Your Complete Guide to Tipping in Greece: Restaurants, Hotels, Taxis, and More
Tipping is generally expected in Greece, although it varies depending on the service type and length of stay. Tipping for restaurants, taxis, and hotels is usually done in cash. It’s also becoming more common to tip service staff like tour guides, hairdressers, barbers, and beauticians. When tipping in Greece, the basic rule is to leave 10% of the total bill as a gratuity.
When it comes to taxis, taxi drivers usually can get a 5-10% tip. Tipping in Greece is not required for porters or bellhops at hotels. However, if they offer excellent service, you can certainly leave a few euros as a token of appreciation.
Tipping culture varies throughout Greece, though, and it’s always best to check with the locals to determine the expectations in different areas. In some places, restaurant and hotel service staff might even refuse to accept tips due to company policies or personal preferences.
Tipping at a Tavern or Restaurant in Greece
Every individual who visits Greece will ultimately end up in a Greek taverna. Some of the most wonderful meals in Greece can be found at these cheap, down-to-earth local restaurants called tavernas.
It’s traditional to offer a gratuity if you’ve had a nice dinner or amazing service at a taverna. Tipping in taverns does not have a fixed proportion. The majority of Greeks would leave a few coins on the table.
Looking at your taverna menu, you could sometimes see something like “cover fee” or “service charge.” This has nothing to do with tipping. A minor payment often covers bread and non-bottled water in a jug.
Tipping at a Coffee Establishment
If you’ve received excellent service, a tiny gratuity is always appreciated. If you drank a coffee in Greece, you could round up to the next euro or just put a few pennies in the tip jar by the till. Tipping in cafés and bars is best done by rounding up your bill to the closest euro.
Tipping for Hotel Services
The majority of the low-cost, family-run homes will not have a porter. The owner or receptionist may occasionally volunteer to assist you with your bags. Tipping is not required.
If you stay at an upmarket hotel, a porter typically assists you with your luggage. Room service may also deliver dinner or beverages to your hotel room. It will be appreciated if you leave some additional money.
You might also leave a gratuity for the maid on your bedside table when you check out. Again, how much to tip in Greece is entirely up to you. A 5 or 10 euros daily gratuity might be suitable for a high-end hotel.
Tipping Tour Guides
Another group you may choose to tip will be tour guides if you appreciate the tour they offered you. Greece’s tour guides are exceptionally well-educated. Most of them hold master’s degrees in Greek history. Private tours will amaze you!
In Greece, good tour guide gratuities are usually 10-15% of the tour ticket, but the final decision is truly up to you since there are no hard and fast regulations here, and they will be thankful for whatever tip you offer them.
When making the trip in a group, it’s customary to tip between a few coins (a modest tip), like 2 and 5 Euros per participant. Or you might tip your guide 15 or 20 Euros for a private tour. You can decide whether it was a good service or an exceptional service based on the tour price overall. Generally, tour guides on the Greek islands tend to be a bit more expensive.
Be sure to remember: Your tips should be in euros.
Dropping coins of various currencies on the table will make it difficult for your servers to swap or utilize them. Tip in euros only, or don’t tip at all. Also, remember that adding a gratuity to your credit card bill may be difficult since this is exceedingly unique and unknown in Greece.
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