A Tip about Tipping
Your guide to tipping in France. Don’t Tip Excessively!
How much should you tip in France? Here’s a tip – over tipping can backfire.
The French have high respect for their waiters. Very often they aren’t just waiting tables until they get a real job or because they aren’t qualified to do something else. In a nation that takes food so seriously, waiting tables is a respectable occupation. Waiters are paid a living wage and do not rely on tips to make ends meet as they often do in the U.S. and other countries.
So, (and this is the tip) Don’t Tip Excessively!
At the bottom of your bill you might see “service compris”. That means “service included”. A few coins after a coffee or a couple of Euros after a meal will suffice.
We have had waiters chase us down after leaving a restaurant to give us back the excess tip.
Embarrassing? Oui!
Taxi Tipping?
Another tip about tipping. As some of you may be using a taxi, you are expected to tip the driver. Some places advise you to round up the cost of the trip to the next Euro, but it depends on how long the taxi ride was. To be on the safe side, a tip of around 10% of the fare is acceptable.
Most Important Tip of All
Express gratitude.
Be friendly and respectful of those who are serving you! It brings out the very best in those people waiting upon you, and the best out of yourself. It will make your stay so much more pleasant and with sweeter memories.
Blogger: Shirley Hambrick
Shirley Hambrick is an award-winning stained-glass artist and painter. She has lived in Scotland, Spain and the USA. Shirley has been part of the Workshops in France team over the last few years and attended over 10 of these trips. Being Scottish, she was trained at Edinburgh College of Art and Design. Shirley teaches in the West Virginia area and you can some of her beautiful work here.
Check out more blogs about art workshops, tips and hacks for artists traveling in France and Scotland.
Scholarship to Professional Painter, Emiliano Marini
It was only a few years ago that Emiliano Marini applied for and was awarded a Scholarship to join us at Workshops in France. He was invited to paint at one of our premier art retreats or study in a workshop setting along with an international group of artists to focus on painting. We wrote this blog so that you could catch up with Emiliano’s journey and his artistic successes.
Vermeer to Van Gogh, Dutch Masters at Carrieres des Lumieres
This year we returned to the show titled; Vermeer to Van Gogh, The Dutch Masters and we were not disappointed. Included in the list of stellar painters from Holland are Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. Imagine being transported inside these paintings when the projected masterpieces are monumental in size and you are able to observe the art pieces in ways you never imagined…
Family Affair in France
The art of traveling with family. It’s always a privilege to receive guests who decide to bring family members. We have discovered that one of the most enriching ways to experience a workshop or art retreat is to share it with a family member.
