Tipping in France

you are correct there are many posts on tipping.. and this is how they go " should I tip in France and how much"... locals and those in the know explain tips are not usually given.. a simple rounding up of change here and there.. a few exceptions ( yes tip guide for free walking tours.. its how they make money ) but in general France is not a tipping country" and this point the poster will then say " but I like to tip for good service , im going to tip anyways. ".. sigh.

You likely wont see your greeter at end of stay.. so they are basically trying to get you to tip for the service of opening the door and showing you how to use a washing machine.. if they are timely and polite I suppose one could tip them as they are not regular employees making a real wage I bet.. but they are also counting on tourists to not realize that most people dont tip.

I dont use Uber in Paris.. I walk, take the metro.. and once in a blue moon a taxi.. no tipping needed. Americans will tip anyways.

I dont tip waitstaff except to round up bill .. if service was VERY good.. not if it was crap.. I might round up from 47 euros to 50 euros.. or for a coffee bill of 4.50 I might leave a five euro note.. which is more than some locals would do.. but we are talking pennies.

We rarely eat out anywhere super white glove service..but if we did I might leave 5%.. only for excellant service of course.

Remember in France even the waiter at a sidewalk cafe doesnt worry about medical insurance or paid holidays.. they get that stuff.. so it reallly is different than in north america. Their wages may not be huge.. but they arent paying for all the same stuff a waiter has to pay for here.. so yeah.. its nice to get a few extra coins for a beer.. but you arent paying their wage like you are in America.

I agree with the previous post from Canada. Additional tipping at restaurants is not done. And yes, take the metro in Paris. I think you will find it easy to navigate and inexpensive. There are maps inside each metro station that clearly show which line you need to take to get to your destination. And you will enjoy the experience. I can't speak to tours or greeters. Sometimes we stay in a hotel and sometimes in an apartment. When we have rented apartments, we never had a greeter. I have been to Normandy twice and found the Michelin Green Guide for Normandy was all I needed. However, we had rented a car since we had planned more time in Normandy. I have also used the Michelin Green Guide to Paris. If you have time to order one, you might find it helpful. It also has maps in it to help you get to what you want to see in Paris. Enjoy your trip !

The Rick Steves France book says if someone in the service industry does a super job for you, a small tip of a euro or two is appropriate... but not required. It also says that if you feel that restaurant service was exceptional, it's kind to tip up to 5% extra.

For the Paris Walks company walking tours, no need to tip. You pay the guide the stated rate of 15E. I've actually tried a time or two and the guide has always said "not necessary" and handed it back to me.

I don't do "tip only" walks.

I usually pay cash in a restaurant but this last trip used my Credit Card more in Paris. There is no place to leave a tip so none expected.

I usually round up a couple of Euro for the taxi driver from the airport. One time the cab was stuck in such heavy traffic the meter clicked over from the flat rate of 55E to a metered rate. I knew what the fixed fare was and waited to see what the driver did. When he pulled up to the hotel he looked at the meter and turned back to me and said NO. Meter is wrong. Fixed rate and told me the correct amount. Did I tip him? You bet! I don't take cabs otherwise.

My understanding is that for the most part, tips are included at restaurants, unless specifically stated it is not.

There is no need to tip in a restaurant.

If there is exceptional service, what is the typical amount for wait staff?

The French go to a particular restaurant for the food and the overall capability of the kitchen. Service is expected to be efficient and unobtrusive. If you tip anyone, tip the chef.

what about car drivers, Uber, and tour guides?

Never tip drivers. Tour guides might be an exception to the overall rule of not tipping. If they are otherwise not paid, such as Paris Greeters, a small tip is appropriate. 5€ to 10€ should be sufficient.

if our greeter has provided good service, feel free to add a tip.

Emphatically no. Never tip people for simply doing their jobs which is providing good service. You are being exploited by anyone´s suggesting that you tip a greeter who works for a rental company.

Never feel that you must tip anyone. Overall the French themselves feel no such inclination.

I have been in numerous restaurants where at the bottom of the bill "service compris" is stated. No need to tip when you see that.

According to a 2014 survey, about 85% of French people usually leave a tip of some kind at restaurants, although this had declined somewhat from the previous one. It is though totally discretionary. Service is always included so bills refer to it less often these days.

I am French and I'll chip in:
- Nobody will mind if you do not tip, so feel free not to
- When you pay by card there is no way to tip unless you have cash with you

Now, if you do want to tip, my rule of thumb would be
- Taxi = round up to nearest euro
- Restaurants = 1-2 euros in a regular place if you liked the service, up to 5 euros in fancy places with attentive service (e.g. the kind of places where they take your coat, fill your wine glass, etc.)
- Bars / cafés = tipping now unusual, maybe round up to nearest euro if paying cash
- Tour guides = no idea

Never heard of such a thing as "tipping the chef" as stated above?

Thank you all very much! Great information and actually insight into understanding the difference. Much appreciated, as always!