Currency confusion leads to over-tipping

Currency confusion often causes Britons to over-tip for services when abroad, it was revealed yesterday.

As many as 42 per cent of Britons confess to overdoing the gratuities - mainly due to difficulty in calculating exchange rates, a survey by travel site Expedia.co.uk found.

The poll of 2,918 people also showed that 78 per cent go abroad without a clue about local tipping etiquette at their destination.

This means that 38 per cent leave 10 per cent as a tip, while five per cent just leave what change they can find in their pockets.

The survey revealed that twice as many Britons tip while abroad than when they are at home in the UK.

Restaurant staff (whom 96 per cent tip) top the five most-tipped professions by holidaymakers. Taxi drivers (64 per cent), room service (49 per cent), chambermaids (47 per cent) and tour guides (45 per cent) are also among those most likely to receive gratuities from British tourists.