Tipping – a way to show gratitude to someone going the extra mile, or a confusing custom ripe for misunderstandings? It’s an old custom, dating back to medieval times, when servants would sometimes receive a token of gratitude in exchange for extraordinary service. And while many of us would like to show gratitude to those making our evenings out a great experience, it can be difficult to know who to tip, and how much.
Do you tip taxi drivers? Do you leave the change at the pub? And if we’re this confused domestically – how on earth are we supposed to know how much to tip when we leave the country!?
If you’re confused about how to tip, you’re not alone. In our recent survey of people across the UK we found that only 19% of Brits feel confident in how much to tip when on holiday overseas. We’ve created this simple guide to help you get an idea of what the expectation is in different countries. For more detailed information about your destination, check out our Travel Money guides.
Before you travel and plan how much holiday money you need, it’s a good idea to find out if tipping is common practise where you’re going. You may think that the worst that could happen is that you’ll seem a little out of touch, but in certain countries tipping is actually considered offensive. In Japan, for example, trying to tip your server may be taken as a sign that you don’t trust them to do their job properly without an extra incentive. To a Japanese person, who prides themselves on their strong work ethic, nothing could be more insulting.
The other extreme is America, where wait staff is paid only a nominal wage, and the majority of their take home wages are made up of tips. Though it may seem strange to us, this means that customers are expected to tip generously almost regardless of level of service – even if your waiter was doing the bare minimum. Luckily, in most countries a tip is neither insulting nor mandatory, but a small token of gratitude for a job well done.
It can also get confusing in countries where a tip is not customary, but may be appreciated. As a general rule, if you check your receipt and it details a service charge, anything you choose to give above that is generous and not mandatory. It may also be worth noting that high end restaurants, or restaurants in capital cities, may be more accustomed to receiving tips due to their international clientele. We’ve put together this table as a starting point to check if you should tip or not:
| Countries you should tip in | |
|---|---|
| Do | Don’t |
| Czech Republic | Australia |
| Egypt | Belgium |
| France | Brazil |
| Germany | China - in some establishments, tipping is illegal |
| Greece | Denmark |
| Hungary | Estonia |
| India | Fiji |
| Italy | Finland |
| Morocco | French Polynesia |
| Poland | Iceland |
| Portugal | Japan - in fact, while other countries who don't encourage tipping may still accept one, in Japan an attempt to tip will likely lead to awkward situations |
| Spain | South Korea |
| Sweden | Myanmar |
| Thailand | New Zealand |
| Turkey | Norway |
| UAE | Singapore |
| USA | Switzerland |
Even if you know that the country you’re in has a culture of tipping, it can be confusing to know how much to give. The amount you should tip varies from country to country and the type of service you’re receiving. From your tour guide, to your porter, driver, housekeeping, or bartender, each may need to be tipped differently. While the amount you tip is always up to you, understanding the expected amount can help you feel more confident.
| Tipping guide | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Bars | Dining | Taxis | Hotel Staff | Tours |
| Czech Republic | Round up | 10% - Make sure to tell them as you ask for the bill how much you’d like to tip as it’s not common to leave it on the table when you leave | Round up if tipping in cash | 25 CZK p/day | 200-400 CZK |
| Egypt | 10% | 10-15% | No tip | 3-10 LE p/day | 50 LE for the driver and 80-100 LE for the tour guide |
| France | No tip | Round up if satisfied | Round up | 2-5€ | 2-5€ |
| Germany | Round up | Round up - or for a nicer restaurant, 10% | Round up | 3-5€ p/day | 5-7€ |
| Greece | Round up | 10-15% | No tip | 3-7€ | 10% |
| Hungary | Round up | 10% - and make sure to give this directly to the server or in the tip jar rather than leaving this on the table | 10% | 200-500 HUF | 500 HUF |
| India | 10% | 5-15% | No tip | 20-250 R - relative to the quality of the hotel | 100-300 R p/day |
| Italy | No tip | 10-15% for exceptional service, otherwise no tip | No tip | 1€ | 5-10€ |
| Morocco | Round up | 10-15% | 50-100 MAD | 20-150 MAD | 200-400 MAD |
| Poland | No tip | 10-15% | No tip | 10 PLN | 10% |
| Portugal | No tip | 5-10% | Round up | 1-2€ | 5-10€ |
| Spain | No tip | 10% if service is not included | Round up | 2-3€ | 5-10€ |
| Sweden | Round up | Round up | Round up | No tip | No tip |
| Thailand | Round up | Round up | Round up | 20-50 THB | 1000 THB |
| Turkey | Round up | 10% - make sure to hand t to the waiter personally as otherwise it will likely end up in the owner's pocket | Round up | 20-40 TRY | 400 TRY |
| UAE | Round up | Round up | Round up | 5-30 AED | No tip |
| USA | 15-20% | 15-25% | 10-15% | 15-20% | 15-20% |
As tipping etiquette varies from country to country, and sometimes even within the country itself, it’s a good idea to read up on your travel destination before you set off on your journey. Here’s our checklist to help you get it right:
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