I tend to tip well and very well when great service has been rendered to me. I realize that when traveling in Italy it is not as big a thing as it is here but I just can’t help it. I well understand that people need to feed their families so I don’t really have an issue going against the grain, unless I come off like an ass which let’s face it, isn’t very hard to do. 
What is protocol?
Oh yeah, asking for a friend…
Traditionally, it was very small amounts, and in less situations than Americans will tip.
e.g. some loose change (maybe 10-20 centesimi) left on the counter/table when having a coffee/pastry in a bar, or rounding up a restaurant bill to the nearest round number. Some taxi drivers still won’t accept tips 
.
However… the more touristy the location, and especially the more prevalent US tourists are in that location, the more common it is for them to give larger tips, to the degree that it’s now anticipated by some (albeit not ‘expected’).
So if near the major tourist sights of Venice, Rome or Florence, you could tip as you do in the states and it won’t be a shock to the person receiving it. The further you are from the tourist trail, the more it might be a shock, but if they’ve truly gone ‘above and beyond’ then why not acknowledge that and reward it. It’s the loveliest form of tipping, as against the modern obligation to tip.
Well written, I’ve notice the farther I go out into smaller towns, communities, the tip is seen as “insulting” (maybe not that strong of a word but to make a point. First time I had picked up on this was in Morey-Saint-Denis, I went to tip my driver but he was obviously not even going to entertain accepting it. Spoke to my friend who lived in Burgundy and said it could be seen as insulting.
As a guy who loves to tip I have had to move on and just know I’m ok not to tip.
We just got back from Neive and I didn’t so much as see one single tip line on any bill I was presented anywhere from wine bars to restaurants to taxis to wineries to anything at all.
I try to read up on the typical custom and ask locals and abide by that. If you are tipping in excess against recommended practice mostly because it makes YOU feel better, you need to think about how tipping makes the recipient feel. In some places and professions, there is a bit of an “alms for the poor” vibe if you try to tip or tip excessively.
Unless you have ever worked for a services industry stateside, it’s hard to understand some thinking on this point. I spent 1975-1980 relying on tips as a waiter.
Alms for poor never played into it. It’s a bit insulting actually.
I did see tip jars in places I would not have expected on this trip.
Cheerios
As an experiment, on my last trip (of maybe 20?), I didn’t tip unless there was a tip line or was asked if I wanted to leave a tip (3 times, tipped twice, said no once). Based on my local friend who pretty much never tips (or if in cash, only rounding up).
And I was treated exactly the same (which was very well).
I always tip maids - the bellman get tipped if they didn’t walk away immediately (clearly not expected ).
Not perfect but it is helpful. We travel to many countries and guidelines help. Tipping Around the World - a "How To" Guide [190+ Countries].
All great ‘tips’
thanks!
Restaurants typically have the coperta or cover charge. It’s supposedly to cover the bread and water, but unless you eat and drink a ton, most of it just goes to the house as a tip. From what I can tell waiters are paid based on performance each night. They always gather around the manager at closing time to get the final numbers and find out their pay. Tips are not part of the equation.
I would normally tip 5-10% myself BUT in cash.
If you do it through the card that money usually ends up with the owner, the staff won’t see a cent of it.
I like to tip too, as generously as my means allow, when in Europe, but generally in the <5% mode. My only miss-giving are the 2-tiered services by scumbag wait-staff and restaurant proprietors who obviously favor treatment to American patrons that they expect to tip generously over non-Americans who are unaccustomed to tipping, especially when I am a guest being entertained by local friends.
Don’t tip in (continental) Europe.
Unless you are American. 
I actually can’t even remember the last time I was given the option on a card machine or similar.
I would love to see tipping go away in America but it seems a lot of Americans here are trying to bring tipping to Europe. 
Slight drift, but I left about 10% in cash (usually 10 euros) most dinners in Portugal. Guidebooks said it was welcome/common. Never once saw a tip line on a cc bill.
Best as a guide where not to go. Burundi:
“ * Guides, Tours, and Drivers – If you are going on a tour, you should take extra cash to tip both the tour and the driver. Some areas can be very unsafe, so the service they provide to keep you safe is vital and priceless. 5-10 percent is about right and remember to tip discreetly.”
i dunno, anytime i have been in austria it was apparent that rounding up was expected and customary (ie no more than 10%)