The “Tipping Protocol” in Spain

The ¨Tipping Protocol¨ in Spain

¨Don’t be bringing your dirty tipping habits to Spain!¨

The above was from one of our favorite Facebook members setting a Spain-newbie straight. People get angry when it comes to tipping.

I get why people want to be overly generous when coming to Spain. They don’t want to appear cheap. And since many may not know the tipping rules, they’d rather err on the generous side. There’s also a certain feeling of guilt leaving a small tip, especially if coming from North America (the US in particular) where the tipping protocol is to leave a 20% tip.

On the other hand, people coming in and suddenly leaving big tips ruins it for everyone else. It’s not something people do here in Spain and you’re upsetting the status quo. It’s similar to foreigners coming in to rent an apartment/buy a house and, without blinking, paying double what a local pays just because ¨ we would be paying double that in the US¨. You can’t think that way, long term that ruins a place for everyone. Every place is different and you should respect that difference – just as a Spaniard going to the US should recognize that dropping a few coins on a table as a tip will incite dirty looks and possibly a confrontation.

So what is the proper ¨Tipping Protocol¨ here in Spain? I cover that in this post.

---

---

The first thing you should know is that there’s no ¨rule¨ about tipping. It’s totally discretionary and is what a ¨tip¨ used to be – a bonus for good service. Unlike America, workers in Spain earn a salary and their income is not dependant on tips. Of course they’ll appreciate a tip but they won’t give you the stink eye if you don’t tip. That might be different in touristy restaurants where waiters unfortunately have come to expect a tip (see my note above on how foreigners can ¨ruin¨ a place with their tipping habits). But anywhere else you won’t be ¨expected¨ to tip. We’ve often received surprised thank you’s when tipping a taxi driver or the waiter at the local tapa bar. So when I mentioned ¨tipping rules¨ just know that it’s not mandatory or expected…but it is appreciated.

So how much to give? Well, it depends on the situation.

Tapas bars, cafés and local restaurants

We always go to the bars, cafés and restaurants in our Granada neighbourhood. There are no tourists that come here, it’s all locals.

We’ll often have a couple of drinks and tapas each and the bill will come out to about 14 Euros. How much to tip? If it’s 14 Euros I’ll leave a Euro as change (ie 15 Euros total). If it was 13.50 I would leave 1.50 Euro – I round up to the next Euro and leave an extra Euro. But that’s me. If the beer was served warm or the tapa was mediocre I might not leave anything.

I look around and most people don’t leave anything. If they do it might just be the change rounding up to the next Euro (ie. if it’s 13.50 Euro leave 14 Euros).

But it’s often happened that I’ve forgotten to take cash or change and I’ll pay with my card. When that’s the case I don’t leave a tip. I feel guilty whenever that happens but you know what? I’ve never once received an unfriendly look. Again, many locals don’t tip and if they do it is a very small amount. And the next time we come to the same restaurant we get the same friendly service…and I’ll remember to bring some change for a tip.

Sitting at a bar and ordering a drink? It is not customary in Spain to tip the bartender. But again, if you like the bartender and you have a bit of extra change after paying for your drink, then leave a few coins.

---

---

A ¨fancier¨restaurant

On the rare occasion we eat in a fancier restaurant (which usually means a downtown restaurant which also receives tourists), we’ll be more generous with out tipping.

First of all, make sure a tip isn’t included in the bill. It’s rare (I haven’t seen it in Spain) but if it’s a touristy place you may see it included. It could be as much as 15%. Note: it’s actually illegal to add a service charge and if you make a fuss they should remove the charge.

If tip is already included, don’t leave an additional tip.

If no tip is included, then 10% is the ¨general rule¨ – again, it’s no a rule per se but it’s what would be perceived as ¨fair¨ in a fancier restaurant. But don’t go over that 10%, it’s just not done in Spain.

Taxi cabs

Tipping a taxi driver is never expected in Spain. Taxi fares are generally (in my opinion) pretty fair to the driver. But again, if you meet a friendly driver who gives you information and who you like, then it’s fair to leave some change or even a Euro. Especially if he helps you with your baggage (although note, you’ll often be charged for pieces of baggage put in the trunk).

But again, a tip is not expected…but appreciated.

---

---

Tipping Housekeeping in a hotel

I didn´t know this before doing a bit of extra research for this post: but tipping is not expected for housekeeping. We’ve always left a euro or two for the maid because it’s a tough job and we know they’re generally not well paid. And maybe we’re just used to tipping a maid based on our travels.

A tip is not expected. But it is certainly very appreciated, especially if you find that housekeeping does a great job with your room.

Porters and other staff in a hotel

In most hotels you won’t have staff offering to carry your bags or holding the door open for you. I’m talking about your basic 3 star or even 4 star hotel. But in a 5 star you’ll have porters and if they carry your bag or take you up to your room then you should give them a few Euros.

Room service can go either way. Usually you’ll pay a bit extra for room service, that extra is in theory supposed to be for the person who brings your food up. The ¨general rule¨ is that you don’t tip for room service. I’ll be honest though: I’ll usually give a euro or two to room service personnel.

Airport shuttle. Last week I had a stay in a Madrid hotel on a layover between flights. It meant taking an airport shuttle. The driver made a big fuss taking my bag into the back of the van and of reminding me when we reached our destination of my bag. He clearly hoped for a tip…which I gave him (I had a spare euro in my pocket). The next day going back to the airport I didn’t tip him (no spare euro) and I noticed nobody else tipped him either.

---

---

¨Free¨Tours

¨Free Tours¨ are never free. You should always tip your guide, usually at minimum 10 Euros. For us it’ll depend on the quality of the tour and the number of people in the tour. If it’s a small group we’ll give more because we figure we have to make it worth it for the guide. Maybe we’ll give 15 Euros each. If it’s a large group of 15 people or more then we’ll give them less.

I mentioned free tours. How about a tour where you’ve paid for a ticket to something and a guide comes with it? Last year for example, we did the Caminito del Rey and a guide led our group of about 100 people through the canyon. The guide was way in the front, we were way in the back. Even when he stopped to give us a moment`s worth of information it was perfunctory. He didn’t care. It was part of his job and he was getting paid for it. We didn’t tip him anything at the end.

Again, there is no tipping ¨rule¨- we tip if we feel the person deserves it.

Food delivery

If you order from Uber Eats or any other delivery service, you’ll notice a delivery charge in the bill. Does this get to the food deliverer? I don’t know. But these people are at the bottom of the salary ladder so I always make sure to give them a couple of Euros.

---

---

General Advice

Round up: If you want to do it like the Spanish, leave change up to the nearest Euro. So if the bill comes to 9.50 Euros, leave 10.

Tip in Cash: I’ve mentioned in passing that I usually only tip in cash. The only exception is where we’re eating in a fancier restaurant where we’ll be paying by credit card anyway.

But since tipping is usually in smaller amounts, it’s better to do it in cash. I usually have a little bag with me with loose change and will use that for tips. Besides anything, I know that I’m giving it directly to the person who provided the service and not to the bar/café owner who may not give the tip to the waiter.

Reward good service: A tip is exactly that in Spain  – a ¨tip¨ for good service. If you get lousy service don’t feel that you have to give anything.

You’re in Spain so act like the Spanish. This goes back to my opening paragraph. Don’t bring your behaviours from back home to Spain. That’s how we all ruin places. When in doubt, look around to see what others are doing, especially in places frequented by locals. 

The bottom line is that there is no hard rule or obligation when it comes to tipping in Spain. You got shitty service? Then don’t tip. Great service? You tip as you feel is deserved but within reason.

Related: Restaurant laws in Spain (and what you can’t be charged for!)