Tipping when travelling can be a contentious issue as different countries have different customs when it comes to gratuity. On the one hand, you don’t want to over tip, but you also don’t want to look like a cheapskate. Here we’ll provide you with some helpful tipping tips for when you travel.
As Travel+Leisure magazine notes, most “Western nations expect you to tip”; however, tipping is not a custom everywhere.1 For example, you might tip 15% to 20% in a restaurant in the United States. However, in Japan, you’re not expected to tip at a restaurant.
The United States is on the high-end when it comes to tipping as Julia Millay Walsh discusses in her article, “How Much You Should Tip in 67 Countries Around the World”. Walsh notes that: “In most countries around the world, tipping that much (15% to 20%)—or even at all—is unheard of”.2 A 10% tip at a restaurant seems to be the sweet spot in countries that expect tipping. That being said, it’s always best that before you head out on your trip that you review what the country’s tipping customs are.
It’s also important to be mindful when it comes to tipping when you arrive at your hotel and in taxis. Certainly, you’ll never tip as much as you would for a nice dinner, but it is a good idea to have few extra bucks at the ready. For example, in a taxi, you might round up the fare or offer a small tip at the end of your ride.
Lastly, one thing that you should never do is tip with a gift. That’s bad form and can come across as tasteless. It’s always best to tip in the country’s local currency. Adding a tip to a debit purchase or a credit card is also ok if you’re paying with a card. However, if you do have cash on hand, it’s always nice to tip with that.
We hope that you enjoyed this CoverMe travel article. Wherever your travels take you, CoverMe Travel Insurance can help protect you.
1 travelandleisure.com. “Where You Do and Don’t Need to Tip Around the World.” July 2017.
2 mydomaine.com. “How Much You Should Tip in 67 Countries Around the World.” November 2015.
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