It's Considered Rude To Tip With Coins In These European Countries, Per Rick Steves

There's one name to trust when looking to travel overseas to Europe — Rick Steves. For years, Steves has been warning visitors about everything from how to avoid common tourist traps in Europe to how to protect yourself from hotel scams across the continent. Another important element of European travel that will affect anyone looking to dine out? Tipping.

In Steves' travel blog, Rick Steves' Europe, he implores anyone eating or drinking at a cafe, pub, or restaurant to avoid tipping the waitstaff in the same way that a diner would in America. That's because, for many European countries, principles and standards rank higher than money in terms of importance. In fact, Steves calls it "culturally ignorant" to leave anywhere between 15% to 20% on a bill for food and beverages in Europe. While tipping etiquette can vary from country to country, and even from taxis to hotels, it's important to understand the local customs for gratuity, especially in Germanic countries.

Just like Rick Steves recommends spending foreign coins before crossing a currency border, there are a few rules of thumb to stick by when leaving coinage as a tip. For Germanic countries, Steves recommends that you not leave any coins or bills on the table because it is considered an insult to the server. Instead, when dining out in Germany, Austria, or other countries in the region, Steves recommends handing over a large bill to cover the meal, then requesting the amount you'd like returned, minus the tip. 

Wandering Germany explains that thanks to national wages and social systems, most Germans do not rely on tips. Typically, rounding up to the nearest five, or adding a few euros is acceptable. However, some wait staff catering to tourists might expect a 10% tip on the average food bill. Steves also points out that a number of European credit card slips do not come with a tipping line, so plan on paying cash and handing the tip directly to your server to avoid it going missing at the hands of pickpockets.

As Gamin Traveler highlighted, there are lots of European rules for meals that can cause American tourists to make mistakes with their etiquette. The main takeaway to remember is that they you don't need to sweat tipping in Europe the way you would in the U.S. That being said, Rick Steves has some tricks for lowering your cafe bill in France, as well as some things to keep in mind when tipping across Europe.

Be on the lookout for certain words in Mediterranean countries, such as "servizio" in Italy, "servicio" in Spain, and "service" in French, all of which refers to tipping in various ways. Menus will often list "service included" or even "service charge" if gratuity has already been factored into the price listed. If you don't see it, expect to tip on your final bill.

Also, in more touristy areas in Germany and Austria there are often messages on food bills, in English, that specify the tip is not included. However, gratuity is usually added for service in the total so make sure to double check — Steves himself even said that he would not tip in German restaurants or cafes that added that specific note.