As the wider general public prepare to fly away for a few well-earned days in the sun, studies have shown how ill-prepared the average traveller is for one of the most common vacation ventures; eating out.

“There’s local etiquette with a host of unspoken rules in almost every country you visit,” says Jonathan Cudworth of booking agent Expedia. “Because these differ so much from country to country… tourists are left confused and often compensate by over-spending.”

Expedia’s survey found that 78 percent of British travellers left home without doing any research on the tipping etiquette of their destination, while research by website TripAdvisor found 46 percent approached holiday tipping with a ‘one size fits all’ attitude, tipping the same regardless of which country they visit.

Despite this, the surveys also found how seriously travellers – and waiters – take the issue. Respondents were twice as likely to tip while abroad as at home, but one third said that America’s hard-line tipping culture put them off holidaying there. The TripAdvisor survey found 15 percent had been confronted by staff after not leaving a tip, and six percent had their holiday ruined because of a tipping situation.

Ex-pats face a more complex dilemma. Tipping custom has spread eastwards along with tourism, and today in many countries locals aren’t expected to tip but tourists are. Ex-pats fall neatly into this puzzling culture chasm, and bridging the gap is a question of language, personality, time passed and simple research.

Kindness, custom or compulsion?
In the US many waiting staff only earn the minimum wage once tips are taken into account – hence the almost mandatory 20 percent tipping rate. In Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, however, service staff are comparatively well paid, and although tips are unlikely to be refused, they’re certainly not expected, except in some very touristy areas. A few Euros to round up the bill are appreciated, with 10 percent being a maximum to leave for truly exceptional service. A similar rule applies in France, Germany and Italy – any service and cover charge will be clearly stated, but an extra Euro or two to round up the bill is generally the norm. Rounding-up is also customary in Lithuania.

Tipping in Greece used to be very confusing; by law, a 13 percent service charge is included in the price of a meal, and bills presented the total net and gross of this, implying that it was optional. Today a standard 10 percent is expected, but not obligatory. The same is true of Hungary, and its omission implies service was totally unacceptable. Don’t leave a tip on the table – it’s customary for all transactions to take place face-to-face – so either hope you have the right change or tell the waiter what you want to pay. It’s also impolite to leave a gratuity on the table in the Czech Republic and Poland, and foreigners are expected to tip 10 percent; saying “děkuji” or “dziekuje” respectively when presenting payment is interpreted as “keep the change.”

In Austria it’s standard to round up a bill, using the same method (only “danke” this time) to pay straight to the waiter. In Bulgaria hotel and restaurant staff often migrate for the tourist season, and rely on tips to bolster income – but small coins can be considered insulting. Portuguese and Spanish waiters also rely on 10 percent gratuities, which are not usually included in the bill (locals always tip but more modestly than foreigners are expected to). In Romania a service charge may be included, but a further 10 percent is also expected. Cyprus, Latvia and Luxembourg have a culture similar to the UK and Ireland, where a service charge of 10-15 percent may be included, and if it isn’t, it’s strongly expected on top. Tipping in Malta is on the same basis, but at a lower rate: normally five to 10 percent.

In the Netherlands a service charge is included in the price of the meal – but beware the toilet attendants, who expect a small (50c) gratuity for their normally flawless cleaning work. Tipping in Slovakia and Slovenia is rare among locals, and it is probably the last remaining European country where staff will check patrons read the bill correctly if they tip extravagantly. As such visitors should feel free to tip exactly what they considered their service was worth, which may be the hardest custom of all.