Italy is one of the most popular vacation destinations—and deservedly so. Considering how much great art, food, and music Italy has given the world, it's only courteous to return the favor by knowing what to tip the Italians who host visitors.
In Italy, it's not only the Leaning Tower of Pisa (pictured above) that's tipping.
Do you tip in hotels in Italy?
A service charge of 15% to 19% is already added to the bill.
In addition, it's customary to tip the housekeeper €1 per day, the doorman (for calling a cab) €1, and the bellhop or porter €2 to €3 for carrying your bags to your room.
A concierge expects about 15% extra, as well as tips for additional services performed, which could include help with long-distance calls.
But bear this in mind: In expensive hotels, these euro amounts are often doubled.
Room service delivery does not have to be be tipped, but giving a couple of euros would be nice.
Should you tip in restaurants and cafés in Italy?
In restaurants and cafes, a 15% service charge for staff members is usually added to your bill. If you're not sure whether this has been done, ask, "È incluso il servizio?" (ay een-cloo-soh eel sair-vee-tsoh?). Or look for the words servizio incluso on the bill, which means the service charge has already been included.
An additional tip isn't expected, but it's nice to leave the equivalent of an extra couple of euros if you've been pleased with the service. Often, people simply leave the change left over from the bill.
Do you tip for coffee or drinks in Italy?
If you are only grabbing a quick espresso at a stand-up counter, no tip is expected, although many patrons simply round up their bill to the nearest euro and leave the change.
You are not expected to tip bartenders in Italy, but if a drinks server attends to you at a table, a couple of euros are appreciated. As at coffee bars, some people round up to the nearest euro and leave the change as a tip.
Cloakroom attendants expect €0.75 to €1, and washroom attendants should get €0.50 to €1.
Restaurants are required by law to give customers official receipts.
Try to carry some coins with you, because most credit card slips in Italy do not have a separate line for adding gratuities.
Do people tip taxi drivers in Italy?
Taxi drivers typically get about 15% of the fare, but it's also customary to round up by a few euros. For example, if a fare comes to €12, you might give the driver €15.
Should I tip my tour guide in Italy?
Heavens, yes! A good rule of thumb is €5 per person for every half-day, so a full-day tour would get €10. But if you loved your guide, feel free to tip more—it will definitely be appreciated.
For much, much more of our on-the-ground advice for Italy, bring our award-winning guidebook along with you!
