Experts to Americans: Easy On the Tipping!
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 05.21.07 | 8:11 AM ET
Sure, in some countries a generous tip for great service is appropriate. But not everywhere. “In Japan, for instance, tipping is viewed as insulting,” writes Rosemary McClure in Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. “In other countries, it’s considered disrespectful to hand a tip to a waiter.” How to avoid being the ugly American shelling out too much money in tips overseas?
Read up on local customs in guidebooks, experts suggest. Ask a concierge.
McClure’s story includes a small chart noting appropriate tips in various countries. While no tip is expected in restaurants in Denmark, the chart suggests, 5 to 10 percent is appropriate in France and Germany. No tips are expected in Costa Rican restaurants.
My tip: Take the money you’ll save on tipping in Costa Rica and spend it on an extra night in Puerto Viejo—preferably on a place with a hammock. That shouldn’t offend anyone.
Related on World Hum:
* The Dollar-Euro Exchange Rate Blues
* Bali’s Bargaining Ballet
* The Art of the Deal