Do you tip in Spain and Portugal?

In Spain and Portugal tipping is viewed differently. In many restaurants a service charge is included in the bill, and tips, while appreciated, are not required. Tips, when given, tend to be 5 to 10% of the bill. In a café or tapas bar normally only a few coins (under 1€) are left.



Tipping in Spain and Portugal is appreciated but not expected or mandatory in the way it is in North America. In both countries, service staff earn a standard living wage, and "service" is often already included in the menu price or added as a small "cubierto" or "serviço" charge. In casual cafes and bars, it is common to simply round up the change or leave a few coins (typically €1 or €2) if you had a pleasant experience. In mid-range to high-end restaurants, a tip of 5% to 10% is considered generous for exceptional service, but leaving nothing is not seen as an insult. For 2026 travelers, it is important to remember to tip in cash, as many credit card machines in these countries do not have a "add tip" function, and digital tips often don't reach the server. Tipping for taxis is also rare; rounding up to the nearest Euro is the standard peer-to-peer practice for local rides.

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Tipping in Spain works differently: The customer actually has the option to not leave any tip at all. However, restaurants expect a 10% tip on each bill—although it's not a formal rule, and that percentage is much lower than tipping practices in other countries.

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Tipping culture in Europe is very different, so there are some habits American travelers will want to leave at home. For most, tips are not expected in Europe, and it's fine not to tip at all, especially in more casual settings like bars or cafes. In other cases, though, small tips may be warranted.

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Tipping Your Servers: Tips aren't expected in Barcelona, but they are always appreciated. Credit cards – tipping is possible with a card, just be sure you ask them to add it to the total as they run your card. There's no space on the credit card receipt when it comes time to sign.

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In Spain, tipping is entirely optional and it's not very common. You may see people leaving small change at cafés and bars and, eventually, someone tipping at a nice expensive restaurant. But most of the time, you won't see anyone other than tourists leaving a tip.

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At table-service restaurants, the tipping etiquette and procedure vary slightly from country to country. But in general, European servers are well paid, and tips are considered a small bonus — to reward great service or for simplicity in rounding the total bill to a convenient number.

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Tipping in Spain's hotels If you order something from the room service, you can tip the person who delivers your meal or drinks. In this case 1€ for drinks is more than enough, and 2€ is fair for any other meal. If you want to tip your chambermaid, you can leave a few euro coins at the end of your stay.

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Like in many other European countries, tipping hotel staff, tour guides, and taxi drivers, a few euros or about 10% is a good rule of thumb, unless anyone provides an extra service.

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Dinner Time in Portugal (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) The best time to have dinner in Portugal is between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. While some restaurants will open at 7 p.m., most of them will still be empty at that time. There are a few exceptions of course, especially if it's a famous restaurant like Cervejaria Ramiro.

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While Portugal has all the facilities to accept card payments you'd expect from a modern economy, there are going to be many instances when you need cash on your trip. Some places won't take cards if you're spending less than €10 – €20 Euros, while other merchants won't take cards at all.

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In Spain, you can simply say la cuenta, por favor (the check, please) when you catch your server's attention. Another common phrase many locals use is ¿Nos cobras cuando puedas? (literally Can you charge us when you can?). Either one is a perfectly fine way to ask your server to bring the bill.

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Tipping the concierge, porters, and bellboys for their services is customary. A good rule of thumb is to tip them 1-2 euros per bag they carry for you. If you stay in a suite or a high-end room, you should tip the room maid or hotel maid 2-5 euros daily.

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In Greece it's considered bad form to leave a single euro, even for a small total — if service isn't already included in the bill and it's for, say, €10, leave a €2 tip. Iceland is an emphatically no-tipping country.

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Whilst in much of Asia tipping is not expected, tipping is actually considered rude in the following countries: Japan. China. South Korea.

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At table-service restaurants, the tipping etiquette and procedure vary slightly from country to country. But in general, European servers are well paid, and tips are considered a small bonus — to reward great service or for simplicity in rounding the total bill to a convenient number.

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In Spain, there is a sales tax that is called “IVA” or VAT (in Spanish “Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido), a tax applied on retail sales or services provided by professionals. Basically, the vast majority of purchases (big and small) you make on a day-to-day basis are taxed with this sales or VAT tax.

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Depending on your route and length, tipping can differ. For a large vehicle carrying multiple people, $2-$3 should suffice. For drivers spending the majority of the day with you, as is the case with a limo or moving between airports, hotels, and events, 10 to 15 percent of the total bill is custom.

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For a tour that only lasts a few hours, tip your guide 10 percent to 20 percent the cost of the tour. How much you tip also depends on the size of your tour, so you should tip more for a more personalized experience. For a multi-day tour, you should tip your guide $5 to $10 per day on the last day.

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