Just returned home from 2 weeks in Austria. Everywhere we went, wait staff in restaurants pointed out there was " no tip included " . We were in Innsbruck, Salzburg, Melk, and Vienna. I read in Rick's book that service was always included but I was told by the wait staff that service was not included. I examined the receipts we received and nowhere did we see " service included ". Not sure what to believe but we always added at least 10%
I prefer to follow Rick's advice:
"Don't lose sleep over walking out of a restaurant in Europe without tipping."
When we pay cash we usually just round up - €32.50 becomes €35. If paying by card we sometimes do not tip or leave just €2-3 in coins. We never go by %.
I read in Rick's book that service was always included but I was told by the wait staff that service was not included.
In Austria (and all countries in Europe) the price given in the menu always has to include everything (service, taxes, etc.). A tip is always a generosity if you liked the service.
When we pay cash we usually just round up - €32.50 becomes €35. If paying by card we sometimes do not tip or leave just €2-3 in coins. We never go by %.
At most places you can round up as well when making a card payment. The amount for rounding up should be in the range of 5% to 10% depending on how you liked the service.
My in-laws in Austria taught me 10% in Austria and Germany. Always. 10%. My sister-in- law has lived 50+ years in Vienna.
Here in France, it’s optional. We rarely leave anything. Maybe a bit of change. It’s the same in Italy. So Europe isn’t one entity but individual cultures, work laws, employee benefits, and histories.
However it’s difficult to know. I’ve seen American visitors strong-armed in towns where tips aren’t expected (Sorrento, Wengen, Murren). Additionally, more of those readers with tip prompts are showing up in tourist areas, even in non-tipping France.
Since they pointedly instructed you, you were tip-targeted, which is rude. They would never target a European even if 10% is customary in Austria.
It is rude, anywhere, to blatantly point out a tip by a waiter. IMHO.
To fall for it our failure of guilt as Americans. Sure, we can rationalize it in so many ways. And we do. Even in Japan where a tip can be interpreted as demeaning to the staff, or even insulting. Americans will tip. With the same rationalizations.
Germans are the best tippers in Europe. Sorry Americans you lost the title when you started believing that there was no tipping in Europe.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/10/germans-best-tippers-in-europe-finds-poll-italians-not-so-much#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20amounts%2C%20Britons,just%20how%20it%20should%20be.%E2%80%9D
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20130611-us-travellers-are-not-the-best-tippers
In Austria (and all countries in Europe) the price given in the menu
always has to include everything (service, taxes, etc.).
I am not sure about the law "in all countries in Europe", but in practice this is false in many countries.
Elizabeth formerly Bets, as usual, you nailed it.
Since we are on the subject here is an example, but do remember that every country in Europe may be different and every form of receipt may vary to some degree. Here is a receipt from a nice restaurant in Budapest ( https://www.instagram.com/gtgabroad/reel/C6JbrznOZGQ/ ). Judging by the order, it’s a meal for two. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fwiqtkiopwora1.jpg (oh, disregard that the reddit user was thinking he had been scammed. he was reading between the bars .... explained below .... and didnt understand VAT).
The actual food costs, and the costs (forints) that you will see in the menu are: 1150 (.75L water), 2900 (wine), 8900 (lamb) and 5290 (chicken).
The service charge appears to be 14% and is the 2280 number. If you want to know if you are being charged a service charge, you look for “Szervizdij”
What you don’t see is a subtotal before the service charge is added and this is common. All combined the bill is 20520 forints ($58).
Then you will see a lot of math between the two horizontal bars. Ignore it. This is internal calculations for the restaurant’s record. It defines how much of the various costs were taxed at what VAT rate. The VAT taxes are in the cost of the food shown on the menu … BUT THE SERVICE CHARGE IS NOT. Even the Service Charge has within it a VAT tax. I do believe that the restaurant is supposed to list the service charge in the menu. Does that always happen? I doubt it. But this one does:
We charge a 15% service fee for the total amount of the invoices. Our prices include VAT.
Do you tip? Here, that would be appropriate, but tipping is seen differently here and no one will hate you if you don’t. Because the service charge is so high, most locals if they did tip would limit it to maybe 5% or round the bill up to 21000 or maybe 22000 forints when they pay. If there were no service charge then 10% would be more common. Rarely more than 10% unless something special happened.
Also, not all establishments will permit you to put the tip on the card. So carrying a little cash is nice. The reason they avoid putting it on the card is that once on the card the amount goes straight to the government and is subject to VAT. Then the employee wants his tip and is not happy when the establishment withholds the VAT and maybe the credit card service fee from the tip.
My in-laws in Austria taught me 10% in Austria and Germany. Always. 10%.
Tipping is customary in Austria, but the amount varies depending on the quality of service, 10% is the usual upper limit. The very moment a waiter dares to remind me not to forget a tip, he won't get any. Same applies if the bill is not correct, i.e. too high.
I understand that tipping in Europe was never a thing but it is now
catching on and it is annoying.
I found a pre-WWI letter from an English father in Hungary to his son in the UK. The father was describing life and that included that like in Germany, tipping was the norm in Hungary.
Using the example above, I only on super rare occasions would round up 32,50 Euro to 35 Euro.
In this case my practice is to round up to 34 Euro be it in France, Austria or Germany. I tell the server exactly that number (34 Euro) in German or French as I am going to tap the cc or hand over the cash. The cash will already be ready by the time I decide to pay.
I have had any experience in any country in Europe including the UK where it was suggested to me by the server that a tip was in order.....lucky for them. That would tick me off too.