Brits are notoriously bad tippers and unless a service charge is included in the bill we generally don't bother to tip

According to travel retailer Flight Centre the lack of a tipping culture in Britain means that when travelling, Brits don’t naturally think to tip, and sometimes get bad service or cause offence as a result.

Flight Centre’s head of marketing Rob Freedman says while it’s tough trying to decipher what to tip from country to country, most travellers still want to avoid spit in the soup or the cold shoulder from the maitre’d, so it pays to find out what the norm is before arriving.

For example, in Japan if you leave a couple of coins on the table, the waiter may chase after you to return your forgotten change, but in New York if you leave less than 15 percent, good luck making a reservation in the same restaurant ever again!

Here’s a brief overview of tipping from country to country:

United States
This country is the tipping capital of the world where not tipping can easily offend. Restaurants in the USA usually call for a 15-20 percent tip, which supplements a normally meagre wage. This is true of everyone in the service industry, so the rule is if someone helps you out from porter to bar tender it pays to leave a small tip!

France
In France service must be included in the price of a restaurant bill by law so no need to tip, although it is customary to round your bill to include a little more. This is not true of bars so you should use your discretion if you feel you have got particularly good service or not.

Italy
No tip is expected in restaurants throughout Italy, as you will normally be charged a coperto (cover charge) on top of your bill. However it will be much appreciated if you have had a good service to leave a bit extra.

Spain
In Spain most restaurants and bars will expect to receive a tip from tourists, although it is really is still a mater of personal discretion. Bills will usually include a service charge in restaurants and as a general rule if you are served a drink in bar at your table you should leave a small tip, as with porters and chambermaids in your hotel.

China
You’ll never have to tip anywhere in China. It’s the one comfort from the fact that foreigners are generally thought of as filthy rich.