Tipping In Europe
If you are looking to travel Europe cheap, then having a good idea of how tipping works will keep money in your pockets. In most European countries the food bill at a restaurant will already contain a tip gratuity of about 5-10% so there is no expected need to tip. However, tipping the food bill to an extra 5-10% is not uncommon and will be warmly accepted as a thanks for good service.

In different European countries there are different tipping customs. Take Germany for example, a tip must be directly handed to the seller rather than left on the counter. If you tip and leave money on the counter it is most likely just to be picked up by the next customer! You’re trying to tip your bill not theirs!

But how do we know where to tip and where not to? Well, as a general rule of thumb service industries are usually expected of a tip. For example, a good taxi ride or a quality haircut would be deserving of a tip. Bars and clubs are an exception, and they are expensive enough as it is without tipping! In Europe, tips in pubs are not left on the bar and will go unnoticed by the bar tenders.

Save money, tip properly in Europe!