Conde Nast Traveler Teaches Us To Tip Like A Local

July 28, 2009 at 4:25 PM | by Omri | Comments (3)

We always end up feeling kind of superior when we write up intercultural tipping posts. If there's one thing in the entire breadth and depth of international travel that Americans do more politely than Europeans, it's that we tip instinctively and we tip well.

The inverse also tends to be true. More than once we've had a dinner where a European friend magnanimously insisted on paying the bill, only to dramatically undertip the server. Awkward!

But it's a wide world out there, with subtle customs and complex rules. Tipping practices can vary by country and sometimes even by region. Violating local etiquette can range from the merely de classe to the positively dangerous.

To help you avoid mistakes, Conde Nast Traveler (a relation to the Jaunted/HotelChatter/VegasChatter family) just published a huge guide to global tipping practices. Covering more than 35 major countries across every inhabited continent, it describes in detail who, when, and how much you should be tipping.

For most countries the guide separates out proper tipping for restaurants, hotels, and drivers and guides. There are also quick explanations about whether you should be tipping in dollars, local currency, or something else entirely. Feel free to tip in dollars in places like Indonesia or Vietnam, but make sure that if you're going to try to pass US currency in Canada you're using paper. Try to avoid using dollars to tip in Australia and New Zealand, even if they'll take them. In Singapore you'll just get screamed at by cabbies if you try it.

Where the guide gets really useful is in the "PS" sections that are attached to many of the entries. Those blurbs cover a range of topics, from not getting fleeced to where to expect poor customer service. Actively dissuade squeegee-wielding Mexican boys with a shake of the head. Don't bribe Filipino cops with anything more than about $4. Don't expect anyone to go out of their way to make you comfortable in the Caribbean. And the Japanese are indeed very polite.

The good folks at Traveler have even gone so far to create a printer-friendly PDF that you can carry with you. Or, alternatively, that you can print out multiple times and distribute to any European friends you might have.

Related Stories:
· Etiquette 101: Tipping Guide [Conde Nast Traveler]
· Tipping Coverage [Jaunted]
· Tip Guides [Jaunted]

[Photo: Conde Nast Traveler]

Comments (3)

Return to » Conde Nast Traveler Teaches Us To Tip Like A Local

I think whoever made that travel tipping guide should review the typos. I'm from Nicaragua, and it's $20 Cordobas per US Dollar, not $200. Overall, I think it's a pretty cool guide.

We sent it on over to them to look at.

Have you guys seen the WAP site that goes along w/ this tipping guide? Its super helpful I just used it in Italy - its cntpromo.com/verizon check it out!

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Tipping / Travel Tips / Conde Nast Traveler / → All Tags