When visiting Spain, people often assume that tipping isn’t necessary because service and the price are already included in your bill. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Tipping in the Mediterranean, both at home and abroad, is an important part of their culture – and it should be yours too!
Here are some tips on how to tip in Spain, as well as how much to tip and why you should take tipping seriously!
What is the proper tipping etiquette?
As in many other places around the world, tipping is quite common in several Mediterranean countries. It is customary to tip your waiter or waitress at a restaurant. As a guideline, 10% of your bill should be enough; 15% will show you were happy with service. Some businesses have even added fixed service charges to bills that are not optional.
General guidelines to tipping in Spain
Most restaurants add a service charge to bills in tourist areas. You are not expected to tip further, but it is considered polite to round up the bill by a few euros. However, if you want to tip, leave cash on your table or hand cash directly to your waiter at the end of your meal. It’s not appropriate for staff to come and ask for tips – make sure you have enough small change for any tips you give.
When eating out, tip a minimum of 5% to 10% in Spain, depending on how satisfied you are with your service. There is no need to tip in bars and if you order a drink at a bar counter and then sit at a table, do not tip. If you feel obliged to leave something , round up. It’s customary (though not obligatory) to give some small change from your change when paying with large notes.
Tipping for a Taxi in Spain
Taxis are considered a service, not public transportation. There is no way to pay for these services with a credit card, so it’s best to take out local currency from an ATM beforehand or ask your hostel receptionist how much it should be. You’ll want to tip anywhere between €1-2 if you feel your ride was satisfactory.
Tipping for a Hotel in Spain
There is no obligation to tip at Spanish hotels, unlike in America where it’s almost mandatory. If you feel like you’ve received particularly good service from a porter or cleaner, however, there’s nothing wrong with handing them a few euros for a job well done. This approach should be applied to other services that don’t really have anything to do with hotel management either – taxis and restaurants, for example.
