Tipping in Italy: Suggestions, Not Rules
The rules for tipping in Italy are somewhat murky—which also tends to be the case with tipping in other places around the world.
The tradition of tipping dates back to 16th century England, but the custom remains ambiguous hundreds of years later.
We’ve traveled to Italy often and are always uncertain about the tipping protocol. There are several reasons why:
Tipping is culture-specific and personal attitudes about tipping vary widely. Moreover, the etiquette of tipping is always in flux.
(If you look at some of the Reddit threads on tipping in Italy, you’ll see that advice on whether or not to tip in Italy is split with people strongly opinionated on both sides).
It made us realize that we certainly aren’t the only tourists who are unclear about when, who to tip, and how much to tip. And even the savviest travelers experience moments of awkwardness and uncertainty.
Tipping in Restaurants in Italy
Restaurants are where you’ll be wondering what to do after you receive the bill for your meal. Adding to the confusion for any first-time visitor to Italy is the number of charges that may appear on a restaurant bill, notably a cover charge and a service charge.
Many times, a cover or bread and cover is added to the cost of a meal at a restaurant or trattoria. This is a per-person charge for a patron (even children) sitting at a table, using utensils, and being served bread. The law requires the cover to be shown on the menu.
Cover charges are an artifact from an earlier time when locals used to sit down at a bar or restaurant and consume their own food without ordering anything.
An additional service charge may be added to the bill, especially in tourist areas or high-end restaurants. Some people even call it a “tourist tax.” Like the cover, it also needs to be shown on the menu.
However, neither the cover charge nor the service charge takes the place of a tip because the service charge and cover charge both go to the restaurant owner rather than to the waiter who brought you your meal.
How To Tip and How Much To Tip At Restaurants in Italy
This is another case where cash is king.
While people in the US often add tips to their credit card charges, this isn’t done in Italy. (One exception to the rule might be if you are dining in a hotel restaurant operated by an American chain, like Marriott, Hyatt, or Hilton)
Instead, the common practice is to leave your tip in coins or currency on the table or hand it to the server.
Although the amount is up to your discretion, it’s common to leave a 1 or 2 euro coin on the table as a tip or to round up the bill to an even number, leaving the difference as a tip.
As in the States, leaving small coins like pennies or nickels is considered impolite.
Another exception to the murky rules of tipping in Italy: When dining at a fine restaurant, leaving your waiter a tip equivalent to 10-15% of the bill is a nice gesture.
The Bottom Line on Tipping At Restaurants in Italy
If you’re traveling to Italy, the main thing to remember is that tipping in Italy is a gracious gesture that is always appreciated but generally not expected.
Tipping is not mandatory.
In fact, most Italians do not tip waiters. Some Italians fault American tourists for setting a bad precedent when they tip.
And because tipping is so ingrained in American culture, servers often have different expectations of Americans than they do of Italians. This is especially true in large cities with hordes of foreign tourists like Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan.
Some tourists even tell tales of the shameful practice of waiters running after them in the street because they didn’t leave a tip.
Bear in mind that there are some subtle regional differences, and tips for waitstaff may be more common in the north than in the south.
In the end, when it comes to restaurant tipping in Italy, there are no set rules.
Individuals need to make their own assessment of what feels like the right thing to do based on:
- the setting,
- the quality of the service, and
- their own budget constraints.
Travel and Leisure published an article in July 2026 about tipping in Italy. Written by Elizabeth Heath, who had lived in the country for almost two decades, the premise of her article was that times have changed and no-tipping advice is outdated.
“Tipping, especially in sit-down restaurants, is now very much practiced in Italy. And travel guidebooks, influencers, and Italy “experts” who say otherwise are giving outdated advice—and, in my book, being kind of ignorant and mean-spirited,” she wrote.
Other Tipping Tips
How much should you leave when you order coffee or a cocktail at a cafe or bar counter?
Again, a tip isn’t necessary when you grab an espresso at a bar.
However, we tend to leave a few coins for a barista when ordering a cappuccino in the morning. And if we are planning to go to the same bar several mornings in a row, leaving a tip feels like a nice way to stand out and be a goodwill ambassador for our country.
(In Italy, if you sit down with your morning beverage as opposed to standing at the counter, it will cost you more because a service charge will be added to your bill.)
Similarly, we would leave a small tip for a bartender serving a cocktail at the bar or a table. A general rule of thumb is always to leave a tip when served at a table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I tip tour guides?
Most tour guides in Italy are salaried and not totally dependent on tips, but if you enjoyed the tour, it’s customary to leave a tip of between 2-5 euros per person if you are on a group tour. If it is a private tour, 10 euros would be appreciated.
How much should I tip the hotel staff?
We always err on being generous with hotel housekeepers who have a hard job, which has been made even more difficult since the pandemic.
In Italy, we leave 1-2 euros per person per night on the night table with a brief thank you note.
If you are staying at a luxury hotel with a doorman or bellman, we tip them one or two euros per bag.
If you have received outstanding service from a concierge, you might leave 5 or 10 euros to express your appreciation.
Do I need to tip taxi drivers and tour bus drivers?
Again, tipping in Italy is at your discretion, and taxi drivers usually don’t expect tips. But we usually round up a tip for a taxi driver and may add a few extra euros if the driver has helped us with our baggage or was especially accommodating.
We have taken many tour buses, usually on river cruises, and know it is customary to tip the bus driver 1 or 2 euros per person as you exit the bus. If it’s an all-day tour, you may want to increase the tip amount.
How do you adjust your tip when service is disappointing?
Everyone encounters unsatisfactory or unprofessional service from time to time. No matter where this happens, at home or while traveling, you have every right to adjust the tip downward. But don’t hold it back entirely.
Bear in mind that your order may have been slow coming out of the kitchen for reasons beyond your exasperated waiter’s control. Or your hard-working maid may have been given too many rooms to clean because others were sick that day.
In an era of TripAdvisor, Yelp, and other review sites, tips aren’t the only mechanism available to express frustrations over disappointing service. You might also report it to the manager of the restaurant on hotel.
Conversely, service staff appreciates being acknowledged and commended when they’ve done a good job.
Updated on 7/26
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Wikipedia has a helpful entry with information on tipping customs around the world.
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