Tipping in Spain was a difficult subject to navigate when I first moved to Madrid. It didn’t seem that common, and when people tip in Spain the amounts varied quite a lot. I am from London, UK originally and am used to leaving a 10-15 tip, but you may be asking yourself ¨Is tipping in Spain Common¨, if so how much should you tip in Spain?
After living in Spain for nearly 10 years, I have become pretty well versed in how tipping in Spain goes, where to tip, how much to tip, and I want to share this information with you so you wont have to guess or feel embarrassed. I will do my best to let you know about leaving tips in Spain, what the average is and where and how much you should tip.
But I will say that this mostly applies to tourists and locals that live here in Spain do not really leave tips. So don’t think you will be going against the grain if you don’t leave a tip everywhere you go.
What is the tipping policy in Spain? Is it expected to tip in Spain?
So what is tipping etiquette in Spain? Tipping in Spain is not required and you won’t be judged or get a funny look for not doing so, but it is common practice in the more touristic areas. You are not expected to leave a tip everywhere you go, but for things like room service, free city tours and the like, you should definitely leave a little something.
I live in Madrid, so for me the question was should I be tipping in Madrid?, and again, although not expected, around a 10% tip is just fine and really appreciated by the staff. We also travel around Spain quite a lot, and I feel the more rural the area, the less they expect to be left a tip.
If you are here for a while though, you will get the feeling that it is a pretty uncommon practice and probably a lot different to where you are travelling from, but I will give you as many pointers as I can to help you make these decisions.
So how much should you tip in Spain?
The Spanish service sector is a little different in that the workers get paid a full wage, and don’t necessarily rely on tips to make a good living. So how is US tipping differ than tipping in Spain? for example. The 15-20% tip is considered mandatory due to the modest wages, whereas tipping in Spain is a lot more of a choice.
For a lot of the locals, this usually depends on the quality of the service, and it would need to be pretty exceptional to get a good tip. The thing is, the level of service in Spain can be low depending on where you are, and a lot of the old customs are being lost to inexperienced service staff, so it’s more noticeable when you receive really good service.
Most of the time, you will see that people leave a few coins as a tip in Spain, or they will just round it up to the closest euro, and this perfectly acceptable as it is the norm. It was pretty hard for me to adjust to this, because I would leave a 10% tip or more, and my mother in law looked at me like I was absurd, and routinely took some of the tip out of the tray and adjust the amount.
What I will say, is if you are in Spain for a holiday and you are not going to be frequenting the same places more than once, then anything up to a 10% tip of the total will be very generous. If you are here for a while and go to the same bar a few times, then leaving a tip will definitely get you preferential treatment.
Is tipping compulsory in Spain?
Opinions can differ a lot when it comes to tipping in Spain, because it is not considered compulsory to do so. You may hear this is because the level of service is low, but I have not found this to be true, and have mostly had good experiences with the service in bars and restaurants in Madrid.
It does take some adjusting and getting used to, especially if you are from countries like the US where a 20% tip is considered normal, but keep the tip to around 10% and you will do just fine, but never feel pressured in to leaving a tip.
How much do you have to tip in restaurants in Spain?
If you visit one of the many bars or restaurants in Spain you are not expected to leave a tip really, and if you were to leave a few loose coins, 20 cents-1 Euro it would be in line with the norm. But of course, if you are treated really well, the food is great ad the staff welcoming, you can leave as big a tip as your budget will allow.
Spanish people where I live in Madrid tend to be happy and polite in general, so most of my interactions are really pleasant. So when you are done with your meal or your drink, you can wave the waiter over, say “Me Cobras” (charge me please) or “La Cuenta Por Favor” (the bill please), pay the bill and leave a tip you feel is adequate.
Do you tip tour guides in Spain?
For me, this one really does depend on the quality of the service you receive. If you are paying for a tour, or even if it is a free tour in Spain, many of the guides actually work for free, or for very little money. If you go on a tour and the guide is informative, they go out of their way to make sure everyone is following along with all the information and you really feel like you are getting good value, then I feel you should tip the tour guide.
We have been on a lot of these free tours as a family and groups of friends, and if we enjoy the tour, we like to tip the guide 5-10 euros depending on how many of us there are, and we usually invite them to come have a drink with us, but again, tipping on a tour is still a preference and not obliged.
Tipping in Bars & Cafes in Spain
If you don’t travel much, it can be hard to navigate the tipping culture of different cultures, but thankfully, understanding the tipping culture in Spain is pretty easy. If you don’t want to, you simply don’t have to.
We usually have a great time at any bar we go to, so leaving a decent tip is something I enjoy doing, to show my appreciation for having a good time. Tips in Spain are usually given after the bill is settled, so you don’t have to make a decision on the amount to tip in a hurry.
After you have settled the bull, depending if you are with a group of friends or just out having a drink with the family, you can round up a few coins and this is more than enough. But if you want to put a number to it, if you tip around 5-10% in a Spanish bar or Café this will be a perfect amount.
What about tipping in Spanish hotels?
When staying in a hotel in Spain, as with the rest of what we have mentioned, you do not have to leave a tip, and when you arrive, you will usually carry your own bags to the room. However, if the bell boy carries the bags up for you, a tip of a euro or two is greatly appreciated, and the same goes if you want to leave a tip for the cleaning staff.
The fancier the hotel, the more likely it is that the average customer would be leaving a tip, but for the majority of mid range to hostel type hotels, it is a lot less common, but leaving 1 euro on the nightstand for the cleaning staff is always a nice thing to do.
Like with most service jobs, hotel staff are also paid a full wage, and make a good living, so any tip you leave is appreciated and will definitely get you a little preferential treatment.
Can you leave a tip in Spain if you pay by card?
Most of us don’t carry that much cash with us these days, and although I do try and have a few coins on me so I have something to put on the plate at the end of a meal, oftentimes I am caught without. Thankfully, most establishments in Spain have adjusted to this, and when you are paying the bill, you can ask for the tip to be added to the bill.
Being from London, I am used to giving a little something to pizza delivery guys/girls, or to anyone delivering a take away, and these types of places tend to pool their tips and share them amongst the staff. In these cases, I like to leave the tip by card to make sure everyone gets their fair share.
Tipping Travel/Tour Guides In Spain
You may be visiting Madrid, and you have purchased all of your tours as a package, and in many cases these guides have been paid a fee for each tour they direct, but it is still customary to leave a small tip of a few loose coins.
If you are over in Spain on holiday, and you choose to take part in one of the many free tours, these guides really do rely on the tips they are given. Now I will not say that you should tip a tour guide in Spain no matter what, but if the guide is enthusiastic and informative, and you really enjoy the tour, leaving a tip of a few euros is a nice thing to do.
If you don’t want to think too much about this as it can be a little uncomfortable figuring out how much to tip a tour guide, if you have a good time, a tip of up to 10 euros is a reasonable range.
How much should you tip taxi drivers in Spain?
Taxi’s are pretty well regulated in Spain, and the drivers to make a good living, so it is not really expected to tip taxi drivers in Spain, but showing appreciation for any service by leaving a little tip is always appreciated.
If you land at the airport with trolleys full of luggage, and the driver gets out and helps you load an unload your luggage, you can simply round up the fee to the nearest euro, or leave a few coins, but don’t feel like you have to leave a tip.
If you are not using a local taxi, and prefer to use one of the many apps, you usually have an option to tip the taxi driver directly in the app when the journey is complete. But like with everything, if you get good service, you show your appreciation based on this, so don’t feel obliged, but give what your heart tells you, or your budget permits.
Tipping on other transportation in Spain
In the more touristic areas of Spain like the coastal towns, Madrid, Barcelona and the like, you will come across boat services and rickshaws that are becoming more and more popular. The same applies here that you can leave a tip if you enjoy the ride, but it is never compulsory.
The last time me and the kids jumped on one of the Tuk-Tuk tours, we never had any change and I actually gave the guy a couple of beers I had that I was taking with me to a picnic, I just hope He never drank them until He finished work!
Tipping for other miscellaneous services in Spain
So this can be a number of things right. Whilst over here in Spain, you might walk past a really cool, old barber shop and want to get a quick shave. Or you could go and get a massage with your partner to get the most out of your trip, and you might be wondering if you should leave a tip. In short, leave a tip if you want to.
No matter what the activity, if you feel like you received good service, you left with a smile on your face, then feel free to leave a tip of your choosing. There is no set amount of tip to leave in Spain for these kinds of services, so I leave this up to your conscience and to the quality of the service you receive.
Of course, the more popular and touristy the activity, the more likely the staff are going to be used to receiving a tip, but this should in no way make you feel like you have to do the same. Always go with how you feel and you can’t go wrong.
Tipping In Madrid
We do travel around Spain quite a lot, and depending on where you are the customs of tipping may vary, but I live in Madrid, so I have the most experience of tipping in Spain in the capital. Overall, I don’t ever see the locals really tipping that much, and that seems to be ok and accepted, but I like to leave a tip from time to time.
If I am in a bar in Madrid and the service is good, I always leave a few euros. But if I feel like they did the minimum to make us feel comfortable, or if the service was not all that great, I tend to just round the bill up to the nearest euro, and no matter the amount a tip is usually appreciated irrespective.
There is a thing they do over here when tipping in Madrid though, where if they do not like the service, they will leave a single cent to point out that the service was bad, but I would not advise doing this. No need to give way to a negative reaction. If you don’t like the service, just pay your bill and leave a tip if you decide to, and carry on enjoying your holiday.
Summary of tipping in Spain
So as a whole, it is not mandatory to tip anywhere in Spain, and it will always be optional and even when you do decide to tip, there is not a set amount you should, but I did my best to give you some guidelines on how much you should tip in Spain depending on what the occasion is.
Although you are not obliged, if you are going to be staying at a hotel and seeing the same faces everyday, it will get you some preferential treatment if you pass on a few coins to the service workers. We all like to be appreciated after all and when we feel appreciated we give better service. So just return the favor to those who treat you well.
Go with your own feelings, see how much you enjoy an activity before you make a decision about how much to tip, and remember it is not an obligation so any tip will be met with a smile.
FAQ about tipping in Spain
I hope I have covered as much about the tipping culture in Spain for it to be useful, but I will include a few frequent questions to help a little more.
Can I tip in dollars or other currencies in Spain?
Spain’s currency is Euros, and although no one turns down a tip, it would be pretty difficult for someone to have to go and exchange this to the local currency, and they would end up paying a fee, so where possible leave the tip in Euros.
Is it rude to not tip in Spain?
In short, No. You are not expected to leave a tip anywhere in Spain really, but it is always appreciated, so if you receive good service, then you can leave a tip of your choosing.
Can I tip using card payment in Spain?
Most of the world is now on board with card payments, and Spain is pretty modern in this sense where in almost all places you can pay by card. So, when you get the bill, you can ask them to add a tip and pay this using your card.
Is the tip included in the bill in Spain?
I can’t say I have ever seen the tip already added to a bill in anywhere I have been in Spain, so overall I would say no, the tip is not included in the bill. But, it never hurts to have a quick look and double check your bill to make sure it is all correct.