Photo by: dessauer/Fotolia
You know the feeling. You’re on holiday somewhere new, have just asked for the bill, and suddenly think to yourself, “how much should I tip?” It’s always the same, that slowly building feeling of shame and embarrassment. Will the waiter chase you down the street shouting about how tight fisted you are? Or will they be embarrassed by your generosity? Or even worse, insulted? Knowing how much to tip these days isn’t easy, so we’ve put together this guide to tipping.
How much should I tip and for what?
Tipping varies, not just from country to country but in some cases, city to city. Take London for instance. A tip used to be 10% and that was that. Then it rose to 12.5%. Now it’s often 15% but not always.
Also, don’t assume you only taxi drivers, tip waiters or the room service team. Many services expect/appreciate a tip, from SCUBA diving instructors to tour guides or porters.
Australia
Photo by: Calistralia-1/Fotolia
Currency: Dollar
Restaurant: Not necessary. 10% if you wish
Hotel: N/A
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes: It’s considered slightly rude to tip in Australia. Only do it if service is amazing
Austria
Currency: Euro
Restaurant: Tip included
Hotel: a couple of euros per day for house keeping
Taxi: 10%
Notes:
Canada
Currency: Dollar
Restaurant: 15-20%
Hotel: $5 per day for house keeping
Taxi: This varies between “keep the change” and 10%
Notes:
Costa Rica
Currency: Costa Rican Colón
Restaurant: Usually included. 10%
Hotel: 500 Colón per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Croatia
Currency: Kuna
Restaurant: 10-15% in restaurant, 3-5% in a bar
Hotel: 6 kuna per day for house keeping
Taxi: Round up to nearest kuna
Notes:
Czech Republic
Photo by: frank11/Fotolia
Currency: Koruna
Restaurant: Often included. Add 10-15% if you wish
Hotel: 75-120 koruna per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Dubai
Currency: Dirham
Restaurant: 10% included
Hotel: Usually included, check upon arrival
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Egypt
Currency: Egyptian Pound
Restaurant: Tip included. Add 5-10%*
Hotel: £10-20 (Egyptian!) per day for house keeping
Taxi: Appreciated, round up
Notes: *The included tip usually goes to the owner not the waiter
France
Currency: Euro
Restaurant: 15% usually included
Hotel: A couple of Euros per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Germany
Currency: Euro
Restaurant: 10-15%
Hotel: €5 per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Greece
Currency: Euro
Restaurant: 5-10%
Hotel: €1-2 per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Hungary
Photo by: rudi1976/Fotolia
Currency: Forint
Restaurant: 10% for food, loose change for drink
Hotel: 1,000 forints per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes: Is OK not to tip if service not great
Iceland
Currency: Krona
Restaurant: 15% included. Add 10% if you wish
Hotel: N/A
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Israel
Currency: Shekel
Restaurant: Often included. Add 15% if you wish
Hotel: 5 shekels per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes: Always add 1 shekel per customer in a restaurant
Italy
Currency: Euro
Restaurant: Not generally expected. Round up if you want but don’t worry too much.
Hotel: €2 per day for house keeping
Taxi: Generally expected. Negotiate fare and tip before you set off!
Notes: Don’t tip gondoliers or vaporettos
Japan
Currency: Yen
Restaurant: Considered rude to tip
Hotel: In a ryokan, 5 – 10,000 yen per night for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Jordan
Currency: Dinar
Restaurant: Usually included. Add 5-10%
Hotel: 1 dinar per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Mexico
Currency: Peso
Restaurant: 10-15%
Hotel: 20-50 pesos per night for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Morocco
Currency: Dirham
Restaurant: Often included. Add 10% if you wish
Hotel: 35-50 dirham per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes: Is OK not to tip if service is poor
New Zealand
Photo by: sfriessner/Fotolia
Currency: Dollar
Restaurant: Not necessary. 10% if you wish
Hotel: $2-5 per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes: It’s considered slightly rude to tip in New Zealand. Only do it if service is amazing
Portugal
Currency: Euro
Restaurant: 10%
Hotel: A couple of euros per day for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
South Africa
Currency: Rand
Restaurant: 10-15%
Hotel: 15 rand per night for house keeping
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Spain
Currency: Euro
Restaurant: 7-13%
Hotel: €5 per day for house keeping
Taxi: Round up
Notes: Locals leave small change or round up to nearest Euro
Sweden
Currency: Krona
Restaurant: Round up to nearest krona
Hotel: Usually included, check upon arrival
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Switzerland
Photo by: swisshippo/Fotolia
Currency: Franc
Restaurant: 5-10%
Hotel: Not necessary as tip included in bill
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
Turkey
Currency: Lira
Restaurant: 10%
Hotel: Depends, check upon arrival
Taxi: “keep the change”
Notes:
USA
Currency: Dollar
Restaurant: 15-20%
Hotel: A few dollars per day for house keeping
Taxi: $1 for short trips. 15-20% from airport
Notes:
If in doubt, ask
If you’re worried you’re not tipping the right amount, ask in your hotel. Whilst they may inflate the percentage a little, it’ll give you an indication if you’re in the right area. You don’t want to offend people but equally, you don’t want to throw money away. We also want your advice, if you’ve been to one of these countries and told a different amount, let us know below.
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