So, you’ve finally booked that dream trip to Europe! Your bags are packed, your taste buds are ready for some incredible cuisine and you’re almost on the plane.
Perhaps you’ve been wondering about what you should tip in all those countries you’ll be visiting? Should you leave a little extra for that coffee & croissant in France? Are you expected to tip after enjoying dinner in Italy?
Tipping etiquette across Europe can vary from one country to the next, but here are a few common and consistent rules to help you out. Read on for the ultimate guide to how much you should tip in Europe.
How much you should tip in Europe
Restaurants
- In most casual restaurants across Europe, you can leave a few extra euros as a tip for your waiter if you’re pleased with their service. A tip of 5% is fair, and a tip of 10% is quite generous.
- Tips are not usually accepted on credit cards and if they are, it’s unlikely that your waiter will see any of it. It’s a good idea to always be prepared with a few small bills and coins in the local currency and hand the tip to the waiter or leave it on the table after your bill has been settled.
- Across much of Western Europe, you’ll notice that a service charge is already included in your total. You’ll find this on the bottom of your bill, written as “service” in French, or “servizio” in Italian.
- This means that that the service fee (your tip) has already been added to your bill. There’s no need to tip more on top of this. If a service charge has not been added, a tip of 5–10% is normal.
Bars or pubs
Bars don’t rely on tips, however, if you throw some small coins into the tip jar or on the counter each time you order a drink, the bar staff will always notice this, and a few extra coins never goes astray.
Ordering coffee or drinks in a café
Always round up and leave your coins for your server. If your espresso costs €0.90, leave €1.
Taxis
Tips are not expected for a taxi ride, however, a good rule of thumb is to always round up the fare to the nearest euro.
Hotels
If you’re staying in hotels with porters, simply leave your porter €1-2 for each bag they assist you with.
Housekeeping
If your room was kept clean & tidy during your stay, it’s polite to leave a small tip (a couple of euros per day) in your room for the housekeeping staff upon departure.
How much you should tip in each country
Now that we’ve covered the basics, here’s some additional information about how much you should tip in Europe, a little more country-specific.
Austria
Tipping in Austria is a slightly different than the rest of Europe. Service fees are always included in your bill, however, in Austria, it is expected that you also tip 5% on top of the service charge. It’s best to hand it to your server in cash.
For a taxi service, best to leave a 10% tip for your taxi driver in Austria.
Croatia
For a drink or coffee, always leave the change. If you’re eating dinner, tip 10% of the total bill. Tipping in cash is best for your waiter.
Italy
In most restaurants and cafes in Italy, you may see both servizio incluso and il coperto written on the menu. Il coperto is the cover charge for sitting at a table, which is generally a couple of euros. This takes care of things like tap water for your table, if requested and a basket of bread before the meal.
- Servizio incluso means that service is included. The restaurant has already included a tip for you, mostly around 15%. You don’t need to tip anymore on top of this.
- If your bill says servizio non incluso (service not included), a 10% tip or equal to a few euros per person is expected. Leave the tip in cash on your table or hand it to your server.
If you order your food at a counter (espresso counter in Italy) and you eat here, there’s no need to tip, however, leave some small change as gratitude for the convenience and quick service.
Czech Republic
Check your bill first to see if service is included. If it isn’t, then leave a tip of 5-10% in restaurants.
Always round up and leave the change when ordering beers and drinks. For example, if your beer costs 44 CZK, leave the server 50 CZK. It is also worth noting that making the effort to speak just a few Czech words will always get you better service and a smile!
France
In France, your restaurant bill will usually include a 15% service charge. You’ll find this at the bottom of your bill and this is referred to as service compris. No additional tip is expected if this charge is included.
If the service is not included in the total bill, service non compris a 15% tip is customary.
Tips for budget-conscious travellers: When visiting the City of Love, Paris, you’ll have three different options for where you can order and drink your coffee.
The price you pay will be different depending on whether you choose to consume your coffee at the bar, at a table inside the cafe or at a table outside the cafe. A standard coffee costs about €2.50 when served at a table inside, or around €1.20 if you drink it at the bar.
To enjoy the same coffee outside the cafe as you watch Parisians go about their day, you’ll pay a little extra for this privilege also. These are considered prime seats and you’ll pay a couple of euros extra (on top of that €2.50) to do so.
Germany
Tipping is not compulsory, but it’s expected that you round up the amount to an even figure. Add about 3-5% tip to the bill. Many public restrooms have an attendant who is usually tipped €0.50.
Greece
Leave a few euros per person if eating in casual restaurants. If you’re dining in some of the more chic restaurants, a tip of 5-10% of your bill is recommended.
The United Kingdom
Service charges are usually included, so check your bill before you pay. If service isn’t included, plan to leave at least 10% of the bill.
Hungary
Leave 10% of the total bill in cash to tip your waiter and to show your gratitude for the service.
Iceland
Most restaurants will build in a 15% tip. Check your bill before you tip twice. It’s up to you if you’d like to leave an extra tip if you received great service.
The Netherlands
Tip 5-10% for great service. Round up the bill for average service. Many public restrooms have an attendant who is usually tipped €0.50.
Finland
Restaurant pricing in Finland includes the cost of service, so tips aren’t expected. However, diners often round up the meal’s cost.
Poland
Tip 10% for restaurant service. Always leave the small change when ordering beers or coffees.
Slovenia
Your restaurant will charge a 10% service charge. It’s up to you to leave your waiter a few euros if you received good service.
Spain
In Spain, the service is included in the price of your meal or drink. However, tipping is a common practice at restaurants and bars, hotels and in taxis. If you received good service or enjoyed that dinner, leave a tip of 5-10%.
Switzerland
In restaurants and cafes, a service charge is already built into menu prices. It is, however, customary to round up your bill. This means that you might hand the server CHF 30 for a CHF 28 meal.
If you pay by credit card, leave a few francs tip on the table for your server.
Currencies in Europe
- Albania
- Albianian Lek
- Andorra
- Euro
- Austria
- Euro
- Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijan Manat
- Belarus
- Belariusian Ruble
- Belgium
- Euro
- Bosnia
- Mark
- Bulgaria
- Bulgarian lev
- Croatia
- Croatian kuna
- Cyprus
- Euro
- Czech Republic
- Czech koruna
- Denmark
- Danish krone
- Estonia
- Euro
- France
- Euro
- Georgia
- Georgian lari
- Germany
- Euro
- Greece
- Euro
- Hungary
- Hungarian forint
- Iceland
- Iceland krona
- Ireland
- Euro
- Italy
- Euro
- Latvia
- Euro
- Liechtenstein
- Swiss franc
- Lithuania
- Euro
- Luxembourg
- Euro
- Macedonia
- Macedonian denar
- Malta
- Euro
- Moldova
- Moldovan leu
- Monaco
- Euro
- Montenegro
- Euro
- Netherlands
- Euro
- Norway
- Norwegian krone
- Poland
- Polish zloty
- Portugal
- Euro
- Romania
- Romanian leu
- Russia
- Russian ruble
- San Marino
- Euro
- Serbia
- Serbian dinar
- Slovakia
- Euro
- Slovenia
- Euro
- Spain
- Euro
- Sweden
- Swedish krona
- Switzerland
- Swiss franc
- Turkey
- Turkish lira
- Ukraine
- Ukrainian hrynia
- UK
- Pound steling
- Vatican City
- Euro
Share your money saving tips below for other travellers to read!
