Tips for tipping in foreign countries

A 10-15% tip should usually be given in Western Europe if no service charge has been added to your restaurant bill. Tips are usually not expected if service charges are included.

However, there are plenty of exceptions.

In France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, waiters expect you will either leave your small change or round up the bill to an even amount.

In Italy and Spain, a tip of around 10% is expected on top of the service charge.

In Britain, expect about half the restaurants to include a service charge, which is 12.5%. No tip is expected if a service charge is included. London cabs drivers normally expect a tip between 10-15%.

In the Czech Republic, add a 5-10% tip to restaurant bills. In Hungary and Poland, a tip around 10% is expected if a service charge has not been included. Waiters in Budapest often expect a tip but tipping isn't widespread in rural Hungary.

In most major Russian cities, restaurant and hotel staff usually expect a tip around 10%.

Tipping is not common in Israel because a service charge is usually included on your bill. In Bahrain, expect to tip 10% for waiters and cab drivers. In Saudi Arabia, a tip between 10-15% is normal.

In South Africa , tip restaurant waiters 10% if a service charge isn't added and tip all taxi drivers 10%.

Tipping is not expected in Japan or China but in many other Asian countries including Thailand a service charge is sometimes included on hotel and restaurant bills.

In Hong Kong, most restaurants add a 10% service charge but waiters will also often expect a further 10% tip.

Tipping is widespread in South America. In Brazil, waiters and cab drivers will expect a tip between 10-15%, and in Chile restaurants the waiters expect you to pay a 10% tip on top of a service charge.

In cities around the world except Argentina, China, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore, taxi drivers usually expect a tip around 10%. In the US, cabbies expect between 10-15%.

Hotel porters are usually happy with a $1 tip wherever you are in the world, although Australian and Austrian porters are more likely to expect $2 and you can get away with just 50 cents in some poor countries such as Indonesia.

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