SPAIN At Restaurants: If the service is good, round up the bill to anywhere from 7 to 13 percent and leave it in cash, not on a credit card, says Virginia Irurita of Madrid’s Made for Spain travel agency. If the service isn’t good, she says, «you can leave the table without giving a tip and nobody will say a word. Americans are coming here and leaving 20 percent, so some waiters are getting spoiled.» At Hotels: Tip concierges who do you a special favor 5 to 10 euros, cleaning staff about 5 euros a day (up front if you want them to treat you extra nice), and bellboys about one euro per bag. Guides and Drivers: Leave guides 30 euros per person per day (up to 40 if they’re really good), drivers half that. With taxi drivers, round up the fare. Dollars Accepted? Euros are strongly preferred.
SOUTH AFRICA At Restaurants: Ten to 15 percent to the waiter. At Hotels: A dollar per bag to the porter and per night to the housekeeper; $3–$5 to the concierge. Guides and Drivers: : Taxi drivers, 10 percent; private drivers, 10 percent of total fare; tour guides, $10 per person per day. What Else?: South African authorities employ «car guards» and airport porters semi-officially to cut down on unemployment; most don’t get salaries and rely on tips. When parking a car, you might be approached by a guard. If he shows identification, he’s probably the real deal. Pay him 15–20 rand when you return; pay an airport porter 20–30 rand, depending on luggage weight and distance traveled. Dollars Accepted?: Yes, but not for car guards and airport porters, who’d have trouble changing them.
MOROCCO At Restaurants: Ten percent is generous, but check to make sure the service isn’t included in the bill. At Hotels: Two dollars per bag to the porter; $10 to the concierge at the beginning of your stay, to guarantee good service; $5 per night to the housekeeper, preferably paid day by day. Guides and Drivers: For cab-drivers, round up to the next 10-dirham note; private drivers and guides should both get around $15 per day. Dollars Accepted?: Yes. P.S. In Morocco, «tipping is best done quietly, perhaps off to the side,» suggests Joel Zack of Heritage Tours, which specializes in travel to Morocco. He recommends the furtive handshake-with-cash-in-palm move, accompanied by a smile and a thank-you.
SAUDI ARABIA At Restaurants: Tips aren’t included, so leave 10 to 15 percent of the bill. And, says Zawaideh, asking for doggie bags is a no-no in the Middle East; uneaten food is taken home by kitchen staff or given to the homeless. At Hotels: To ensure good service throughout a stay, says Zawaideh, «I give the concierge $20 to $25 when I get there so he remembers who I am.» Give porters $1 to $2 per bag and leave about $2 a day in your room for housekeepers. Guides and Drivers: Give guides about $10 per person per day if you’re going out alone or in a very small group, about $7 per person per day in a large group. Give drivers $5 per person per day; if they have assistants who keep the car clean and get water, give them $2 per person per day. Dollars Accepted? Yes. P.S. If you visit a mosque, leave $1 for the person who hands out robes for women to wear and 50 cents to $1 for the person who minds your shoes, which you respectfully doff at the door. «Don’t make it obvious that you’re tipping someone,» advises Zawaideh. «Put the tip in an envelope for guides and drivers, palm it off with a handshake and a thank-you to the concierge, and slip it in the jacket pocket of the maître d’ to get a good table.» And keep in mind that most workers here are foreigners from, say, India or the Philippines. They depend upon your tips to support their families.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES At Restaurants: U.S. rules apply; tip 15 to 20 percent. In a so-called seven-star restaurant, which you’ll find here, tip the maître d’ $50 to $100 to ensure superior service (you’re going to be paying $200 per person for the meal, anyway). At Hotels: Tip the concierge $30 to $35 every time you have a major request, like a special restaurant reservation. Tip porters $2 per bag, doormen $2 to $3 to hail cabs, and maids $3 a day. Guides and Drivers: Guides get $10 to $20 per person per day, drivers $5 per person per day. Dollars Accepted? Yes. P.S. Unlike elsewhere in the region, don’t tip bathroom attendants in the United Arab Emirates.
Fuente: CN.Traveler