Recently, I went on my first trip to Europe where I was lucky enough to visit three separate areas: London, England; Sitges, Spain; and Edinburgh, Scotland. While many basic customs and manners were not too different from the United States, there were some small differences that I wanted to discuss in my column this week.
Tipping
In the U.S. it is customary to tip, or give extra money to, anyone who provides a service to you. In America, it’s customary to tip a server at a restaurant between 15 to 25 percent of the pre-tax bill. In the United Kingdom, tipping is not as widely expected, but at your typical restaurant where you give your order to a server and are brought your food, it is not uncommon to tip about 10 percent of the bill. Some restaurants in the U.K. have a “service charge” already added to the total bill, which is 12.5 percent of the bill and you would not be expected to tip if that were the case.
In Spain, tipping is not expected but is accepted for good service. When I was in Spain, we had a great experience at a Latin restaurant and we ended up giving few extra Euros for the staff’s effort.
The reason tipping was not as widespread in these countries is that servers are paid a minimum wage, unlike in the United States. Because of this, I felt that restaurants were a bit more laid back as servers weren’t trying to get on your good side. I had a great experience at most of the restaurants I went to, and had a great time trying Spanish paella, English sausage rolls and even the Scottish haggis!
Road rules and walking
In the U.K., drivers are on the left side of the road, which in turn affects the way people walk throughout the city. I didn’t do any driving on my trip, but noticed that people will generally also walk on the left if they are on a sidewalk. I was a bit confused when using escalators as you to stand on the right so people can pass on the left, which might be the rule as not to confuse tourists.
In Spain, drivers use the right side of the road and this was also reflected in the walking patterns.
Plastic bag use
In both the U.K and Spain, there is an effort to consume less plastic bags at stores where you would typically see them. In both England and Scotland, there is a five-pence minimum charge for single-use plastic bags, which encourages people to bring their own reusable bags. In Scotland, this charge also applies to paper bags, but this is not the case in England. In Spain, it is also encouraged to bring your own bag when grocery shopping, and by 2018 all stores will be required to charge a fee per plastic bag used.
Currently in Madison County, legislators are looking at implementing similar rules to make the use of reusable bags more widespread. I think if it works in other countries, it can’t hurt to try it here.
General accepted behavior
Americans around the world are known to be a bit quick-moving, loud and more likely to talk to people they don’t know, which can be seen as rude in some countries. In the U.K., people generally seemed to be less likely to talk to strangers, though of course not everyone was like that. People didn’t seem to be in as big of a rush as they are in the U.S. and drivers in the busy city weren’t as likely to use their horn as they are in America.
Spain, though, was a lot more like the U.S. and they greet even strangers with side-kisses, though their culture is not to be as quick-moving as in the U.S. and some businesses have a mid-afternoon break for siesta.
Overall, I would say to research the customs and manners of any foreign place you are traveling to. Though being polite and giving a smile will give off a good impression in most situations.
If you have an etiquette question or would like to submit a topic for discussion, please email me at [email protected]. Until next time, mind your modern manners!
