To Tip Or Not To Tip?
To tip or not to tip is probably one of the oldest holiday debates; the question of tipping is always one we seem to encounter when on holiday. Every country has its own set of social customs and tipping etiquette can vary greatly between different cultures. It can often be very difficult to work out when to tip and how much is expected. In fact, us Brits seem to struggle more than others, as recent research conducted by Direct Line showed that we are the second worst nation for tipping after the French.
But getting tipping etiquette right is not simple. It is always a good idea to investigate the customs for your destination and research carefully before you go. In some countries, you will be expected to tip taxi drivers and hotel staff, so you will need some local currency as soon as you get off the plane. In the USA tips are very much expected and part of everyday life, however, in places like Japan and China all tipping is seen as rude and it's just not done. You can greatly offend your waiter in Japan if you try to give him money.
With the busiest holiday time of year about to start and so many of our customers flying off on their summer vacation, I Love meet and greet have put together a simple guide to tipping abroad.
| Country | Restaurant | Hotel Maid | Bar | Taxi |
| Australia | 10-15% | 2 Dollars per night | Keep the change | Round up fare |
| Brazil | X | X | X | Round up fare |
| Canada | 20% | Small tip | X | 10-15% |
| China | X | X | X | X |
| France | Service is added | Optional | X | 10% |
| Germany | 10% | Optional | X | Round up fare |
| Greece | 5-10% | 1 Euro per night | Round up fare | X |
| Italy | 10% | T1 to 3 Euros per night | Keep the change | Round up fare |
| Japan | X | X | X | X |
| Mexico | 10% | Small tip | 15% of tab | X |
| Portugal | 10-12% | 1 to 5 Euros per night | Round up bill | Round up fare |
| South Africa | 10-12% | Round up fare | ||
| Spain and Canary Islands | 5-10% | 1 to 5 Euros per night | Round up bill | 5% |
| The Netherlands | X | Optional | Optional | Round up fare |
| Turkey | 10% | Small tip | Round up bill | Round up fare |
| United Arab Emirates | 10-20% | 5 to 10 Dirhmans per person | Keep the change | Round up fare |
| USA | 15-20% | 1 to 2 Dollars every time | 1 to 2 Dollars for every drink | 1 Dollar to 10-20% |
The bottom line with tipping is if you are extremely happy with the service it is always nice to leave a tip but if you felt the service wasn’t up to scratch, then don’t leave a tip.
And for your summer holiday airport parking book with I Love meet and greet.
By Sarah Anglim at 30 Jun 2019