{"id":42776,"date":"2026-04-06T10:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T10:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42776"},"modified":"2026-04-06T10:58:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T10:58:00","slug":"travel-experts-warn-against-one-tipping-habit-while-visiting-european-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=42776","title":{"rendered":"Travel experts warn against one tipping habit while visiting European countries"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>For American travelers, tipping may feel second nature, but\u00a0in Europe, that instinct can backfire.<\/p>\n<p>While navigating new currencies and customs, small gestures like leaving loose change on a table may not translate well, travel expert Rick Steves warned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re just raising the bar and messing up the local balance,\u201d Steves\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ricksteves.com\/travel-tips\/money\/tipping-in-europe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote in a blog post<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cAnd it\u2019s bad style.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And in busy settings, \u201cthe wrong party might pocket the change,\u201d Steves warned.<\/p>\n<p>In countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg, plus parts of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, tipping with coins can even be perceived as rude,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mashed.com\/2121231\/rick-steves-warns-tipping-coins-european-countries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according to Mashed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The expectation differs from the US, where servers often rely on tips to supplement low base wages, a dynamic that, along with constant digital tipping prompts, has fueled growing frustration. Nearly nine in 10 Americans <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/13\/lifestyle\/former-nfl-star-jj-watt-sparks-debate-over-tipping-at-self-service-restaurants\/\">say tipping culture is \u201cout of control.<\/a>\u201c<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>While on vacation in Europe, leaving loose change on a table may not translate well. <span class=\"credit\">OlegD \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But in Europe, where servers are paid a living wage, tipping is not a necessity and handing over a handful of small coins may come across as dismissive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is not always the amount alone that shapes the impression,\u201d said LaDell Carter, founding partner of Royal Expression Travels in Maryland. \u201cIt is the presentation and the intention behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carter added that,\u00a0in more refined settings, particularly, scattered coins can feel like an afterthought.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>In\u00a0Germanic countries, leaving coins behind is frowned upon. <span class=\"credit\">Masson \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean travelers should abandon tipping altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Steves advises a simple, face-to-face approach that is especially appropriate in\u00a0Germanic countries, where leaving coins behind is frowned upon. When settling a 10-euro bill with a 20-euro note, say \u201cEleven, please,\u201d signaling the server to keep one euro as a tip and return the rest in change.<\/p>\n<p>When percentages are used, they\u2019re modest by American standards. Around 5% is considered adequate, while 10% is generous, according to Steves. In fact, tipping 15% to 20% can be seen as excessive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Tips are often best given in cash to ensure they go directly to the server. <span class=\"credit\">polack \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cResist the urge to tip American-style,\u201d he advised.<\/p>\n<p>Payment method also matters. While card payments are widely accepted, tips are often best given in cash to ensure they go directly to the server because some businesses may not pass along card-based gratuities in full.<\/p>\n<p>Steves also recommends skipping tips at casual counter service spots, rounding up taxi fares and giving small\u00a0tips to guides and hotel staff.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to keep in mind that a one-size-fits-all approach won\u2019t work in Europe, said Steve Schwab, Arizona-based CEO of Casago, a vacation rental and property management company.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt can vary from one country to the next, so we can\u2019t exactly generalize it as <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/03\/24\/im-a-waitress-i-f-king-hate-10-tip-from-tourists\/\">\u2018European tipping culture,\u2019<\/a>\u201d Schwab told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn general, the Nordic countries are the ones where tipping is least expected, largely because they are known for paying high wages and\/or including service charges in their bills already.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Experts also recommend reviewing bills carefully, checking for <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/23\/lifestyle\/restaurant-owners-warn-trend-is-degrading-dining-experience\/\">built-in service charges<\/a> and observing local customs before deciding what to leave. When it doubt, don\u2019t be afraid to ask the locals for country-specific norms.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/05\/lifestyle\/travel-experts-warn-against-one-tipping-habit-while-visiting-european-countries\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For American travelers, tipping may feel second nature, but\u00a0in Europe, that instinct can backfire. While navigating new currencies and customs, small gestures like leaving loose change&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42776"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42776\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}