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How t o U nd e rst and Sp ani sh T i p p i ng & Grat ui t i e s

Just Whe n Do You T i p i n Sp ai n?
Po sted o n April 28, 2014 by T o tally Spain

How to Understand Spanish Tipping & Gratuities Just

When Do You Tip in Spain?
www.totallyspaintravel.com /2014/04/28/tipping-in-spain/
by Totally Spain

Along with mealtimes in Spain, the topic of tipping and gratuities often crops up. Its a tricky subject. While the
Spanish are not big tippers per se, it is true that the tipping culture has come to Spain. That said, gratuities are not
expected. It is certainly not a legal requirement to tip. People working in the Spanish hospitality sector are usually
full-time employees and are paid a salary for the work they do. But if you come from a country where tipping is
customary and you are travelling in the more touristic areas of Spain, you certainly wont be insulting anybody by
leaving a tip.
Weve put together some concrete examples of when you should or shouldnt tip in Spain below but the norm here
(if you want to follow local tipping etiquette), is small change for bars and taxis, single euros for other
transactions including everyday restaurants and anywhere between 5 and 10 percent for more elaborate meals.

Coffees
If you order a coffee at a bar you dont need to tip although we do sometimes if weve made full use of the
facilities such as reading a few magazines and newspapers or a few toilet runs with the kids. (Youll never have to
pay to use a toilet in Spain and standards vary significantly). If you order a coffee whilst seated at a table, you dont
need to leave a gratuity but if the service is good or helpful, you could leave small change.

Wines, Beers & Tapas

As per coffees, we might leave small change especially if given free olives, cheese or jamon etc or if given help
selecting a wine etc. If the tapas experience is more of a sit-down affair, we would always tip.
Simple sit-down meals
If you have a simple meal such as a set-price menu del dia, you can tip the small change. For example, if a lunch
for
two

You can leave some small change as a tip for a few coffees but its not necessary. Photo credit: marfis75 via photopin cc

people plus coffees comes to 21 euro, leave a 1 or 2 euro coin if you were happy with the experience. Tipping
more than 1 euro per person for a simple meal would be unusual. Unless you were given a lot of extras
Eating Alone, Special Dietary Requirements & Large Groups and Evening Meals
We recommend tipping a bit more when you are eating alone and the place is really busy. We would usually leave
an extra euro or even two although of course this is not expected. We would also leave a gratuity if you are given
free drinks at the end of a meal or if your coffees were on the house. When somebody goes to great lengths to
translate a menu, play with your child, or provides extra special attention by preparing a decent kosher-style,
vegan, vegetarian or celiac meal etc we would tip a percentage of the meal rather than a single euro coin. And if
you are out with a large family group and the staff are very accommodating, you should pay a percentage between 5
and 10 percent. And for some reason, probably because the meals are more elaborate we usually tip more for
evening meals.
High Dining
Tips for top class restaurants or Michelin-star restaurants would follow more international lines as you really are
getting high levels of service here. We would tip around 10 percent if happy and more if you felt you were given
good value for money which is almost always the case, in our experience.

How to Read the Restaurant Bill in Spain

On the receipt, you may see something that looks like a service charge per person. It may be labelled pan which is
bread and can be anything up to 2.50 per person. Its a cover charge that is applied by many restaurants to
guarantee a certain amount per diner which in a country such as Spain where many dishes are shared is not to
be applauded but can be understood. It is exactly that a cover charge and should not be interpreted as a gratuity.
Another line on the bill (often towards the end) you will come across is IVA this is VAT and should not be confused
with a service charge.
Paying the Tip with the Bill
As with anywhere else, if you want the tip to go to the person who gave the good service seek them out or refer
to them when leaving the tip. Never ask for the gratuity to be added to the meal total and charged on your credit
card. This may be commonplace in many countries but is not in Spain. Cash is king when it comes to tipping.
Bars/Late night drinking
If you are ordering a few beers
or wines at a bar in the
evening, you dont need to tip.
If you are getting table service
and are happy with it, you
could leave small change or a
few euro coins especially if
you are ordering the more
expensive drinks such as
cocktails and spirits which can
be beautifully prepared and
are very labour-intensive. If
you are having a wine in a
small neighbourhood bar and
are grateful for a friendly smile,
you could leave a small tip at
the end when paying. If youre
in a late night bar without table
service, you would never
leave a tip.

Hotel Tipping
Porterage doesnt really exist
in Spain in the way it does in
Anglo-Saxon countries. Unless
you are in a five-star hotel you
usually wont find anybody
designated to help with your
bags. If somebody does take
your bags from your car or
lobby to your room they

should be tipped usually a

euro per bag up to a total of 5
euro. For room service you
can tip the person who
delivers your meal or drinks
1 euro for drinks is plenty
and 2 euro for something
more elaborate. For
chambermaids we often
leave a few euro coins at the
end of our stay but it isnt
expected.

If you get great service, free coffees or liqueurs, help with translating the menu or special meals prepared, we
would recommend a 5-10 percent tip. Photo credit: McPrior via photopin cc

Transport
For taxis, you could round up
the loose change. For
example if your journey
comes to 9 euro you could
leave the euro if the journey
was comfortable and the
driver was pleasant. If it
wasnt, just take the euro
change. If it was 9.75 and
the experience was good,
leave the change. We
sometimes find that when you
leave a gratuity, the driver will
wait to see you get into the
hotel or apartment safely
which is nice when its late at
night in a city you are not
familiar with.
If you contract a service for
assistance at a train station
you could tip but it wont be
expected. You will not find
assistance at bus stations or
You wont find a tip included on one of these in Spain. Its an optional extra. photo credit: hollywoodsmile310
train stations unless
via photopin cc
requested in
advance. Airports are similar.
You will not find anybody to assist with bags. If you need assistance such as a wheelchair, you need to arrange this
in advance and we would recommend a tip if the driver goes beyond the call of duty again it wont be expected.
For private drivers, we would recommend tipping at the end of the journey/day/period of contract for extra services
provided. For example, if they carry your bags, translate for you, organise any additional services such as tickets for
a train or theatre or meal. Remember that knowledge is time. And unless you have researched the area (and even
when you have) its hard to beat the personal recommendations of a local.
Hairdressers and other Service Industries

Hairdressers. You are getting a trim or blow-dry and it comes to 9 or 14 euro. If you wanted you could leave 1 euro
thats what we do. You could leave 2 euro if you were given an amazing level of service that went beyond the call
of duty for example if you dont speak Spanish and the hairdresser really made an effort to understand you and
what you needed done. Its similar for beauticians and spas for treatments. You would leave one or two euro if you
wish but it is not expected.
We cant think of many reasons for tipping in a shop. We think its safe to say that in a shop, you dont need to leave
a gratuity.
For deliveries you could tip a euro or two if you have you shopping delivered to your hotel or self-catering
apartment especially if you are in a particularly awkward location or if the building doesnt have a lift. If you are
staying in a self-catering apartment
and need to get somebody to call out
for example a locksmith or plumber,
you could tip 5 euro for the callout.
Guides/Drivers
We do tip when we know we are
working with self-employed people
when they go beyond the call of
duty. Take the example of a
guide. Beyond the call of duty varies
depending upon the situation and place
but it can be anything from a truly
genuine welcoming smile and their
knowledge of where you have come
from and what you have already seen.
It can be practical such as when they
take a few photos for you of your
group and point out good locations for
photos. We especially love when
guides take us off the beaten track and
show us places that are very
personal to them and we believe
these reasons and a few others are
well worth a nice tip because no
amount of guidebook reading would
bring you there.
For half-day tours with a private
guide, it is entirely at your discretion,
but we would suggest a minimum of
10 15 euros per couple would be
welcome and more if you are extremely
pleased. We would only suggest this
Youre better off with a wheelie case in Spain as porterage often isnt available. Photo credit: Ben
for the private sector eg we wouldnt tip
Husmann via photopin cc
a state employee at the Prado museum
but we would tip a privately contracted
guide for a tour of the Prado. If you have a guide for the day you are pleased with, we would suggest a
minimum of 15 25 euros per couple. For private drivers we would suggest 15 20 euro per day . Of course,

no gratuity is ever expected and you wont ever be put under pressure to tip, so please make your decision based on
the quality of service you receive rather than feeling you have to.
Whether you do or dont tip, remember that when a guide or driver gives you personal recommendations for places
to
visit
or

This euro coin is your best friend when unsure about tipping in Spain. Photo credit: alf.melin via photopin cc

suggest places to eat, you should advise the owner (especially if it is off the beaten track) that you were sent by your
guide. It wont do you or them any harm. And while we are on this topic, if you are particularly happy with your guide
or any other self-employed services, you should always let your tour operator know. Spain isnt the easiest or
cheapest country to be self-employed and we believe an entrepreneurial spirit is to be praised.
Tipping & Gratuities In Spain The Summary
Compared to the US and the UK, tips in Spain are often small change literally. If you like to tip for good
service something between 5 and 10 percent is more than enough.
Useful Phrases for Tipping in Spain
Propina=tip
Asi esta bien=thats fine (keep the change)
Quiero dejar una propina para nuestro camarero/conductor/guia =I want to leave a tip for our
waiter/driver/guide
Esto es para la chica que me lavo el pelo = This is for the girl who washed my hair
Muchas gracias por la ayuda = Thanks for your help (use it when handing over a tip)
Muchas gracias por traducir = Thanks for translating (doesnt make sense I suppose but its nice to use a bit
of Spanish)

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Get in touch with the experts at Totally Spain. Phone Spain on +34-942-637358, from the USA on 1-888-7174514, and from the UK on 0871-6660214 or SEND US AN EMAIL or REQUEST A QUOTE

Tipping at hairdressing, beauticians and spa treatments one or two euro again small change is fine but tips arent expected. Photo credit:
estelabelleza via photopin cc

Whether they carry an umbrella or not, we think guides should be tipped if they go beyond the call
of duty. Photo credit: garryknight via photopin cc

Just as currencies vary from place to place so too do the tipping customs. Photo credit: pfala via photopin cc