for you , talking with concierges , tourist boards , and other travelers to find out the real protocol on when -LRB- and when not -RRB- to reach into your wallet and how much of a tip you should give to waiters , sky caps , maids , doormen , and cabbies all over the world . Of course , tipping is confusing enough for Americans traveling domestically . The expectation is to tip not only big but also often , from the kid handing you a Venti coffee at Starbucks to the multiple hotel hands that rush to open doors , carry bags , and offer an escort to the hotel room . Go abroad and the situation changes . The legion of skycaps , cab drivers , bellboys , and waiters may perform the same services as their U.S. counterparts , but they often have radically different expectations of a tip . You can credit different customs , as well as a service industry with a different wage scale . In the United States , tips usually abet low wages . In other parts of the world , service employees are often paid a living wage . If
-LRB- Travel + Leisure -RRB- -- You 're sitting in a hip Tokyo cafe , having a fish cake and sake . Your server has been especially attentive , so when the check arrives , you think nothing of pulling out some extra yen and leaving a healthy 20 percent tip . But suddenly things go horribly wrong : the server turns wide-eyed , becomes agitated , and walks away . What happened ?! You 'll likely come across more people at a hotel that need to be tipped than anywhere else as you travel . Tipping in Japan and many other Asian countries is simply not a way of life . In fact , it 's usually regarded as a vulgar display of wealth and a disregard for the culture . The same can be true in Europe and Latin America ... though not always . And in the United States , of course , tipping is expected -LRB- and sometimes demanded -RRB- . With expectations all over the map , it 's not surprising that anxiety and confusion about whom to tip -- and how much -- are commonplace for travelers . So we 've done the legwork