In some countries around the world, tipping isn't customary. But there are at least 180 countries where travelers need to know the rules. In some places, like China, where tipping was not the custom in the past, that's changing. In most other countries, tipping is customary-but the rules can be quite complicated.
Restaurants
In the U.S., restaurant servers expect a tip of 15 to 20% of the check-depending on how satisfied you are with the service. In most other countries, however, it's about 10%. In the U.S., you leave your tip on the table. But in Austria and Germany, it's considered rude if you don't hand the tip directly to the server.
In Europe, restaurants almost always add a service charge to the check, so you don't need to leave a separate tip. But in the U.S., a service charge is only added for groups of six or more people. So it's a good idea to look carefully at your check!
And if that's not complicated enough, think about this: In some countries, like Italy and Venezuela, restaurants add a service charge to the bill, but an additional 5 to 10% tip is still expected!
Taxis
In the U.S. and Canada, you always tip taxi drivers 15% of the taxi fare. However, in South America and many European countries, you don't usually tip them. Instead, you can round off the fare and say, "Keep the charge."
Hotels
What
about the porter who carries your luggage? In Australia, you tip about AUS $3 (US $2) per bag. But in most countries, a tip of about US $1 will be fine. You can also leave about leave about US $1 to $2 a day for the maid who cleans your hotel room.
So what should travelers do? Check the Internet for information on tipping customs before you leave As the famous saying goes, "When in Room, do as the Romans do." But remember: You never have to tip if the service is terrible.