Do You Tip in Greece? A Guide to Tipping Culture in 2024
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The quick answer to this is that you can tip in Greece. It’s not considered rude, and any extra payment is generally welcomed and appreciated. But there’s certainly some nuance around tipping and what and when to tip in Greece does vary.
If you ask whether to tip in Greece in a Facebook group or go and read any other posts on this topic, I’m sure you’ll get a wide variety of answers. So, straightaway, you can see there’s no hard and fast rule to tipping etiquette.
For those of you travelling from the US or Canada then you’ll find the situation quite different to what you’re used to. The Greece tipping culture is much more akin to the UK and other European countries.
And I think things are a bit different when you live here than when you come on holiday/vacation and are in a very touristy area. But tip as you see fit, and feel free to use the following as a guide.
The information below applies to both the mainland and the Greek islands.
What to Tip In Greece
The first thing to clarify is that the currency in Greece is the Euro. I commonly see people asking if they can pay and/or tip in Greece using United States dollars. And the answer is no.
Tip with Euro notes and/or coins
Having said that, when I came back from the UK one time, I accidentally gave a taxi driver a £5 note from my purse instead of the €5 that was in there. He did say if it had been $5 he would have taken it and changed it, but that’s the only time I’ve heard anyone welcome dollars.
As a rule, don’t expect to pay or tip in Greece using American Dollars or any other currency. It’s also a good idea to have cash in local currency for tips. There’s no guarantee that anything added to a card payment will go to the person you intend.
Who and How to Tip in Greece
Taxi Drivers
I’ve heard consistently that you don’t tip taxi drivers, although it’s common practice to round up to the nearest euro. Often, the driver will go ahead and do that anyway, so don’t necessarily expect to get any small change back from your notes.
In some circumstances, your cab driver will also add a surcharge for certain things. They’ll probably add a couple of euros to the tariff if they have to lift heavy suitcases for you or have an unusual addition, like when I travel with my cats.
So bear that in mind if you choose to tip them for your luggage.
Yellow taxis at the port
I have to say that whenever I use FREENOW (like Uber, which is also in Greece), I pretty much always add a tip. Although the service is basically the same, I think I’m so used to tipping in apps for things like food delivery it seems the right thing to do.
Anyway, in FREENOW tips used to be done in percentages. But I noticed recently they changed it to set amounts like 0.50, 1 , 2 or optional euro amount.
FREENOW taxi app allows you to choose the tip value when you confirm
Private Transfer Drivers
For pre-booked transfer services where the drivers help with your luggage, I’d add around a 10% tip for them.
Tipping Tour Guides in Greece
Again, this varies a bit depending on what type of tour you’ve been on.
Free Walking Tours
The first time I took a free walking tour, I didn’t realise you had to pay. (Something about the word “free” in the title, I think 😆)
Anyway, a tip of up to around 10 euro is probably about right for free tours. If you’re travelling on a real budget, hence taking the free tour option, I think a modest tip of 5 euro is reasonable.
Group Tours
For those participating in a group tour, Oral Sarisoy from Travellove Athens says it’s customary to tip your tour guide around 2 – 10 euro per person, based on your experience. This applies to half or full-day tours as well as multi-day group tours.
Tipping on Private Tours in Greece
Private Tour Guides
Tour Guides put in a lot of work to create a smooth experience and deliver information to you in a compelling and memorable way.
David Doepfer from Grecia Go recommends tipping 15-20% of the tour price for private tours, whether they’re one-day or multi-day.
Private Tour Drivers
If a private driver is included to take you around some of the sites on a day or multi-day tour, then they most likely will expect you to tip. Again, the topic of tipping on private tours is highly debated and ultimately down to you.
Decide on a daily amount and give this as a lump sum at the end of your tour. (If the tour is more than one day long.)
Whatever you choose, the driver’s tip should be less than what you give your guide since their job is less involved.
Hotel Staff
Family-run hotels are very common in Greece. You’re not expected to tip since you’re paying them anyway.
However, if you’re staying in a larger or chain hotel, the team members you may wish to tip include housekeeping staff, bellboys, bar staff, and restaurant waiters/waitresses.
I don’t believe that tipping is expected, but the extra money will certainly be appreciated. Despite the booming tourism industry, frontline service staff are usually on minimum wage and often work very long hours.
As a general guideline for tipping hotel staff, you can leave a small tip of around 1-2 euro per case/bag that is brought to your room as well as for room service.
Similarly, leaving 2 – 3 euro per day in your hotel room for the housekeepers is appropriate. For bar and wait staff members, you could tip 10% for table service.
If you’re staying in a very luxurious hotel in one of the most popular tourist areas, you have the discretion of more generous tipping.
If you’re unsure what the appropriate amount would be, you can always ask the hotel concierge for guidance.
Cafe Tipping Culture
Locals and Greek friends of mine advise just rounding up the bill in coffee shops and cafes. If you experience really good service you can always choose to give a higher tip. But just one or two euros would be enough.
If you’re taking something away, there’s usually a tip jar on the counter that you could throw a few coins into.
Tipping in Greek Restaurants
In restaurants, it’s common to leave 10-20% of the final bill as a tip for the meal. Again, you can always reward exceptional service with more generous tips.
You’ll sometimes find a service charge on the bill. It covers things like the bread and any accompaniments. You can have those removed and the charge removed if you wish. However, if you leave it on, that’s not in place of a tip.
It’s best to leave a cash tip, though, and give it directly to your server. Tips applied to your debit card/credit card may or may not make it the person who helped you.
Remember that in many Greek tavernas, it’s the owner who’s serving you. That may influence your decision to tip in addition to the cost of your meal.
You don’t need to tip for fast food or takeaways that you collect.
Tipping Delivery Drivers
If you’re ordering food or other items either directly through the store or through an app like efoods or Wolt then it’s normal to tip drivers.
Again, something nominal, like 1 to 2 euro, is fine. If you’ve placed a particularly large, heavy or bulky order, you may wish to leave a bit more.
The app will advise, but generally, the driver will get your tip even if you pay by card in advance.
You can always choose to give them a coin in person when they arrive. But I worry that I’ll get put to the back of the queue if I pay through the app and they don’t think I’m giving a tip!
I’ve actually never ordered takeaway ice cream, but I can recommend the Bufala chain!
Greece Tipping Guide Summary
So there you have it. There are no hard and fast rules for tipping in Greece. Take this as a guide and use your discretion based on service quality and experience.
More About Greek Culture
To learn more about culture in Greece, read about one of the most popular holidays of the year, best beers to try and where to find the capital’s top coffee spots.
