1. HOW MUCH DO YOU TIP? By María Luisa Ochoa

3. Tipping started in the 1920's, when it was fashionable to pay a little extra "to insure prompt service." This is where the term "tip" originated. Some people use the more correct term of gratuity to describe the same thing. Knowing the local tipping customs is almost a need when you travel abroad if you want to avoid unpleasant experiences. Tipping, also called royalties, is money that in most countries will be paid if you want to show your respect for the service you get for example from the waiter in the restaurant, the taxi driver, the luggage carrier and some others. Tips vary by country and culture. In the United States , most restaurant employees expect to be tipped, and place a good deal of faith in the customer to be generous with their compensation.

6. In Singapore tipping is not encouraged but we see more and more that the practice of tipping is growing in many places of the country. Tips in Europe are not so automatic like in the US but in most countries tips are really appreciated. It varies from country to country but when you are in a restaurant , it is best to check the menu if service is included or not. For these where the service is not included you can consider a tip between 5% and 10% as normal. When you are in a restaurant, normally you only tip if the service is good. It is perfectly acceptable not to tip at all if the service isn´t good. A sign of politeness is to round up the bill to the nearest euro. Tipping is also expected for taxi drivers. Normally a tip of 10% can be considered as normal. You may consider tipping some extra if you have some heavy luggage with you.

9. Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/779167/tips_for_tipping_abroad_.html http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/16/tipping-guide-travel-forbeslife-cx_sv_1017travel.html The best advice that can be given is to consult a travel guidebook when you are planning to travel abroad. You may find a section on local tipping practices . Be prepared for avoiding unexpected surprises!