Some basics... and other Vienna, Austria Local Custom Tips

1.) Tipping: We usually give a tip of 10 % in restaurants, but also to other service staff, like hairdressers, taxidrivers... . In less formal restaurants or in cafés the easiest way to tip is just to round up. For example if the bill is EUR 5,50 in a café you just say 6 to the waiter while giving him the money. If you don`t do this and let the waiter give you the full change with the intention to leave a tip on the table you might risk an irritated look :). In more formal restaurants you leave the tip in the wrapper on the table.
2.) Bread in restaurants: is only free if it is mentioned in the menue that your meal comes with bread. Otherwise you pay per piece, if you don`t have a cover charge anyway.
3.) "Zusammen oder getrennt": If the waiter asks you this he wants to know if you pay the bill seperately (which is very common and no problem at all) or if one person pays for everybody on the table.
4.) Handshakes: This is what we usually do to say hello. Friends greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks (more touching the cheek and kissing in the air, not a real smacker :)) while giving a hug or shaking hands as well. If you are introduced to the friends of your friends you usually do just do a shakehands. At the farewell (in case you find the other person likeable :)) or when you see him/her the second time you could give him/her 2 kisses as well.
5.) The "kiss on the hand" you see in old films is not that common anymore :)... though some elderly gentlemen still practise it sometimes. It is not a real kiss on the hand anyway, just taking the hand and indicate to give a a kiss on it. You can still hear people just saying "Kuess die Hand" as a salutation, without actually doing it- this is a very nice old fashioned way to greet.
6.) Titles: In Austria we have a lot of titles, these could be for example academic degrees like "Doktor", "Magister" or "Diplomingenieur". If you are in a formal conversation, many people set value on being addressed with this title instead of saying only Mr. or Mrs. and the name.

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