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Is there a tipping culture in Greece?

While it is customary to tip in Greece, it is not considered rude if you choose not to tip. Tipping is seen as a gesture of appreciation for good service, but it is ultimately a personal decision.



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There is not a strong tradition of tipping in Greece, particularly among the locals, but it's become expected that tourists leave a small tip while travelling through the country. In restaurants it's common to leave a cash tip for whoever is looking after you – 10–15 per cent is standard.

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Greek: “To logariasmo parakalo” After eating a delicious meal in Greece, you'll get your server's attention and ask for “To logariasmo parakalo” from your server. Both “logariasmo” and “parakalo” have the strongest accent on the last vowel, which sounds like the English word “oh.”

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Leave whatever you feel comfortable with on the table; if you are in an elegant restaurant and had the meal of a life-time, leave 5-10% (preferably in coins or cash). Tipping is to reward a good meal and great service. The same tipping etiquette can be practiced for other services in Italy.

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Pro tip: Tip everyone: While most travelers know to tip a bellman or valet, few leave anything for the front-desk agent—despite their enormous power to influence the quality of your stay. “The front desk isn't a tipped position, so when you do tip, it makes them beholden to you,” Tomsky said.

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Japan. Unlike Spain, Japan is a country where you should not tip at all; it's actually offensive. In the majority of Japanese restaurants a bill is not brought to the table. Instead, payment is accepted at the bar, so even trying to leave a tip for the waiter can be tricky.

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While tipping is allowed at some resorts, it is optional, so you won't have to worry about staff pressuring you to do so. You don't have to feel bad about not being able to or wanting to tip everyone.

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In restaurants it's common to leave a cash tip for whoever is looking after you – 10–15 per cent is standard.

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Is it rude not to tip at all-inclusive resorts? While tipping is allowed at some resorts, it is optional, so you won't have to worry about staff pressuring you to do so.

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During a meal Kali orexi (?a?? ??e??): this means “good appetite” and is said before a meal. Stin igia mas / Yiamas (st?? ??e?? µa? / ?e?? µa?): this means “to our health,” and is used when raising glasses in a toast.

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Making Cash Payments in Greece Plastic money is widely accepted in Greece, and the exchange rates are rather favorable. Still, it would be best if you carried some cash, as many street vendors, artists, and small cafes only accept cash, while also cash is the preferred method of tipping in Greece.

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Always keep your palm turned toward you. Making a fist with your thumb between your index and middle fingers is considered obscene. Thumbs up signals approval but thumbs down is a rude gesture. A single nod of the head downward is the expression for yes and a single nod of the head backward means no.

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If you've been to Greece you may know about the practice of throwing toilet paper in the bin rather than flushing it away. It's something that I've never come across anywhere else in Europe but wherever you go in Greece you'll see signs in the bathrooms.

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In Athens and many other parts of Greece, the water is safe to drink. However, because of various concerns regarding supply and infrastructure, it's popular on both the islands and the mainland to buy bottled water rather than drinking straight from the tap.

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Alternately, give the tip directly to your server, as it is customary to leave some small change at the table for bus boys and if you leave the tip on the table, your server may not receive it! In Greece it`s assumed that tourists will tip but some restaurants will still round-up the bill, so be careful.

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While resort fees may include certain hotel services, amenities, and access to different areas, they do not include tips or gratuity for hotel staff. Some travelers assume that tips for housekeeping, concierge service, or luggage delivery are included in the resort fee, but the fee is paid directly to the hotel.

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Iceland is an emphatically no-tipping country. A side effect of the tipless culture is that waiters in Icelandic restaurants are usually happy to split the bill for groups.

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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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