Good question: How much should you tip abroad?

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An attentive waitress in a restaurant, a friendly cab driver—in Austria, it is customary to tip good service with around 10 percent of the bill amount on top. “Tipping five to ten percent is also common in many countries,” explains Yvette Polasek, travel expert at ÖAMTC. But there are also countries where other customs apply. You should know this to avoid putting your foot in your mouth.

Italy and Croatia
In Austria’s favorite vacation destinations, a tip of around five to ten percent is considered appropriate if no cover charge is included; otherwise, the tip can be lower. In Italy, for example, one place setting per person (“coperto”) is often included in the restaurant bill. A particular tipping tradition comes from Naples: the “caffè sospeso” or “deferred coffee”. This involves ordering and paying for an additional coffee, which is later handed out by the barista to those in need on request.

Greece
Depending on the type of restaurant, you either round up—as in the typical Greek tavernas—or give a tip of five to ten percent if the tip is not already included in the bill. In cabs, tips are also rounded up.

Spain and Portugal
“In restaurants, you leave five to 15 percent of the bill on the table,” explains the ÖAMTC expert. So you pay the bill first and only put it on the bill plate before you leave. It is better not to use too few coins; this is interpreted as being stingy. You also tip around ten percent when taking a cab in these countries.
Turkey
“It is considered very rude not to tip here,” warns Polasek. “Five to ten percent of the bill is customary in restaurants, and in cabs, it is also rounded up.” Service charges are already included in hotel bills. However, chambermaids and porters expect a tip.

France
In France, payment is made first, and the tip is left on the table. Tipping is done as a group and not individually by each guest at the table. The total amount is usually divided by the number of people who work out how much to tip each individual. Around ten percent is appropriate. Tipping is also customary for cab drivers.

Benelux
Tips are usually included in the prices of restaurants, cabs, and hotels. “Good service can still be rewarded with five to ten percent of the bill,” says Polasek. Cab drivers in Luxembourg even expect 15 percent of the fare. Ushers at the theater or cinema also receive a small tip.

Scandinavia
In Finland and Denmark, waiters and waitresses do not expect a tip; in Finland, this is already included on the bill. In Norway, service and VAT are already included in hotel, restaurant, and bar bills, but an additional tip of around five percent can be given if you are satisfied with the service. In Sweden, tips are usually rounded up.

Great Britain, Ireland and Scotland
No tips are generally given in pubs in the UK and Ireland—drinks are usually ordered at the bar and taken to the tables. If you are satisfied with the service, you can buy a drink from the person at the tap. This is considered a nice gesture, and it is customary there.

USA and Canada
In the US, waiters rely on income from tips. “A 15 to 20 percent tip is appropriate there. A tip is expected even if a service charge is already included in the bill.”

Asia
“Tipping is rather unusual in Asia,” says Polasek. “In China, tipping can even be seen as an insult.” The same applies in Japan, where good service is taken for granted. A service charge is often included in the prices of bars, restaurants, and hotels. Thailand, however, is an exception in Asia, where the monetary thank-you has already established itself. But even in the tourist centers, a maximum of ten percent is given or the amount is rounded up.

Australia and New Zealand
Tipping is not customary in New Zealand. “It was similar in Australia, but now people reward good service at their discretion,” explains the ÖAMTC expert.