Tipping around the world: A guide to tipping in different countries

– Experts at Planet Cruise highlight exactly how much you should tip in a restaurant, hotel and taxi in popular holiday destinations around the globe

– Did you know that in Japan, China, and South Korea, you should not tip in a restaurant

– In the USA, you should tip 25% if you’ve had good service

Searches for “tipping abroad” and “tipping around the world” have increased by +100% and +88% over the last 12 months. Showing holiday-goers are keen to ensure they’re tipping waiters, taxi drivers and hotel porters what they expect when on holiday.

However, tipping varies from country to country, and knowing how much to budget before your holiday can be tricky. Considering this, Planet Cruise has created a handy tipping index, looking at top holiday destinations across the globe to discover how much you should tip, from your taxi drivers to your waiters, when on holiday:

Europe

In Europe, tipping varies from country to country; on average, the standard is 10% for restaurants and €1-€2 for hotels. Meanwhile, for taxis, it is less customary to tip, although rounding up the fair is not uncommon.

Asia 

Tipping isn’t as customary in Asia as in other parts of the world, and in some countries, it can be taken as an insult.

It’s not customary to tip hotel porters in China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia or the Philippines, but you can expect to pay around $1 per bag for most places.

There’s even less obligation to tip taxi drivers.

North America 

It’s common knowledge that most Americans are big on tipping, as workers often rely on them to pay their bills. So, if you’re travelling to this part of the world, expect to spend more on tipping.

South America 

Across Peru, Argentina, and Brazil, a 10% tip for restaurants is standard, and if you’re in a taxi, at most, you’ll only need to round the fare up. For hotel porters and maids, pay around 3 Soles in Peru per bag, 1-3 Pesos in Argentina, and R$5-R$6 in Brazil.

Africa 

Across Africa, a 10% tip for restaurants is standard in Egypt, Kenya, and Tunisia, but this can increase to up to 15% in South Africa and Morocco. South Africa is the only country where it’s common to tip taxi drivers, at around 10%. You only need to round up the fair in Tunisia and Morocco, and it’s not expected at all in Egypt and Kenya.

Oceania 

Unlike the other continents on the list, there’s no obligation to tip in Australia or New Zealand – whether for waiters, taxi drivers, hotel porters, or hotel maids. Of course, if you feel you’ve had excellent service, you can put down a few dollars, but there’s no expectation.

Top tips on how to tip abroad

So, now you know roughly how much you should tip across the world, here are some top tips so that you can be the savviest tipper overseas:

 1. Always carry cash

Whilst it’s super easy to pay by card everywhere you go in Europe, in some countries, cash is king – and even if it’s not, you can’t tip hotel porters and maids without it. So, it’s always worth changing some currency before you travel to ensure you tip fairly while abroad.

2. Do your research beforehand

In some countries, it’s not just in restaurants, hotels, and taxis that you’ll be expected to tip. For example, in the USA, if you want to get served again in a bar, always leave a dollar or two once you’ve been served your first drink. You might also want to tip in a coffee shop, although despite there usually being a tip jar at the counter in the USA, there’s no obligation to.

3. Remember that tipping can be seen as an insult

Whilst you usually tip to show your appreciation for the good service you’ve received, remember that it’s not always perceived that way across the world. In certain countries in Asia tipping can be seen as insulting, so don’t automatically reach for the cash once you’ve eaten your meal, or been dropped off at your destination, unless you know it’s going to be appreciated.

If you’d like to find out more about tipping etiquette around the world, click here: https://www.planetcruise.com/en/tipping-etiquette-around-the-world