What is the tipping etiquette in Spain?

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.



People Also Ask

NOTE: Updated on February 3, 2023.
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.

MORE DETAILS

Housekeeping. Leave one euro for each night of your stay; for exemplary service, leave more. (The people who clean your room are often the least well-paid members of a hotel staff, so if you can afford it, be a little more generous here.)

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

All vehicles accept payment by credit card and can also be paid in cash (taxi drivers are required to have coins in sufficient quantity to facilitate change to the user up to the amount of 20 euros). It should be noted that some taxis have wifi service available to passengers.

MORE DETAILS

The standard tipping amount for hotel bartenders and waiters is the same as the rule of thumb for room service: 15% to 20%, depending on how satisfied you are with the service. The AHLA recommends tipping courtesy shuttle drivers and door staff $1 to $2 per person.

MORE DETAILS

It's always advisable to bring a mix of cash and credit cards on vacation. You should also exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel before you leave home, or withdraw money upon arrival at an airport ATM.

MORE DETAILS

The US dollar is not the medium of exchange. Most likely, the individual would have to locate a reliable cash exchange source, which might not always be easily available. If you want to provide a tip, be kind and respectful. When at your European designation, withdraw cash using your ATM card and offer tips in euros.

MORE DETAILS

Tipping servers in restaurants and cafés in Spain, while appreciated, isn't mandatory. It's tough for Americans to get used to not leaving a tip, but locals generally don't leave anything extra at all in more casual eateries. In fine-dining restaurants, a tip may already be included in the check.

MORE DETAILS

The takeaway on getting money in Spain Pay everything with your travel debit card and forget about hidden fees. Use your debit card to get most of your money after you arrive in Spain. You can get your first wad of cash from an ATM at your arrival airport.

MORE DETAILS

Cash is usually withdrawn from automatic teller machines at bank branches. In addition, in Spain it is easy to find ATMs to withdraw cash in shopping centres and shopping areas, large urban centres and historic centres in small towns.

MORE DETAILS

Uber in Spain operates in exactly the same way that it does in every country. Therefore, if you already have the app downloaded and an active account – away you go. However, if you haven't used the platform yet you will need to download the app from your app store (find it for Android here and Apple here).

MORE DETAILS

It's almost always the case that when you pay with card, a machine will be brought over to your table or you'll have to go behind the counter to pay. You should also make sure to check the bill before you pay, Spanish restaurants are notorious for inaccuracy when it comes to charging.

MORE DETAILS

Most etiquette experts suggest a tip of 10-20% of the cost of a tour for outdoor guides like ours. A typical gratuity on a full-day tour is $20-$40 per person, and on a half-day trip, $15-$20 per guest.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS