Tipping and etiquette

How much should you tip in European restaurants and cafés?

Less than in North America, more than nothing, and the bill often tells you the answer. Here is what is expected in fourteen countries and how to pay it.

By the Time to Travel teamUpdated 15 October 20266 min read

The short version

In most of Europe, service is already built into menu prices or added to the bill, so a tip is a thank-you, not part of the waiter's wage. For table service where nothing has been added, the usual extra is between rounding up and 10%; in Central Europe, Greece and the UK it is closer to 10 to 15%. Always read the bill first: if it shows a service charge (servizio, szervizdíj, "service charge"), you do not need to add more. At a café counter or a bar, rounding up or leaving the change is plenty. When you pay by card, say the total you want to pay before the terminal runs the payment, and always choose to pay in the local currency.

Who is this guide for?

Visitors who want to get it right without overpaying, especially those used to the 15 to 20% norm in the United States or Canada. The figures below are customs, not laws. They come from national consumer and tourism sources where these exist, and from local guides where they do not; each one is dated, and the sources are listed at the end.

How do I tell whether service is already on the bill?

Three different charges turn up on European bills, and only one of them is a tip in disguise.

Service included in prices. In France, the 1987 price-display order made service compris the rule: menu prices already include service, and the menu must say so. Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries work the same way in practice.
A service charge added to the bill. Common in the UK (often 12.5%), Hungary (usually 10 to 15%, shown as szervizdíj) and some Italian and Portuguese restaurants (servizio, serviço). If you see it, you have tipped already.
A cover charge. Italy's coperto, typically €1 to €3 per person, pays for bread and the table. It goes to the restaurant, not the waiter, and it is not a tip. It must be on the menu before you order; some regions, including Lazio around Rome, restrict it, so restaurants there may charge for bread instead.

In the UK, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act has required employers since 1 October 2024 to pass on all tips and service charges to staff without deductions. A service charge described as discretionary is exactly that: you may ask for it to be removed if the service was poor.

How much do people tip, country by country?

The chart shows the usual extra for a sit-down meal with table service when no service charge has been added. Where a range starts at zero, rounding up is perfectly normal.

Switzerland0 to 10%
Spain0 to 10%
Netherlands5 to 10%
Germany5 to 10%
Portugal5 to 10%
Austriaabout 10%
Poland5 to 15%
Czechia10 to 15%
Greece10 to 15%
Hungary10 to 15%
United Kingdom10 to 15%

Each bar runs from the low to the high end of the usual tip, on a scale of 0 to 20% of the bill. Sources: Which? (June 2026), The Local Germany (September 2026), N26, Budapest.com, DutchReview and other guides listed below; checked 15 October 2026.

France, Italy and Denmark are left out of the chart because the norm there is not a percentage. Danish law requires service to be included in menu prices, and tipping in restaurants is not usual. In France, service is in the price; Which? suggests adding 10 to 12.5% only to reward good service, and nothing is expected in bars. In Italy, if neither servizio nor coperto covers it, Which? suggests rounding up to the nearest €5 or €10.

Tipping customs at a glance, October 2026
Country	Restaurant	Café or bar	Watch for
France	Optional; service included	Not customary	"Service compris" on the menu
Italy	Round up to €5 or €10 if no service	€1 to €2 in tourist cities	Coperto, servizio or bread charge
Spain	Round up; about 10% at upmarket places	Round to the nearest euro	Nothing usually added
Germany	5 to 10%, added while paying	Round up at table service	No tip at counter-service food stalls
Greece	10 to 15%, or 5 to 10% if service is included	Not expected	Hand cash to the waiter
Hungary	10 to 15% unless szervizdíj is on the bill	Round up	Service charge already on the bill
United Kingdom	10 to 15% if no service charge	Not expected at the bar	Discretionary 12.5% service charge

How do I actually hand over the tip?

In most of Central Europe you do not leave money on the table. You tell the server the total you want to pay. On a €45 bill in Germany, hand over €50 and say "Stimmt so" (keep the change), or say "50, please" before they run your card. Czech servers expect the same: state the total, including the tip, before paying. In Greece, hand the cash directly to the waiter rather than leaving it.

Card terminals in the Netherlands and Portugal often have no tip button, and local guides note that a card tip may not reach the person who served you. A few coins in cash is the simplest answer there.

What is the cheapest way to pay a tip abroad?

The tip itself is small; the cost is in the currency conversion. One rule applies to every option: when a terminal or cash machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in euros, forints or crowns. That offer, called dynamic currency conversion, uses the merchant's rate, and EU rules only require the mark-up to be shown, not capped.

Ways to pay a tip in another currency, compared as of October 2026
Option	Cost	Where it works	Pros	Cons
Cash from a local cash machine	Your bank's foreign withdrawal fee, plus any machine operator fee	Everywhere	Reaches the server directly; works where terminals have no tip option	Fees on small withdrawals; some machines push currency conversion
Your usual bank card	Your bank's foreign transaction fee, if any	Almost all restaurants	Nothing to set up	Fees vary widely by bank; tip prompt not always offered
Wise card	£7 to order (UK); free cash withdrawals up to £250 a month, then 2.69% on the excess	Visa or Mastercard acceptance	Shows the conversion fee up front; hold several currencies	Card fee; free withdrawal limit is low for cash-heavy trips
Revolut Standard	Free plan; 1% on exchanges at weekends, and a fee after a monthly allowance that varies by country	Visa or Mastercard acceptance	Free to open; instant app controls	Weekend mark-up; allowances and fees differ by country

Who should pick what: for a short trip with a bank card that has no foreign fees, just use it and carry a little cash for tips. If your bank charges for every foreign payment, a Wise or Revolut card usually costs less over a week of meals; exchange on a weekday if you use Revolut. On a cash-heavy trip, withdraw larger amounts less often to dilute fixed fees.

Check the current card fees for your country before you travel; they differ between the UK, the EU and elsewhere.

Wise card fees Revolut plans

Goes to the official operator site.

Frequently asked questions

Is it rude not to tip in Europe?

Usually not. In countries where service is included in the price, such as France, Denmark or Switzerland, paying the bill exactly is normal. In Central Europe, Greece and the UK, not tipping after good table service is more noticeable, unless a service charge was already added.

Should I tip on top of a service charge?

No. A service charge on the bill, such as servizio in Italy, szervizdíj in Hungary or a discretionary service charge in the UK, already covers the tip. Leave extra only for exceptional service.

Is the Italian coperto a tip?

No. The coperto is a cover charge of typically €1 to €3 per person for bread and the table. It goes to the restaurant, not the waiter, and must be shown on the menu before you order.

How do I tip when paying by card in Germany?

Tell the server the total you want to pay, including the tip, before they run the card. On an €18.50 bill, saying "20 euros, please" is the usual way.

Do UK restaurants keep the service charge?

They should not. Since 1 October 2024, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act requires employers to pass all tips and service charges to staff without deductions, apart from tax.

Where the figures come from

Checked on 15 October 2026. Official and consumer sources first; local guides are labelled as secondary.