Tipping in Italy

At a glance

• Restaurants●○○OptionalRound up, or 5%
• Cafés●○○Optional10–20 cents
• Bars●○○OptionalRound up
• Taxis●○○OptionalRound up to the nearest euro
• Hotel porters●●○Common€1–2 per bag
• Housekeeping●○○Optional€1–2 per day
• Tour guides●●○Common€5–10 per person
• Private drivers●○○Optional€10–20 per day
• Boat & yacht charters●●○Common5–10% of the charter fee
• Ski instructors●○○Optional€20–50 at the end of the week

Card tipping. Card machines rarely prompt for a tip, and adding one to a card payment is unusual. Leave cash if you want to tip.

• , Coperto is a per-person cover charge for bread and table service. It is not a tip and does not go to your server.
• , If the bill says servizio incluso, service is already added. Nothing further is needed.
• , Coffee is cheaper standing at the bar than seated; the price difference is a table charge, not a tip.

Common questions

Do you tip in Italy?

Italians barely tip. Rounding up is enough. Tipping is not part of everyday Italian life. Restaurant bills usually carry a coperto (cover charge) or servizio, and many people leave nothing on top. Visitors who round up or leave a few euros after a good meal are being polite, not meeting an obligation.

How much do you tip at a restaurant in Italy?

Round up, or 5%. Round up the bill, or leave about 5% after a big meal. Check the bill first: a coperto of €1–3 per person is standard and a servizio line means service is already included. If neither covers it and the meal was good, leaving a few euros or about 5% in cash is a generous gesture. Ten or fifteen percent is an American habit, not an Italian one.

Can you tip by card in Italy?

Card machines rarely prompt for a tip, and adding one to a card payment is unusual. Leave cash if you want to tip.

Other destinations

• Croatia
• Greece
• Portugal
• Spain