Global Etiquette Rules: Why You Should Take Your Shoes Off in Japan
If you’re a guest in a new country, it can be tricky to know how to navigate a dinner party—let alone everyday interactions—without a little help. Should you take off your shoes at the door, or dress to the nines? Is it three cheek kisses, or two? Shake hands, or bow? So Traveler enlisted the help of etiquette experts Myka Meier of READ MORE
Brexit. Snowmaggedon. Twerking. These words were unknown—uncoined even—just ten years ago. By one expert estimate, we add 1,000 new words, or neologisms, to the printed English language every year, The Guardian reports. Compared to most major world languages, English is particularly prone to such coinages, says Kory Stamper, former associate editor at Merriam-Webster and author of Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries.
“Unlike French or Italian or Spanish, we don’t have an academy to tell us what’s right and what’s wrong or whether or not something is a proper word,” she says. “We figure that out on our own. It’s very democratic.”
She believes that the new, hashtag-driven era has accelerated this trend even more. No other sector seems to be more susceptible to it than travel. Unfortunately, not all neologisms are as adorkable as, well, adorkable.
STAYCATION
noun, stay·ca·tion, \ ˈstā-ˈkā-shən
A vacation spent at home, or in the nearby area. See also: mancation or brocation (a guys’ trip), momcation (moms only, please), citycation (a vacation in an urban destination), and traincation (self-explanatory, we hope).
“People hate blended words, or portmanteaus, because they think of them as being stupid kitschy marketing,” says Stamper. Staycation embodies that wince-inducing sense of artifice. But this word, which boomed in the wake of Great Recession of 2008, wasn’t coined recently—in fact, she says this neologism is more like an AARPism. It was first used in 1944 by Felsenbrau beer in an ad in its local paper, the Cincinnati Enquirer, encouraging locals to ditch trips and spend money locally as part of the war effort.
BABYMOON
noun, ba·by·moon, \ˈbābēˌmo͞on
A romantic vacation taken by couples before a baby is born. See also: mini-moon (quick honeymoon), weddingmoon (a combination destination wedding and honeymoon), or moneymoon (a vacation taken after lottery winning or inheritance)
We can thank (or blame) author Sheila Kitzinger for this word, which she first used in her 1979 book Birth at Home. For the British childbirth expert, though, its original meaning was different: It referred to the glow-filled three or four weeks after birth when parents spend time with their child (just as honeymoon is a 16th-century word spotlighting the idea that the first month of marriage is the sweetest). Stamper says “babymoon” began to shift to its current meaning in the early 1990s. The backlash, she says, is two-fold. “It seems kind of frivolous and classist, because not all of us can afford to take that time off or spend the money to go to St. Tropez. And then there’s the fact that something that’s supposed to be sexy—a honeymoon—is now too closely tied to the product of your sexy time.”
TOURON
noun, tour·on, \ˈtôrˌän
An annoying or stupid tourist. From tourist and moron.
Some words—like this slang term—remain niche. Stamper says it does have its adherents: Yellowstone park rangers are said to use it as a code word for the visitor who gets out of the car to take a selfie with stampeding bison. “Yes, I know it sounds like a new French car company,” Stamper says, “but this goes back to the mid 1980s, and it pops up occasionally [in writing] every couple of years. It’s always defined in running text, which is a signal to a lexicographer that is hasn’t really settled into the language, because you have to explain it to people.” Perhaps that’s the point: Derogatory slang is only useful if it can be deployed, unnoticed, in daylight.
JETIQUETTE
noun, jet·i·quette, \ˈje-ti-kət
The standard of acceptable behavior among passengers in an airplane or an airport.
Like staycation, Stamper believes this word will stick around in our lexicon. “It’s linguistically transparent—people instantly know you’re talking about manners of some kind,” she says. The rise in bad behavior airside means we need this term more than ever, even to address eternal travel quandaries: If you’re in the middle seat, is it good jetiquette to claim both armrests? The first usage Stamper found was in 1995, in a Vanity Fair article about private planes; usage and meaning expanded to general air travel within a couple of years.
VOLUNTOURISM
noun, vol·un·tour·ismˌ\ välənˈto͝orizəm
Form of tourism where visitors participate in voluntary work, usually for a charity.
The word, first used in a tourism brochure in the early 1990s, stands apart from the others, per Stamper. It’s the verbal equivalent of good intentions gone awry, and may be one of the most divisive travel words. “We don’t have a problem with the word itself but with the concept behind it,” she says. “What brought it into broader awareness wasn’t people complaining about what an ugly word it was, but think pieces about whether voluntourism was a valid form of service, or just tourism.”
BLEISURE
noun, blei-sure, \ˈblē-zhər
A business trip onto which a traveler adds a vacation. From business and leisure.
Is there any worse travel word than this one? Stamper thinks not (though among neologisms as a whole, we reckon that brogurt—that’s ordinary yogurt, but specially packaged for dudes—surely just beats it over the finish line to that title). “When a colleague of mine first mentioned it at Merriam-Webster three or four years ago, I grimaced. It’s horrifying. I don’t even have to say it. I see it and I cringe,” she says. Indeed, the earliest citation Stamper can find—from the U.K. newspaper The Independent in 2010—is fittingly meta: in a think piece begging tourism marketers to stop dreaming up awkward words. Though it might not be common parlance stateside or in the U.K., bleisure has normalized in much of Asian English, in Singapore, India, and particularly Malaysia, says Stamper.
There are 196 countries in the world and they all have different tipping practices. Should you leave your spare change? Tack on 20 percent? Leave a few Euros on the table? Gratuities around the globe can be a real head-scratcher. Don’t wait until you’ve already ordered and plowed through your tapas in Madrid or devoured your flat white and lamington in Sydney to figure out whether or not you should leave a tip. Instead, do a little pre-mealtime research—this guide can help.
A good rule of thumb no matter where you are is to try and pay your tip in cash. When you tip on your credit card, that kindly server who didn’t charge you the split plate fee, may not see all of your generous tip. Plus, some restaurants may not be equipped to accept gratuities via credit cards. Instead, hand a cash tip directly to the server. Also, be sure to tip in the currency of the country you are visiting. Dollars may be worth more, but they aren’t necessarily a server’s currency of choice.
Here’s a handy guide to tipping etiquette by country according to Trip Advisor’s 25 most popular places in the world.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
After you’ve cleaned the last dot of chimichurri off of your plate, ordered the dulce de leche, and asked for the check, remember that it is customary to add a 10-15 percent tip, according to Trip Advisor. Gratuities should be made in cash whenever possible.
Sydney, Australia
Wait staff in Australia are paid a livable wage, so they don’t need customers to prop up their paychecks. That means, they don’t expect tips, but according to Australia’s Traveller site, you can if you want to. If you receive excellent service, there’s no harm in rounding up the bill or leaving a few extra dollars. Same goes for taxis: Tips are not expected, but always appreciated.
Prague, Czech Republic
If you’ve just finished your coffee and cake at Café Slav or polished off your sandwich at Grand Café Orient, according to Prague’s national travel site, your next step should always be to check the bill to see if service was included. If not, tip between 10 and 15 percent. Tips are not expected, but are becoming standard—especially in tourist areas. In taxis, there’s no need to tip on a flat fare that was agreed upon in advance. Otherwise, round up or add 10 percent to the bill.
Dubai, UAE
Before you pay the bill in Dubai, check to see if service charge has been added. According to Business Insider, a 10 percent service charge is typical at hotels, restaurants, and bars.
Paris, France
As anyone who studied high school French knows, the words “service compris” mean that service is included. That phrase appears on most restaurant bills in France, meaning you don’t need to tip. However, most people leave change or round up a little on the bill. As any French 101 student can also tell you, the French word for “tip” is “pourboire,” which literally translates to “to have a drink.” As The Guardian points out, French waiters are paid a minimal wage and your tips let them have money for a few glasses of Pernod or vin blanc.
Rome, Italy
Tips are not expected in Italy, but are seen as magna and who doesn’t want to seem generous? Typically leave a few Euros on the table, but not more than 10 percent of the total. Before you tip, though, scan the bill to see if the restaurant has already charged you for service typically listed as “coperto,” or a cover charge, which is common in restaurants in tourist areas, according to The Guardian.
Tokyo, Japan
For the most part, the Japanese keep it simple—don’t tip whether you’re at a restaurant, bar, or ramen shop. Good service is simply part of Japanese life. That said, according to Rocket News 24, there is an alternate (and somewhat complicated) tipping system in Japan that involves some advanced level protocol where staff at ryokens are given a small sum in advance of service. Try at your own risk!
Marrakech, Morocco
The streets of Marrakech are filled with restaurants offering steaming pastillas, bowls of b’ssara, delicate briouate, and the little deep fried potato balls known as makouda. Try them all and when you pay the bill, tack on an additional 5-10 percent to your restaurant bill to give your servers, according to Business Insider. They also mention that hotel porters should get $1 a bag and to round up the fare for taxi drivers.
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Whether you want to blame NAFTA or tourists, when it comes to tipping, Mexico has fallen under the sway of the U.S. It’s now customary to leave about 10-15 percent of the bill at restaurants. At bars and casual road side taco stands, you can get away with less, but as Thrillist notes, it’s worth keeping in mind that the minimum wage is under $5/day, so it can’t hurt to be generous.
Related: Playa del Carmen Travel Guide
Barcelona, Spain
Service is typically included in restaurant bills in Spain, and there’s no need to leave an additional tip. However, if the service is particularly good or you’re feeling generous, add 10 percent to the bill in a high-end establishment, or simply leave your change or round up to the nearest Euro in more casual spots. In bars, there’s no need to tip at all.
Cape Town, South Africa
Like in much of the world, diners taking advantage of Cape Town’s vibrant food scene typically add a 10-15 percent tip to their restaurant bills. According to South Africa’s national website, hotel porters usually receive R10 to R20 per bag (that averages to about $1 a bag) and it’s customary to round-up the fare for taxi drivers.
Bangkok, Thailand
It’s not necessary to tip in restaurants Thailand, however like in much of the world, it’s customary to leave a few baht on the table. That said, tips are always appreciated and happily accepted. According to Trip Advisor, give a few baht to porters and round up the fare in taxis.
London, United Kingdom
After a meal in England, Scotland, Wales, or Ireland, the first order of business is to inspect the bill to see if service has already been included. If not, add between 10 and 15 percent to the bill (or more if the service is particularly good) according to The Guardian. There’s no need to tip in pubs, though, so if you are feeling skint, as the Brits say, stick to picking up lunch in a bar.
Hong Kong, China
Tipping has never been part of life in China. Whether you’re eating fried buns from a street vendor in Shanghai or dining in style at Heritage in Beijing’s Wanda Plaza, tipping is simply not necessary. However, as NPR notes, there is a quirky new tipping trend taking hold at hip restaurants that might mean gratuities are in China’s future.
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon Guide says that guest should tip around five percent at coffee shops and 10 percent in restaurants, basically leaving more when there has been more service. (So, if you’re dining at Lisbon standouts Belcanto or A Travessa, tip on the higher end of the scale.) If you’re in a tourist-heavy area, check the bill to see if service has already been added. No need to tip cab drivers, but it’s always appreciated if you round up the fare.
Hanoi, Vietnam
Whether you’ve just polished off a plate of housemade tofu at Cuc Gach Quan in Ho Chi Minh City or grabbing a cup of coffee at Hanoi’s Café Nang, be prepared to tip. Leave five to 10 percent on your restaurant bill, according to Business Insider. There’s no need to tip hotel porters or taxi drivers, but feel free to leave change.
Istanbul, Turkey
Tips (or bahşiş in Turkish) are not necessary in inexpensive establishments around Istanbul, but they are always appreciated. In higher end spots or restaurants in tourist-heavy areas like Sultanahmet (the Old City), tips of about 10 or 15 percent are expected. Turkey Travel Planner warns that you usually cannot include the tip on a credit card charge. Instead, hand your server their tip in cash (Turkish lira, not American dollars).
New York City
While New York City feels like a world unto itself, it’s (still) part of the United States. That means that whether you’re dining at a Thai restaurant in Queens, an Italian joint in Staten Island, eating Pakistani food in Hell’s Kitchen, or downing Hong Kong-style dumplings in Chinatown, you’ll still need to tip 15-20 percent on your bill, as per custom. As for taxi drivers, the new credit card payment systems in cabs make it hard to pay less than 15 percent.
Budapest, Hungary
Like much of the world, it’s typical to tack on 10-15 percent to your bill for good service. Restaurants in busy areas of the city tend to include service on their bills, though, so it’s always worth checking. According to Visit Budapest’s website, it’s recommended to tip both gas station attendants and public washroom attendants between 100-200 Forint, which is equivalent to 33-66 U.S. cents.
St. Petersburg, Russia
Tipping in Russia has always been optional, but appreciated. As the country becomes more Westernized, it’s slowly becoming more expected, at least according to the Moscow Times. Most people leave a 10 to 15 percent tip at sit-down restaurants, while coffee or a quick sandwich at a café might merit rounding up the bill. Remember that all tips must be in cash, as credit cards aren’t set up to include tips.
Kathmandu, Nepal
As more visitors make their way to Nepal, tipping has become more common. According to Visit Nepal, tips “should only reward good work” and visitors are encouraged to skip the tip with in-town taxi drivers and “any service person you’ve bargained with.” As for restaurants, it’s worth checking to see if the restaurant has included a 10 percent service fee in the bill. If not, Who To Tip recommends leaving 5-10 percent for good service.
Ubud, Indonesia
Tipping is not customary in Indonesia, but as visitors from around the world flock to the island-nation, tipping has become more common (but still not expected). Some restaurants include a 10 percent service charge on the bill, if not patrons can add 10 percent of their own. Taxi fare gets rounded up and porters get around $1 a bag, according to Business Insider.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In Amsterdam, there’s a law stating that restaurants must include a service charge in the price of the meal, which does away with all of this frustrating tipping politics. According to Amsterdam’s visitor site, most people leave a small tip (or fooi, in Dutch) of five or 10 percent for good service at a good restaurant, while snacks or coffees merit just a few coins on the table. Similarly, taxis include tips in their rates, but most people still round up.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
While tips of any size are always welcome, according to Tourism Cambodia, a dollar or two is the norm. That said, the website shares “no one will frown even if you don’t leave anything on the tray.”
Cuzco, Peru
In tourist-filled towns like Cuzco and big cities like Lima, tipping is becoming customary. According to the Only Peru Guide, it’s typical to add an extra 10-15 percent to a bill at a hotel bar like Sumaq Machu Picchu or at a high-end restaurant in Lima. You’re safe leaving a few Soles on the table at a mom and pop spot. That said, a few extra Soles can go a long way and make the difference for a struggling restaurant—if you can afford more, the tips will be truly appreciated.
MELISSA LOCKER
Travel agent—it’s a job that seems to have gone the way of the television repairman or switchboard operator. Butwe are different—more aptly we design travel —with resources far beyond the basics of organizing flights, lodging, and tours. We produce trips that you can’t just book online, trips for travelers, not tourists. And discerning travelers, at that.
What are the major differences between tipping in America and tipping in the U.K.?
Frank Laino has been working in European hotels since he was a teenager. The British-Italian dual citizen started working alongside his uncles at the Hotel San Pietro in Positano, then moved back home to London, where he worked his way up before landing at The Stafford, where
Is that your elbow or are you happy to be sitting next to me?
Have you ever sat on an airplane and thought of how to make the passenger sitting next to you “disappear”; their elbow now clearly in your private space? First you decide how you’ll do it; your imagination running wild, creating the ultimate in flight thriller. Then as the flight goes on, you begin to think about how you’ll get rid of the evidence. Maybe you’ll politely ask for a can of club soda and a pile of napkins from the flight attendants during the beverage service after you’ve indicated, with a wink, that the “sleeping” passenger sitting next to you doesn’t care for anything to drink. Eventually, you are stumped by how you will dispose of the body. There just does not seem to be a way to slip him into the passing trash cart unnoticed. Darn!
Don’t be a space invader
The unavoidable “space invader” has brought out the homicidal tendencies in all of us; but rather than end up on the next episode of “Snapped”, it is best to nip this issue in the bud. What we do not want is to be stuck next to someone for 5 hours that we’ve gotten into an argumentative situation with, but in some cases we may have to take that risk in the name of comfort. Here is what to do, in the order they are presented, should you encounter a space hog:
The gentle approach: If the other person’s elbow encroaches on your space. Say excuse me and smile. Hopefully, this will clear it all up.
Buffer: If you have a pillow, blanket or jacket, place it next to you in order to create a divider between you and the turf thief. It will cushion you against assaults as you sleep– to a point.
Proceed with Caution: Say excuse me, look at their elbow (hold for 2 seconds), smile faintly and then settle back into your seat. This normally sends the message that you are a sweet, kind person but capable of becoming a nightmare on the right occasion.
State the facts: If all else fails, ask the person to please give you your space. It is your right and you should not feel any guilt whatsoever.
The fact is, it is possible for two people to use the armrest comfortably. There are other positions you may find more comfortable anyway such as resting your arms on the traytable. I find this most comfortable, but it depends on each persons height, build etc.
Courtesy of The Sky Steward