By Alara Shannon, Marketing | February 01, 2013 ( Comments)
When to tip, where to tip and just how much to tip is a common concern for travelers in Europe, as no one wants to offend by either tipping too much or too little for services.
Tipping in European countries is different than what we are used to in the United States and Canada, it is almost always at your discretion and varies between countries.
For example, you may visit both Italy and Greece on a Mediterranean cruise but their etiquette for tipping is slightly different.
How to Tip in Italy
The discussion on how to tip in Italy is a rather heated one. This is mainly due to the fact that Italians do not tip, or very rarely in cases of exceptional service. However, in popular tourist destinations (Rome, Amalfi Coast, Venice, etc.) service staffs have become spoiled with so-called ‘American’ tips.
In the US, standard tipping procedure in restaurants is 15-20% of your bill. In a restaurant in Italy, tipping is of course not refused, but it is not necessary. In a majority of restaurants you may see one or two additional service charges on your bill:
A ‘pane e coperto’ or just ‘il coperto’ is a bread and tableware charge. This ‘coperto’ comes from the Middle Ages when people would bring their own food to an inn and the innkeeper would charge them to use their tables and tableware. Today, it is simply a cover the restaurant charges to provide the basics of a meal like tableware and bread, ranging in price from 50 cents to 3 or 4 euros per person in touristy areas. Most times bread for the table is included in this charge – and it will be brought to your table whether you eat it or not. Many restaurants are moving away from this practice and choose to not add ‘il coperto’, but if they do it must be indicated on the menu. The ‘pane e coperto’ or ‘il coperto’ service charge is not a tip. The money goes to the restaurant, not to your server.
In many bars (cafes), you will pay less for the same drink if you stay inside and stand at the bar (as the Italians do!) rather than sit outside at a table. This is because a ‘servizio’ (service charge) was added to the bill; this is what you pay to be served at the table This will be listed on the menu as ‘servizio incluso’ and is usually 10-15% of the total due on your final bill and you do not need to tip additionally unless you’ve had an exceptional experience and want to leave your server an extra euro or two.
Even if you see ‘servizio non incluso’ (service not included) you shouldn’t feel compelled to leave a tip. Waitstaff in Italy are not underpaid, and do not rely on tips to supplement their income.
In short, be informed. Read the menu and your bill to determine whether or not a charge for service was added. Tipping your waiter is optional in Italy, not expected but appreciated. Leave whatever you feel comfortable with on the table; if you are in an elegant restaurant and had the meal of a life-time, leave 5-10% (preferably in coins or cash). Tipping is to reward a good meal and great service.
The same tipping etiquette can be practiced for other services in Italy. Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but if they have been friendly or rushed you to the airport while lugging all of your bags – you can round up the bill to the next euro. If an excellent experience was provided, you can also leave a small mancia (tip) of about €1 to €5, or 5%, for these customer-service professionals: theater ushers, tour guides, hotel porters, public toilet room attendants, housekeeping staff, and hairdressers.
How to Tip in Greece
Tipping in Greece is traditionally not customary; it is optional but very common to round up the amount paid. For example, if the bill is €18,10 round up to €20 if you liked the food and service. If you have a larger bill of say €50, you can leave €1-€4, 2-8% of the bill, if you would like to reward your wait staff.
The general rule of thumb in Greece is to pay in cash, many restaurants or large stores in touristy areas will accept credit cards but the tip should be paid in cash. Leave the coins on the table or tell the server you don’t expect any change. If your bill is given to you in a leather or paper pocket (in higher-end establishments), leave the tip in the given pocket. Do not put the tip in the waiter’s hand, it can be seen as rude unless you are leaving a very large tip that you do not want prying eyes to see. Some owners do not allow their waters to keep the tips so if you feel comfortable, before you pay more than you need to – just ask your waiter.
In some popular tourist destinations, some restaurants may add a service charge or cover charge (κουβ?ρ) to the bill. In trendy restaurants that can be up to 15%, or in others just a charge for the use of the table, water and bread. It should be listed on the menu, what is included in the prices. In this case, you can simply round up the bill to the next euro.
Read the menu and when you ask for the bill, determine whether or not a charge for service was added. Most times you will need to actually ask for the bill, lingering over a long dinner is not uncommon and waiters do not want to interrupt.
Tipping your waiter is optional in Greece, not expected but appreciated. Leave whatever you feel comfortable with on the table; if you are in an elegant restaurant and had the meal of a life-time, leave 5-10% (preferably in coins or cash). Tipping is to reward a good meal and great service.
Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but rounding up to the next euro is appreciated if you feel they have been accommodating. There are a few extra charges for things like responding to calls or departing to/from airports or rail stations and handling heavy luggage ( if they are greater than 10kgs or about 20lbs a piece), but that is not a tip.
Other customer-service professionals you may tip at your discretion (usually a few euros): hotel porters, housekeeping staff, concierges, theater ushers, tour guides, and public toilet room attendants.
The best way to alleviate any concern about tipping in a foreign country is to ask. You can ask your ship’s Guest Services desk, hotel concierge, tour guide or the local tourism office. Exorbitant tipping isn’t mandatory, but any small token of gratitude is appreciated.
