Tipping in Europe is the most-misunderstood travel topic. Service is usually included; American 20% is rarely expected; tipping wrong can be insulting. Here's the honest country-by-country guide.
No tip / round up only
- France: Service compris by law. Round up the bill or leave 1-2€ on a table. Don't add 15-20%.
- Italy: Coperto (cover charge) is the bill addition. Round up if service was good, otherwise nothing.
- Spain: Round up only. Tipping more is uncomfortable.
- Switzerland: Service included. Round up small.
5-10% is normal
- Germany, Austria: Round up to a clean number, 5-10% is generous. Hand the cash and tell them what total to charge ("Stimmt so" if you don't want change).
- Belgium, Netherlands: Round up to 5-10% if service was good. Service included.
- Portugal: 5-10% in restaurants. Tip taxis by rounding up.
- Scandinavia: 5-10% in restaurants if you want, but tipping is genuinely optional and rare.
10-15% expected
- UK: 10-12.5% in restaurants. Often added automatically as "service charge" — verify before tipping again.
- Ireland: Same as UK.
- Greece: 10% if service was good.
- Turkey: 10% in restaurants. Round up taxis.
- Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Bulgaria): 10% standard.
- Croatia: 10% in tourist areas.
What never to tip
- Bartenders pouring beer or wine: No tip culture across most of Europe.
- Hotel staff carrying bags: Optional. €1-€2 if you want.
- Taxi drivers: Round up only. 20% is uncomfortable.
- Tour guides: €2-€5 if good for shorter tours; €10 for full-day. Walking-tour guides are often "free" but expect a tip — €5-€10 is normal.
Card vs cash
European POS systems often don't include tip lines. Tip in cash if you want — leaving 5€ on the table is the most-common method. If tipping by card, tell the waiter the total amount before they swipe.