how much to tip?

It's a perennial question when we travel - how much to tip? Americans are pretty accustomed to leaving a tip, but practices in other countries are often different. Restaurants in France, for instance, will state service compris (service included) on the menu or on l'addition (the bill). What does this mean? Is the waiter's tip always included? Answer: by law, a 15% gratuity is always included in the price in France whenever you eat or drink.

During a recent trip to New Zealand, I was providing tips to drivers, waiters, and hotel personnel at my first destination, out of habit. When I offered a tip to my driver in my second destination, he informed me that "nobody tips" in New Zealand; service is included in the price. It was useful and timely information.

You may find the chart above to be a useful resource. You can double-click on it to print it out ... and keep it in your suitcase so it's always handy when you find yourself overseas.


how much to tip (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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