never be rushed but hey, if you're ready to go, they're ready for the next guests.

 

Luggage handlers and porters...it's their jobs. Most of us here, at one time or another, have had hourly, minimum or basic paying jobs where we got what we got - yes, even in America - and that was that. Servers here....who knows how it got started...I read about it because it's in the news often lately...but I still can't make sense of it. I think restauranteurs keep blaming the wage costs and the correlation to menu pricing - if they have to pay ACTUAL wages, the diners won't pay to come eat. I reject that notion; for the most part, it's just people failing to run their businesses well. Good cooking (or a bar, or whatever) doesn't always translate to good management, hence profit. Just like being a good player doesn't equate to being a good coach; sometimes it does. Sooo, a lot of the time, I think here, we are just paying tooooo much for people not knowing what they are doing. Running ANY business is difficult and restaurants/bars etc, are really difficult. So, make people pay....why not?

 

This is why I always had respect (albeit frustratedly when missing a plane even w/3 hours time allowed) for some countries' workers willingness to take a stand and say NO, unfair, we protest. And there you are, living wage, no tipping. 

 

The living wage part....not for this forum. 
 

And yes, did someone say it's a hot topic? My bottom line is: respect what's done by people in countries that are NOT our own. If you're worried about how to dress in certain places then be considerate of other practices too. It's all part of the experience of travel And whatever Euro you don't spend on tips you can spend on something else!! That's a win 🙂 

[Kimmus66]

May I ask what you tip private tour guides?  If you had a guide for the day for 8 hours, just 3 of you.....do you tip him?  I'm assuming yes?  If so, how much?

[GUT2407]

9 minutes ago, Kimmus66 said:

May I ask what you tip private tour guides?  If you had a guide for the day for 8 hours, just 3 of you.....do you tip him?  I'm assuming yes?  If so, how much?

Nope.

[Host Bonjour]

6 hours ago, Kimmus66 said:

May I ask what you tip private tour guides?  If you had a guide for the day for 8 hours, just 3 of you.....do you tip him?  I'm assuming yes?  If so, how much?

 

You don’t. This is his job, he gets paid a normal wage to do the job and is not doing the job to make extra money on tips. It’s <<imperative>> that travelers from other countries come around to accepting and respecting the economic realities of other nations. There’s even a financial upside which is having a bit of extra money in your pocket and probably STILL find that you’re being treated well at the same time. 

Amazing concept. But there it is.

 

Bottom line is, when it comes to the financial system of an entire nation, who are we to show up and insist that they do it our way so that it makes us feel better because it’s what we’re used to even though really, the system doesn’t actually even work well in our own country and they keep trying to find ways to fix it!

 

No. Be the great traveler that is a global friend and adapts to where they are. Much easier and much more fun...they might even think you’re a local and you get better service. I keep waiting for someone to guess I’m American. Not yet but one of these days 😉

 

No tips no tips no tips. You buy the tour and your done. Enjoy! 😎

Edited April 24, 2019 by Host Bonjour

[Kimmus66]

Thank you so much for the advice and answering, I greatly appreciate your help.  🙂

[livylotte]

You really don't need to be tipping anywhere in Europe.  Minimum wage applies, staff do not rely on or expect tips. You will not receive a better service is you tip up front nor will you receive poor service if you don't.   If you really must leave a tip - just round it up and leave coins.

[puschi1906]

Europe is big 🙂 I do research on tipping habits before I go to a European country I haven't been to yet. Here in Germany for example we do tip at restaurants, 5 - 10 % of the bill. But 15 - 20 % like in the US would be way too much (even though it would make the waiter happy 😉 )

I never tip at cruise ports in Europe or Airports.