To tip or not to tip? Pourboire ou pas pourboire ?

Pourboire ou non ?

« Un pourboire » is a tip in French. And "pourboires" are like so many other things: there is no universal rule. It is very cultural but it is also important to understand this rule if you are in France or if you want to go to France, as a tourist or as an expat.

So, do you need to tip in France ?

Well, if you want to be nice, yes, you do:)

But it is not compulsory at all because in France, when you pay in a bar or a restaurant, everything is included in the price. If you pay attention, when you order in a bar or a restaurant, somewhere at the bottom or back of the menu, you will see « service compris » or « prix nets, service compris. This means that all the costs are included in the price, including the waiter/waitress salary.

So, do you tip in France ?

Yes but only if you want to. And do not worry regarding the amount of your tip. As French people do not officially tip, it is something quite difficult for us to know how much a tip should be. And if you pay attention, in bars or restaurants, if people decide to tip, it is not rare to hear a conversation at the end of a meal about "how much should we give? Do you think this is enough?" and so on...

So yes you can tip, but no it's not compulsory. And of course, French people have no clue of how much a tip should be, so... follow your own path (I'm sorry for this lack of guidance, I'm so French🙃).

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