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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Verdict: How much should you tip in Switzerland and should you tip at all?

Whether you're visiting Switzerland or you've been living here for years, working out the tipping rules can be difficult. We asked our readers to give us the lowdown on tipping culture in Switzerland.

Do you tip in Switzerland? Photo by Sam Dan Truong on Unsplash
Do you tip in Switzerland? Photo by Sam Dan Truong on Unsplash

Tipping culture in Switzerland can be difficult to work out. 

That’s certainly the case for tourists, but even residents have told us it is difficult to determine exactly when to tip – and when not to. 

To get a better idea, we reached out to our readers to ask for their feelings on the necessity of tipping and how to navigate the complex web of cultural rules surrounding tipping culture. 

The survey, launched in July, saw a good response, with 39 people getting back to us to have their say. 

Here’s their top tips on tipping in Switzerland. 

But first, what do the officials say?

Switzerland Tourism officially says that visitors shouldn’t worry about tipping, but should only do so if they want to. 

In their advice on tipping, they write “You never have to worry about tipping in Switzerland, as tips are included in the price. You can, however, add a smile to the face of someone who has provided good service by rounding up to the nearest franc or round figure.”

Swiss news outlet 20 Minutes reports that ‘rounding up’ to the closest franc or five francs is the best approach. 

Four out of five tip regularly 

To get an idea of how widespread tipping truly is, we asked our readers to tell us if they’ve tipped someone in the past week. 

Four in five respondents – 79.5 percent – told us they did so, showing that tipping regularly is by far and away the done thing in the Alpine Republic. 

People from each major Swiss linguistic region told us they tipped regularly, showing that there is at least some consistency in Switzerland when it comes to tipping. 

Of the responses we received however there was a wide variety of opinions – even among those who tip (and of course those who do not). 

‘I always tip’

The majority of respondents told us they tip for good service, showing that tips are not a foregone conclusion in Switzerland (unlike in the United States). 

Shelly, who lives in Luzern, said the Swiss did not tip enough and that she tipped both “as a matter of principle and (for) good service”.

While we didn’t ask everyone for their nationality, Americans and Canadians seemed the most willing to tip – a reflection of those countries’ strong tipping culture. 

American Sofia says she tips regularly, although slightly less than what she would in the US. 

“I often tip at restaurants, especially if it’s a place I go to often, as a way of saying thanks. It’s often a smaller tip than what I give at home in the USA, though, given higher wages here.”

American Amanda said she prefers the Swiss system. 

“I think it’s good to recognise good service but not to feel obliged. The American culture is awful and makes you feel harassed and resentful. I like to leave 10 per cent”

‘I tip – but it’s not so clear to me’

While many said they are happy to tip, the exact amount they should tip wasn’t clear to them. 

One reader from Vaud said she feels tipping is more expected in the present day. 

Unfortunately, we can’t give you concrete advice on tipping in Switzerland, other than it will be appreciated but not expected in the most cases. 

Generally speaking, service charges can be included into your bill. In that case, tipping isn’t necessary unless you really want to highlight how pleased you are. 

Giving a tip of around ten percent seems to be the norm in Switzerland for restaurants and in some cases for bars and barbers. 

Martin said even the Swiss aren’t exactly sure when to tip. 

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“In a restaurant or bar with a waitress I do tip as a thank you for not ignoring me and being polite during providing these services.”

“But to be honest I’m very confused from how much is a good amount and whether I should tip at all as everyone is telling me something else (even Swiss born).

Many in Switzerland – particularly in the French-speaking part of the country – ‘round up’ with their tips, meaning if a coffee costs CHF3.70, they’ll pay 4 and so on. 

Of course this gets difficult the more you pay – saying to a waiter to round a bill of CHF123.70 up to CHF124 is pretty cheeky – but you can roughly use a five percent figure to round up. 

So if the bill costs CHF15.40, rounding up to CHF16 will be slightly more than five percent, for instance. 

Alexey, in Zurich, said he rounds up “around five to ten percent in restaurants almost all the time”. 

Another reader from Basel supported the idea of rounding up, as did Aaron in Bern. 

‘I never tip’

One reader, from Basel who perhaps unsurprisingly declined to give his or her name, said he or she didn’t tip because it supports an “unwritten tipping culture”. 

KT, from Bern, says tipping is less necessary in Switzerland than the US as Swiss workers are paid more.

“In the US I know waiters are paid poorly and depend on tips for their survival so I tip a minimum of 15% and up to 25% for excellent service.”

“Here, I know waiters are paid a living wage and benefits, and so I tip up to 5% for service.” 

Daniel, from Zurich, said not only did he not like to tip but he objected to a service fee being charged automatically as it didn’t give him the right too withdraw his tip if the service wasn’t good. 

“I find it weird when they charge a “service fee”. The price of the meal in a restaurant factors in the service. Charging this fee instead of the tip takes away my freedom to reward excellent service.”

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READER INSIGHTS

‘My son finished without life skills’: Are Swiss international schools worth the fees?

Many international families are drawn to live and work in Switzerland and many put their children in international schools. Parents and former pupils give their views on whether the huge school fees are worth it.

'My son finished without life skills': Are Swiss international schools worth the fees?

Switzerland has a high proportion of international schools for its size: roughly 100 different schools, spread across 10 cities teaching the International Baccalaureate and IGCSE, among others. 

Zurich, Geneva and Basel have the largest concentration of these schools, although international schools can also be found in cities such as Basel, Lausanne and Montreux. 

International Schools: well-resourced & good life preparation

Respondents to the Local identified some clear benefits in sending children to an international school.

Many thought that international schools provided excellent preparation for college and careers.  

Giles Hopley, 44, a Briton who lives across the border in France, but sends his children to school in Geneva stated: “My daughters study the International Baccalaureate which was a very demanding program but provides a great preparation for university studies.”

Isabelle, originally from Singapore replied: “Yes (to international schools) if your child wants to study outside Switzerland for higher education later on.”

Julian, who lives in Geneva told The Local, regarding international schooling: “It provided an excellent all-round education and a network of friends and contacts that is still important to me today and more relevant than my university or business school.”

The other key benefit of international schools that the reader highlighted was the ability to cater to students with special needs. 

An American living in Schwyz responded: “My child has learning differences and the public schools in our area do not have the resources to provide necessary accommodations.”

Isabelle Leong, who was previously quoted, added: “(It’s a good idea) if your child needs additional or specialised support.”

An anonymous respondent summarised the benefits succinctly when they stated: “The advantages are more opportunities for social activities, sport and interactions with other international families.”

Patrick Lamphere, an American, said that the scarcity of information about local schools in English was the deciding factor in sending his children to an international school: “We opted for private schools because it was impossible to find official information on the Zurich public schools in English, and what the programs were available for German Learners.”

Another anonymous respondent answered: “We chose an international school as we did not want our children doing the Swiss curriculum, which involved testing kids at 12 or 13 years old.”

READ MORE: Swiss school or international school: Which is best for foreign parents?

Language, work culture and low cost: the case for local schools

Other respondents to the survey felt that local schools offered an education equal to, if not better than that provided by an international school. 

Katherine Amman, an American replied: “Children from state schools are introduced into the work culture early.”

Giles agreed: “I have colleagues who speak well of the Swiss state system I understand state teachers are quite well paid in Switzerland. This must create a better, more motivated school environment.”

As did Isabelle: “Local schools are great for kids to pick up German, to make friends with other kids who live in the same village and are low cost.”

Others highlighted the disadvantages of sending children to an international school.

Victor Bullain, an American noted: “International schools can lead to slower integration with local kids.”

Katherine Amman was straight to the point: “It was very expensive and my son finished without any life skills.”

What is your impression of international schools in Switzerland? Did you send your children to one? Was it worth it? Let us know in the comments section below.

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