Guide to Tipping Etiquette in Different Countries

So you’re ready to set off for a new and exciting travel destination. That’s great! But there is one important thing you need to know about before heading to a new destination and that’s “tipping”. During your trip, there will be a number of instances where you’ll have to give a tip for the services you receive. It’s a pretty common practice.

However, when visiting a new place it’s important to know who has to be tipped and who doesn’t. Plus, the amount of money you give also matters greatly. For example, in Japan, it is often deemed rude and offensive to give someone a hefty sum of money as a tip. So, you end up getting the opposite reaction (from the person you tipped). In short, you’ll get a glare instead of a smile.

Conversely, in some places workers rely considerably on the money earned through tips, so a meager tip won’t delight them much. That is why is essential that you possess a bit of tipping knowledge prior to traveling to a particular destination.

Suggested Read:- How to Travel on A Budget

So without further ado, here are some excellent points that will make tipping a whole lot easier for you and satisfying to the person it’s given to:

Table of Contents

Get Specific Tipping Information

This is probably the first thing you need to do. Every destination has a slightly different standard in terms of tipping. So, it is important to have adequate knowledge of the different standards, so as to avoid an unpleasant experience while tipping. You can easily get this information from CCRA International and Conde Nast Traveler.

Who Needs a Tip?

The next thing you need to know is whom a tip can be given. Now this criterion tends to vary from state to state. But generally speaking, you can tip taxi drivers, hairdressers, bartenders, porters, hotel attendants, tour boat staff, tour guides, locals who volunteer for a photo, bellhops, hotel staff, concierges, waiters, maitre d’ and hotel laundry staff.

Carry Local Currency

Regardless of which country you are in, you’ll have to tip the taxi driver who takes you from the airport to your hotel. But in order to tip him, you need to have the currency of that country. No way is he/she going to accept foreign currency as a tip. That is why you need to convert some of your money to the local currency as soon as you reach the airport. The majority of airports do offer ATM facilities and exchange rate counters, however, it’s good to conduct research on the destination airport just to be on the safe side.

Observe the Locals

Now, this certainly doesn’t mean gawping at locals. In case you have any difficulty in understanding the standard tipping practices of the place you are in, just observe what other people are doing. For example, check if there’s money kept on an empty table of the restaurant you are dining in, or perhaps did you see anyone on your boating excursion give a few dollars (in addition to the standard fee) to the staff.

Never Ask

The worst thing you can do is ask someone whether he/she wants a tip and if they do how much it should be. This is not only against the norm but is also downright offensive. For example, even if a person accepts and earns a greater part of her income from tips, he/she might say ‘no’ out of modesty or etiquette.