The optional tipping is nice, but it's nuts to pretend that European waiters give great service.
"I've been sitting here for fifteen minutes, the waiter hasn't taken my order yet, nobody even brought me a glass of water, I can't tell if they're busy or just ignoring me on purpose" is a universal part of the European travel experience.
American waiters are over-the-top attentive because they're hungry for tips. European ones get paid the same whether the customer is happy or not, and they act accordingly.
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u/Veneboy 9h ago
Tipping is very optional and the waiters and waitresses are awfully nice and friendly.