[billorites]

if folks are going to charge a service fee, they should call it that--a "service fee"--rather than a "tip"!

That's the deal in Europe. It's a line on the bill called service and is typically 10-15%.

If you're a happy camper, you leave some change on the table in addition.

[k2blader]

That's the deal in Europe. It's a line on the bill called service and is typically 10-15%.

Yep, I vaguely remember that from a long-ago Eurail trip. My thoughts were mainly in reference to American restaurants.

What shocked me maybe most about Europe was how often I had to pay a fee to wipe my hands on some grimy towel guarded by a grumpy woman in a public restroom.

Speaking of restrooms, on a train in Italy (or was it France... I forget...) there was also that toilet fixed with a hole flap that opened to discard one's deposits onto the tracks whizzing below...