 Poster: A snowHead
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I'll confess. I'm a stupid American. Here, wait staff are paid very little and rely on tips for a living. I don't believe that is the case in Europe. My understanding is that it's customary to round up a meal check to the nearest Euro, or perhaps add one additional Euro. Are taxi drivers tipped? How about staff who take care of you for much of a week at a hotel. I'd like to be a "not so stupid American" who is courteous and who will be welcomed back in the future.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@RISkier, It depends:
In hotel I tend to charge everything to my room and it gets added to the bill at the end of the stay. You pay that to the hotel. If I have had a particular waiter for the duration I leave them a tip at the end, something like 20 or 30 Euros.
Over a bar I just pay whatever the barman asks for.
If served drinks at table I round it up - at a guess I'd say its roughly 10% each time.
In a restaurant I reckon I go a bit more than 10%.
If you don't tip at all they are still very nice. But I think its right to tip where its due.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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We generally add 10% and round it up or down to the nearest five Euros. Have not tipped taxis. Hotels usually have a money box for all the staff tips. If you say "Danke" when you hand over payment, you get any change back. Austrians like cash.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 16-12-15 1:22; edited 1 time in total
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@RISkier, I'm not an expert but from several Austrian trips, restaurants will often add service automaticlly. If they do any odd bit of rounding up will be appreciated, if they haven't added service 10% is ok. All provided that the service was ok. I've never used an Austrian Taxi but I understand again 10% is normal. If you're in a catered chalet and the staff have looked after you well then a ten or twenty would go down well.
Some people don't tip at all.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Generally just round up to whatever you won't get stupid change from, then if you were a big group/had fussy orders/particularly great service add a couple of euros.
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Europe is not USA.
Tipping is not seen as a necesary.
Staff are salaried, social,pensions etc.
Tipping is generally small change or whatever you want to give but DO NOT feel embarassed
to refrain.
Service charges are very often included in bills.
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I was a bit nonplussed when I first went to the US a few years ago; got a taxi from the airport to friend's apartment a 10 minute drive away - added a tip of 10% for what was a routine journey with no added value and was glared and tutted at.
Was then advised that waiters will chase you down the street and ask you what was wrong if you tip less than 20%, so felt obliged to comply even when service was nothing special.
The final straw came when my wife and I were at San Diego tram station and wondering which tram to get on for the zoo; a "kind and helpful" guy (not an employee, just a member of the public) noticed our predicament and advised us which tram to take - he then asked if he could have a tip, and so conditioned had I become by then that I gave him 5 dollars - something that still irks me, not because of the amount, but because I didn't tell him to take a hike!
In Austria we find that waiters don't usually expect a tip (especially if you've only had a coffee or a bowl of soup or a beer) but appreciate one if given, and I confirm that it's usually just a question of rounding up the bill to a round figure. No need to go beyond 10% unless you feel particularly generous and appreciative. We rarely tip taxi drivers and they don't seem to expect it.
My son worked for three seasons in a restaurant in Saalbach and his basic wages were much, much more than he might have earned as a ski instructor, This was confirmed to me by two very envious ski instructors.
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| stanton wrote: |
Europe is not USA.
Tipping is not seen as a necesary.
Staff are salaried, social,pensions etc.
Tipping is generally small change or whatever you want to give but DO NOT feel embarassed
to refrain.
Service charges are very often included in bills. |
Yep, exactly that, for Austria at least.
I used to leave a couple of Euros if we had a round of drinks, and maybe €5-10 after a meal. That was until an Austrian friend saw me doing it and put me right. Like Clarky999 said, round up to what makes sense, you don't want a pocket full of shrapnel but you don't need to leave anything. The normal way to leave a tip in Austria is to suggest the rounded up amount to the person taking the money - e.g. if the bill is €6.80 you would hand over a €10 note and say "7 please", that is taken to mean you are rounding up to €7. Sadly for me my German is so bad by the time I've worked out what they said, how much to round up to and then what that is in German it's all a bit late, so I often end up getting the change then handing back a couple of coins. Nothing wrong with that, it just makes me look like a tourist who can't speak German, which is the truth I guess 
I'm never quite sure what to do in a hotel, if we've stayed somewhere for a whole week and had excellent service I tend to leave some € notes with the receptionist on the way out, or there is sometimes a porcelain pig for "trinkgelt" on the reception desk.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@RISkier, another point in Austria is that it is no problem to split a bill and pay separately.
The staff end up getting more tips from each individual payment so it often works out better for them!
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| Quote: |
My son worked for three seasons in a restaurant in Saalbach and his basic wages were much, much more than he might have earned as a ski instructor, This was confirmed to me by two very envious ski instructors.
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Does it mean I should tip my ski instructor?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Tip if you thought the service was good, or you will be back and want quick service, or a table at lunch in a busy bar.
Dont if service was average and you won't be back.
I am happy with 10% as an average, and will choose not to tip if the service is bad, but mention it as well, I don't want to look like some tight wad.
That said 20 Euros for four cokes in unopened cans in Les Gets was going to get zero tip even if Kylie Minogue doing a piggy back on a Panda on a unicycle was the waitress.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Snowy123 wrote: |
| Quote: |
My son worked for three seasons in a restaurant in Saalbach and his basic wages were much, much more than he might have earned as a ski instructor, This was confirmed to me by two very envious ski instructors.
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Does it mean I should tip my ski instructor? |
Yes, but *not* for a mountain guide, you buy them lunch and/or a drink after skiing, but it's not the done thing to give them cash. They would likely not be offended (esp if you are American and hence used to tipping), but it is considered a bit condescending.
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@sah, thanks for the tip!
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You know it makes sense.
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The variations in the answers to the OP's question show how difficult it is to behave acceptably as a tourist. I'd be happier if tipping were to be outlawed throughout the world. I don't mind paying for any good service, from getting a haircut to being guided up and down a mountain, but the price and quality should be fixed and fair. If the service is not right then the buyer should complain and the seller should consider giving a discount.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I live in Austria half the time. I dont think the locals tip. We tend to just round up a bit which is of course appreciated. As for our normal UIAGM guide, we also pay him a bit more than he asks (which is not a lot compared with France and Switzerland). If he ever falls over (and he takes us to some interesting snow, so it does happen albeit very rarely, even though he is rather good shall we say) he insists on buying us all a beer. Good stuff.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Jehu, I think that discretionary tipping, as it's done in Austria, is about right. In the U.S. it's got way out of hand - employees feel that they are entitled to a tip. The problem arises when it's expected, as a matter of custom, irrespective of the level of service given
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Snowy123 wrote: |
| @sah, thanks for the tip! |
Excellent punning, 10/10. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Tatman's Tours wrote: |
| @Jehu, I think that discretionary tipping, as it's done in Austria, is about right. In the U.S. it's got way out of hand - employees feel that they are entitled to a tip. The problem arises when it's expected, as a matter of custom, irrespective of the level of service given |
The problem in the US is that many restaurant workers do not get even minimum wage from their "employers" thus they need "tips" just to live in europe as a whole we tend to give much smaller tips because staff are properly paid and don't need to beg to live. I've found Switzerland to be the same as Austria a small tip of 1-2 chf (no more than the price of a coffee) is more than enough at lunchtime if getting table service and has over the years meant I have got a tiny bit better service, e.g being found a place to sit when the restaurant was full, a bar girl passing me a free drink because she remembered me tipping her at her previous job the year before, or just staff seating you at a table with a nice view rather than the one in the corner at the back.
In the end it works like this, in the USA staff need tips to survive and get cross if people don't pass them over because everyone in the USA knows how it works, in Europe staff generally get paid properly and thus remember people who tipped them for good service.
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As a summary @RISkier,
1. Tipping is not compulsory - if you aren't happy at the price (v.expensive) or the service don't tip
2. When tipping, rounding to the nearest 5 or 10 euro is normal (example: 26.55euro ---> 30euro) unless the bill is large then higher tips are always greatly appreciated
3. In busy bar/restaurant situations tipping can assure you faster service/maybe table service or a better table - as a group last year we were given a free bottle of Jager because we tipped so much
4. As European staff are salaried properly no one will go hungry or be homeless if you don't tip
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
The US tipping system seems to me (and others!) to be unfair to both the employees and the customers:
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I've also read complaints from employers as well. A restaurateur wrote an article recently stating that it was very difficult to run a decent restaurant in many areas because of the tipping system. The waiters got such high wages from tips that it was impossible to get staff to do any other jobs including finding decent chefs as it was so much more lucrative and less demanding waiting on tables.
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5. Making 6.80 euro into 7 euro (20 cents tip) is NO good practice. But rather pathetic and condescending
6. Using "my German is not good enough" as a reason not to tip properly is not good either. Your waiter will perfectly understand: "seven-fifty please"
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 16-12-15 13:31; edited 1 time in total
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@Alastair Pink, it's crazy, I also read that in the US that may businesses don't give their staff paid holiday either!
It's no wonder that many goods and services are cheaper in the US than in Europe but I know which system I would rather live with!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
| In Austria we find that waiters/waitresses don't usually expect a tip but appreciate one if given |
Exactly my experience last month in Austria - even a few euros on a small bill was gratefully received.
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| Langerzug wrote: |
| 5. Making 6.80 euro into 7 euro (20 cents tip) is NO good practice. But rather pathetic and condescending |
A 20 cent tip on a small amount like that is perfectly reasonable. It's not condescending at all. It would also be reasonable to give €6.80 if you had the right change, but perhaps a little tight. Paying €7.50 is over a 10% tip, that's neither expected nor necessary, except perhaps in over priced tourist areas where staff are used to Brits and N Americans. This isn't me making stuff up, this is advice from friends and relatives who are born and raised in Austria.
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| 6. Using "my German is not good enough" as a reason not to tip properly is not good either. Your waiter will perfectly understand: "seven-fifty please" |
Sorry my lack of fluency irritates you. If you bothered to read what I'd written you'd see I was not using my language skills as an excuse not to tip properly, I still gave them the same tip in that hypothetical example. Plenty of people do not speak English in restaurants and cafes I've been to recently in Austria and Bavaria.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I guess this says more about low pay in the US than anything else.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Langerzug, don't be a such supercilious tit - 20 cents multiplied many, many times over the day mounts up to a tidy little sum that does not have to be declared to the taxman. And the waiter/tress does not have to carry around enough shrapnel to pacify pedantic people such as you.
BTW, I am fluent in German so, LMA2 du kleinklarierte Schlauberger 
I stay at the same hotel several times a year for anything up to 3 weeks at a go. At the end of that time, depending on the length of my stay, I give the chambermaid a gratuity of between 10 and 20 Euro. The restaurant staff who serve me (it is always the same person for breakfasts and another who always serves me dinnert) also get between 10 and 20 Euro as a thank you for looking after me. I have adopted the habit of giving the head chef up to 50 Euro to put towards the end of season party. The result, I am welcomed like one of the family by everyone, spoilt rotten by the hotel owners and their children and the staff are always extremely friendly and accommodating. This is not because they all expect tips, it is because I have shown my appreciation of their efforts and am a loyal and regular guest (Stammgast has a more powerful meaning in Austria and Germany).
for the original poster: When I only stay a few days, I do not tip anyone. Nor do I tip if it is a new hotel unless the service I've been given is outstanding, neither is it expected. 
[edited to remove double breakfast!  ]
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 16-12-15 14:20; edited 1 time in total
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| Quote: |
I stay at the same hotel several times a year for anything up to 3 weeks at a go. At the end of that time, depending on the length of my stay, I give the chambermaid a gratuity of between 10 and 20 Euro. The restaurant staff who serve me (it is always the same person for breakfasts and another who always serves me breakfast) also get between 10 and 20 Euro as a thank you for looking after me. I have adopted the habit of giving the head chef up to 50 Euro to put towards the end of season party. The result, I am welcomed like one of the family by everyone, spoilt rotten by the hotel owners and their children and the staff are always extremely friendly and accommodating. This is not because they all expect tips, it is because I have shown my appreciation of their efforts and am a loyal and regular guest (Stammgast has a more powerful meaning in Austria and Germany).
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@Samerberg Sue, +1
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You know it makes sense.
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From what I've seen in France, it's fairly clear from the bill (and usually the menu, too) whether service is included. Where it is I might round up to avoid shrapnel, and when it isn't I tip 9 - 12% depending on what produces a fairly round number and how good the service is (and, to be frank, how likely I am to be back there fairly frequently!). That's for meals in restaurants. For drinks on terraces etc I usually leave the shrapnel in the change but wouldn't leave any euro or 2 euro coins. I practically never stay in hotels so can't add anything useful on that.
I have never been aware of any pressure to tip, or dirty looks, etc.
I don't tip ski instructors - never too sure about that, though.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Generally tip 10% in all of Europe if service/food etc ok. If things are exceptionally above expectation tipping will be more.
There is no strict rule, but not tipping is weird for anything like restaurant/cafe/taxi etc. If I stay in a hotel for a week I'd tip the staff as well.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
I've also read complaints from employers as well. A restaurateur wrote an article recently stating that it was very difficult to run a decent restaurant in many areas because of the tipping system. The waiters got such high wages from tips that it was impossible to get staff to do any other jobs including finding decent chefs as it was so much more lucrative and less demanding waiting on tables.
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Are you not expected to go into the kitchen and tip the cooking staff as well!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As many say above, 10% if the service is "good" but if the service in anything less than good I won't tip and I will tell them why.
One thing I have across Europe is the bad service.....not everywhere and always of course, but it amazes me how often we get awful service.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
it amazes me how often we get awful service.
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That surprises me - not my experience. I suppose it depends on where you go and how extensively you travel.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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nor mine, even in the supposedly rude and arrogant France. My last experience was a pub in the New Forest - absolutely charming service, even when I asked for the muzak to be turned down.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Samerberg Sue,
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When I only stay a few days, I do not tip anyone. Nor do I tip if it is a new hotel
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If this is a joke, it is a bad one. And otherwise it is very, very telling. 
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 16-12-15 20:50; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Samerberg Sue, "LMA2" is my new favourite piece of txtspk!
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The Swiss tried to sort this out a few years back by mandating that all service charges must be included in the price of the goods or service that is being sold. They are never listed as a separate item on your bill.
However, tipping still has a role to play in rewarding good service. Usual practice with low value stuff like a coffee is to round-up to the next whole CHF. You might leave a couple of CHF after a good lunch, and maybe a bit more if it's a slap-up dinner.
The main thing however is that it is perfectly acceptable not to tip at all.
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| Snowy123 wrote: |
| Quote: |
My son worked for three seasons in a restaurant in Saalbach and his basic wages were much, much more than he might have earned as a ski instructor, This was confirmed to me by two very envious ski instructors.
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Does it mean I should tip my ski instructor? |
I don't usually, but after four days of the best lessons I've ever had I tipped my instructor 50 euros. He was a nice guy and was grateful, but went on to tell me that the week before (New Year) he'd been tipped 1000 euro by a Russian staying in Courchevel.
I felt poor.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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No need to tip. Not required by law.
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while it maybe true that in Europe (my experience mainly in France) is that they are paid a minimum wage, it doesn't go very far when here in Chamonix for example you can pay 1200 euros a month for a studio. There are also the people who work for UK companies who don't get paid anything near minimum wage.
From experience, most of the locals in Chamonix will when they can afford it tip 10%, and the general feeling when servers provide a good service is that they should get this.
As a side note, it cuts even deeper when a server provides excellent service to an American who then doesn't tip, as the employee will know that if they were working in the holiday makers home town they would have got 10%.
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FAQ
Many US restaurant owners will just pay wages at or near to this much lower amount and expect their employee to supplement their income in tips. Hence under the US system waiters have to receive substantial tips from the customers in order for them to receive a living wage. 