'Very subjective' Europeans divided over how - and how much - they tip

In Germany it seems to be pretty much automatic, pretty much all the time

- Jon Henley

In France and Spain it all depends - presumably on social subtleties that you have to be French or Spanish to understand. In Italy, why would you even bother? When, and how much, to tip is a question that has been vexing visitors to Europe for as long as people have been travelling around the continent. Outside their own country, it seems even Europeans don't know the answer.

According to new polling by YouGov in six EU countries, Britain and the US (where, as most visitors know but may be reluctant to acknowledge, gratuities may make up more than half your waitperson's income), Europeans are deeply divided over tipping.

In restaurants, for example, 72% of respondents in Germany told the pollster they "typically" tipped: almost the same as in the US. In the UK, where an optional service charge of about 12.5% is usually included, 55% said they left a gratuity.

The figure in Spain, where service is often included in bills but diners can leave optional tips, was 46%, while in France, where every price on a menu already includes 15% for service, 34% of people said they generally tipped on top.

Even in Sweden, where tips are generally not expected, the figure was 31%. But only 24% of Italians said they would typically leave a gratuity after a meal out - with 29% admitting they never left a cent.

The divide was equally plain where service charges, optional or otherwise, were less common.

At the hairdresser's, for example, 56% of Germans said they usually tipped, against 32% of Britons, 25% of Spaniards, 21% of French people - and just 8% of Italians.