Re: Best place to move in Spain
 

The Americans I know hate tipping at such levels.

My wife and I went out with a Spanish couple for dinner recently. The bill was around 60 Euros and I asked them when putting our half of the money down how much they thought the tip should be. Rounding up would have meant less than 20 cents so my friend suggested one more Euro, but I have a feeling that had I not asked it would have been the rounding up... 20 cents.

Re: Best place to move in Spain
 

There's a clear, pronounced difference between tourist/expat areas and the "normal" areas with regards to tipping (and prices in general) here.

If you leave a tip of any kind in a cafe in a native village around here, they'll often come after you to give it back - as if it were a mistake (it happened to me just last week). In the tourist/expat areas, it's kind of expected. And the prices are almost double too.

In any case, if the service is poor I don't leave a tip - here, there, in the US, the UK or anywhere. That's how it's supposed to work. In cases where the restaurant adds the tip to the bill, if the service is poor, I simply refuse to pay it - although I have yet to visit a restaurant in the US that adds the tip to the bill yet doesn't provide acceptable service, so I haven't had the misfortune of having to argue about it.

I did have such an experience this weekend in the UK, though. No, the tip wasn't added to the bill, but the meal prices were astronomical (was supposed to be a posh restaurant) and both the food and the service was horrible. No, not just slow, but virtually nonexistent and rude too - and the food was no better than a cheap cafe - and cold, too. So I refused to pay a portion of it. The manager agreed. Unfortunately, they charged the entire dinner to my room anyway, despite agreeing to a smaller amount. I had to have a second argument with the hotel to claw it back.

Re: Best place to move in Spain
 

Another school of thought in relation to tipping is that the locals resent this practice from wealthier holiday makers, as it inflates prices in the area in which they live. Not every one is a waiter.

Re: Best place to move in Spain
 

In the U.S. it is normal and expected to leave 15 - 20% tip in any restaurant. The wait staff is paid less because the restaurant owners factor in the tips. Americans of course are used to this, but many Europeans are not. That's why in some restaurants that get a lot of tourists, they add "suggested" tip amounts or other reminders about this to the bill.

- Eric S.

Re: Best place to move in Spain
 

Exactly.

Tipping is NOT the norm in most typical Spanish inland areas away from tourist traps and like yourself I have often had them try to give it me back or even follow me out the door to do so.

I still like to tip in such areas for good value and friendly service which I'm happy to say is the norm around here.

Considering their prices I'm amazed how many such places manage to stay in business, even if they are family owned for generations with minimum overheads.