Can I get a rundown of these?
Germany I remember as being small coins as tip, the others no idea. Also add if capital tipping expectation is different from elsewhere in the country (like it is in the UK).
Only looking for replies about the current situation, not whether the current situation is good or bad.
I've found this site to be pretty much on target:
Thanks Frank, despite the grammatical error in the site name looks helpful.
When the question on Budapest (really Hungary) first came up I did a bit of research and discovered that it has been a country where tipping is the norm going back at least 100 years. I actually found a reprint of a letter written at the turn of the 19th century from a tourist to his son warning, or advising, that the Hungarians expected tips and how much to give. Sorry, I just love the history and the research......
Anyway the recommendation in the letter is the same as now. Usually just round up the charges and aim for about 10% as a minimum. For Taxis a few hundred will suffice.
There is one difference between Hungary and the US in that there isnt the same social pressure to tip. If you do, the general feeling is they appreciate you. If you dont the general feeling is that they have no animosity. That might be because its a tipping culture sitting in the center of a continenet where tipping isnt common and they understand that outsiders may not understand Hungary? Dont know, just guessing.
To make the thought process easier, if you are going anytime soon, the exchange rate is roughly where 1000 forints = $3.00. So, 10,XXX forints is 3 x 10 = $30
Germany is around 10%, but if it is something small like a cup of coffee, just round up. The basic rounding up is a bit old school, but it is still ok in small towns. Big cities, 10% is more expected. You still won't be chased if you leave less or nothing and if your service is bad, feel free to leave nothing.
If you see "Service charge" on your bill, this money goes to the owners and not to the servers. I worked in the restaurant industry here, so trust me on this.
Don't leave the tip on the table. If you are paying with a CC, ask your server how to add a tip. Or you can give them cash.
In many restaurants, they may be tipping out to the kitchen and the bar that is making your drinks.
In most of the restaurants I ate at in Germany, the server came up to the table with a credit card machine (if you were paying with a card). They put the exact amount of the check on there, so if you do want to leave a tip on your card, you must let them know ahead of time. And if you do, it's courteous to thank them for their service when doing so, as it can be considered rude to just say "Add €3 to the bill" with no other explanation. That is in keeping with Ms. Jo's comment about not leaving a cash tip on the table. It's not because someone will take it, but it should be handed to the server with a thank you.
I found that the servers would happily accept whatever you wanted to give them, but there has been some discussion that Americans tip to much and raise their expectations. I tried to keep my tipping within reason and did not tip like I would in the states.
Sometimes, in bars, in Budapest, they can not add the tip to the card. Akways good to have maybe 5.000 in 500 and 1.000 notes. Coins are pretty worthless for the most part.
Oh, and there are a number of service companies and service providers that only deal in cash or prefer cash.
