1. Global roaming

Imagine you’re on holiday and you wake up to find your Iphone non-responsive. Cue the panic and dash to the nearest Genius bar. Where a friendly, endlessly patient geekette pushes a series of buttons, utilises a menu you didn’t know existed or replaces a cord and a 5G miracle of resurrection occurs. Weeping with joy and relief, you gladly hand over your credit card. But then - cue record scratch sound effect - the machine asks if you’d like to add a tip. As if you were having a meal, having your bags carried from the hotel lobby to the Uber or doing a tour or myriad other service based activities in the United States. This could soon be as real a travel experience as luggage damage and in flight Valium. Employees at Apple’s first ever unionised store - in Baltimore - have put the tipping idea forward and it raises the question of whether they are any different from the aforementioned bar people, tour guides or taxi drivers. At this point, it should be worth noting that according to the US Department of Labor the minimum wage in America will jump to $9.50 per hour on July 1, 2023.  In Australia, it will jump to a more robust $23.23 from July 1. That’s pretty much double and a bit, so you can understand why so many Americans depend on tips to put food on the table. 

2. The United States

According Dilvin Yasa, Escape’s Doc Holiday, “You’ll need to tip 20 to 25 per cent in restaurants, for taxi and Uber drivers and if you’re visiting a hairdresser or manicurist. In many restaurants, the gratuity (generally 20 per cent) is already added to the bill, so keep an eye out for that and rest assured that you can pay both your bill and the added gratuity with your card. When you’re ordering a drink at a bar, expect to tip $1 per drink, and to part with 10 per cent of whatever you’re purchasing from a takeaway, be it coffee or a quick meal. At your hotel, factor in at least $1-2 for every bag (more for larger cases) the hotel bellman carries – and the same for airport shuttle drivers. Give $3-5 to valets and be sure to leave between $3-5 for the housekeeping staff for every night of your stay.

3. Spain

Tipping is a subject of vociferous debate here as an increasing number of restaurants - predominantly in Madrid and Barcelona - have been asking customers to add five to 10 per cent to their bill as a gratuity. It’s never been a thing in Spain until recently and as with many destinations, it’s all electronic so you have the option to add a five, eight or 10 per cent tip to the bill you pay for by card. Critics like  Rubén Sánchez, the general secretary of Facua-Consumers in Action, is not on board. He told Euro Weekly News this technique is designed to ‘”create a feeling of guilt” in punters who choose not to add Euros. Furthermore Sanchez froths, that asking for this money is “trying to take advantage” of the customer so that, “in some way, he becomes the one who pays the extra for a salary that is too low”. Ultimately, you don’t have to add at tip but the same can be said for Australia and we all know how that goes down.

4. France

Four words: Don’t. Worry. About. It. A 15 per cent service compris is automatically added to the price of each item in cafes, bars and restaurants. You won’t see it as an addition on the menu but rest assured it’s there. You can leave some additional cash if the service has been extraordinary but judging by the mien and brusque civility from your quintessentially French service staff - who get paid a living wage with health care and holidays - no one is really expecting it.

5. Japan

Can you picture yourself walking up to a stranger in a restaurant and declaring for all to see  ‘you look like you’re doing it a bit tough mate’ then handing over some cash.  This is how tipping is viewed in Japan. It’s embarrassing to the receiver and awkward as heck for the giver. Satisfied customers have been known to be followed down the street out of restaurants because they 'accidentally' left some of their money behind on a plate. Like someone would actually do that on purpose. There’s just one place where this doesn’t apply and that’s in the traditional inns known as ryokans. Subtly placed hither and yon, you’ll find decorative yet empty envelopes. These are there to have notes - the money kind, not the love kind - added as a thank you to the nakai san who prepares your food and bed. Don’t be a gauche putz who hands over cash directly. 

6. Islamic countries

Helping those around you with a small monetary gift is one of the five central tenets of Islam and stems from the practice of giving alms to the poor.  It is known as baksheesh and can take the form of a more formal charitable donation or the kind of tip that travellers are used to. It’s important to note that this is not begging but part of a karmic holy process and doesn’t really depend on the level of service you’ve had. People will straight out ask (or at least whisper) for it across North Africa, the Middle East or North Africa. One the destinations this plays out most explicitly is Egypt where a tip beforehand - a couple of US dollars will do nicely - often results in exceptional service beyond just the doors of your hotel. In fact, according to the BBC, “In these circumstances, it is not uncommon for a key to a locked temple door in the Valley of the Kings to miraculously appear, or for an out-of-bounds museum toilet to suddenly be open to visitors again. “

7. China

To understand the reasons why tipping is not expected in China and can actually can be viewed as outright disrespectful in smaller regions, an understanding of the culture is paramount. Once even prohibited, it goes against the grain of a society which maintains that tipping is an indication of the tipper’s superiority and the tippee’s inferiority. An utter taboo for a country where all are supposedly equal. Short story: it can be seen as very bad manners. Especially when dealing with older people. However when it comes to younger tourism professionals - bartenders, wait staff, porters, tour guides - in the big cities, a small gratuity for brilliant service is slowly becoming acceptable. Just be subtle about it. 

8. Scandinavia

It gets a bit complicated here, so bear with us. Go to a restaurant in Finland and you’ll find that service is included. In Sweden, a tip of around 10 per cent is the go but in Norway it’s 10-20 per cent. Like China, the Danes have until recently had a no tip policy thanks to the fact that service fees are frequently included in bills and the small fact of an impressively high per capita GDP and welfare system. All of which means the people making your holiday special don’t have to rely on tips to pay the bills. That said, though, no ones gonna turn down a 10 per cent bump.

9. The global picture

With increased international travel challenging cultural norms - and the fact that people deserve to be compensated for doing their jobs exceptionally, especially in developing countries - tipping is generally. becoming the thing to do when travelling. This map created by hawaiianislands.com is a handy guide to where and how much to tip in restaurants but take it with a grain of Himalayan pink. Because as you’ll see, Australia is listed as a land of no tipping. But just see how far that gets you at your local fine diner.

See also:

The 10 commandments of tipping.

What to know about cruise ship tipping.