How to Tip in Europe

Aug 01, 13 | 12:05 am 

By Sally Farris

Tipping in the U.S. is a huge deal-you are considered a pompous jerk if you tip too little, and look rather silly if you tip someone who doesn't work for tips, like say your cardiologist. When traveling, the concept of tipping is a difficult one to grasp, especially in Europe, where each country has different gratuity protocol; and if you tip too much, you will look like a foolish American; too little in some cases however, and your service provider may feel slighted. The L.A. Times recently reported that Mark Zuckerberg's Italian servers were surprised that the young millionaire didn't tip during his Italian honeymoon. Should he have? Would you have? Read on to find out just what is expected in a few of the most traveled countries in Europe.

Smartphones and tablets are giving travelers a reason to wait until the last minute to book a hotel: discounts if you reserve a room for the same day using an app. Kayak, Priceline, Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia all offer apps that let travelers search for available hotel rooms, often discounted 10 to 50 percent for stays that begin the day you book. The apps have different features — and flaws — but they basically use a device’s GPS to show where you can find a room near you. The information is displayed on a map or a list that you can sort by price, distance or rating.

Most Anticipated Hotels For 2013

• The Quin Hotel – New York, US
• The Langham Chicago– Chicago, US
• Shangri – La Hotel, London, UK
• The Peninsula Paris – Paris, France
• Rosewood – Beijing, China
• Cheval Blanc Randheli – Maldives
• The Ritz – Carlton – Abu Dhabi
• Mahali Mzuri – Kenya

The Quin hotel – New York, US