Tipping in Greece

The Greece Travel Secrets guide to tipping in Greece from two Greece travel experts, including when to tip, what to tip and when not to tip.

Tipping in Greece is different from tipping habits in many other countries. Before writing this page, based on a few decades of travelling in Greece regularly and having many Greek friends, we checked what other websites say about tipping when you're in Greece. We were shocked by the amount of misinformation that's out there.

So many websites exaggerate the need for tipping in Greece and the amount you should tip. They are clearly written by American travellers who have taken their own country's tipping habits to Greece and assumed it's the same over there. Or they're written by people who have never been to Greece and just made it up (it happens).

One website even said that it's common in Greece for restaurants to round up your bill to include the service. This is nonsense. We've had probably thousands of meals in Greece and never once has a restaurant rounded up the bill. The bill is the bill and will be itemised like it is everywhere else in the world.

Here is what you really need to know about tipping in Greece. 

Tipping in Restaurants in Greece

In many restaurants the service charge is already included in the bill. Some menus show two prices for a dish – one without service and one with service. This means service will be included. Otherwise check the bill.

There is no need to add a tip, though it's considered polite to round it up or say 'keep the change'. If you have received good service then by all means add some extra. Waiters still reply on their tips. See our page on Life as a Waiter on Zakynthos.

Greek taverna menu

In Greece there is usually also an automatic cover charge, which is for the bread, water and any nibbles that are there when you sit down.

If service is not included then a tip of about 10% would be appropriate. Greece is not like the USA where generous tips of 15-20% are considered almost mandatory unless the waiter is awful. It's also common practice to leave a few coins on the table for the person who clears away.

The general rule is not to get into a tizzy about tipping in Greece, especially if you're from the USA. Tipping is not expected, though of course always appreciated. It's simply not the big deal that it is in other countries. In touristy places it has become more the norm, but always remember that many Greeks will only give a modest tip, at the most.

Just as an aside, you won't get the bill in Greece until you ask for it. It's not like the USA where the bill is often brought automatically when the waiter thinks you've finished. In Greece they assume you're not finished until you let them know. 

Greek salad

Tipping in Greece: Taxis

If taking a taxi in Greece then round up the bill by a few euros, depending on the size of the fare. Either that or tell the driver to keep the change if it's about the right amount. The driver will automatically include a charge for any luggage that he has to handle. That is the norm in Greece, so no need to tip him extra because he helps you with your luggage – you're already paying for it.

Greek taxi sign

Tipping in Hotels in Greece

If someone carries your bag for then give them one or two euros per bag. For the chambermaid leave one or two euros per day. 

You might also tip a few euros to the concierge if they have been very helpful – as many of them are in Greece.

Two-euro coin in Greece

Tipping Tour Guides in Greece

You would normally tip your tour guide if they have been good, as many are. It depends on the length and price of the tour, but maybe €5 for a half-day tour or €10 for a longer one. You can base this tip on about 10-15% of the tour price.

Bartender making a cocktail in Athens, Greece

Tipping in Bars in Greece

Tipping in a bar in Greece is not expected. You buy a drink and you pay for it. If your drinks costs €9.50, say, you'd give €10 and say 'keep the change'. If they cost €10, you don't need to add on anything. If you have a few rounds of drinks, leave a few euros on the table when you leave. Even that is not expected, but it's considered a nice gesture if you've had good service.

Some of our pages of general Greek information...

  • The Nomads of Greece

    The nomads of Greece are the Vlachs, nomadic shepherds whose capital is Metsovo in the Pindus Mountains, and the Sarakatsani, shepherds in Macedonia and Thrace.

  • Greek Ferry Guide

    Greece Travel Secrets Greek Ferry Guide page uses an extract from the Aferry Greece website with advice on island-hopping, buying tickets online and timetables.

  • Greek Music

    Greek music is the sound of the bouzouki and tunes like Zorba the Greek and Never on Sunday are heard everywhere, while rembetika is called the blues of Greece.

  • Which Greek Island?

    How to choose which Greek island from six of the most popular, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

  • Weddings in Greece

    Weddings in Greece and the Greek islands can be luxury or cheap, are easy to arrange from the UK or USA in Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes.

  • Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands

    The Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands, the largest in size, are listed by Greece Travel Secrets and include Crete, Evia, Lesbos and Rhodes.

  • Travelling Around Greece

    Practical information on travelling around Greece by plane, by ferry, by bus, by train and by driving, including car rental, parking and other driving advice.

  • The Greek Gods

    The home of the Greek Gods was the top of Mount Olympus, and among the better-known Gods and Goddesses in the Greek pantheon were Zeus, Poseidon and Aphrodite.

  • Sailing in the Greek Islands

    Greece Travel Secrets lists four of the best destinations if you want to go sailing in the Greek islands.

  • Quick Guide to Greece: How to Choose the Best Destination for You

    This quick guide to Greece gives advice on choosing the best Greek destination for your holiday, whether in the Greek islands or the mainland.

  • Life as a Waiter on Zakynthos

    Life as a waiter on Zakynthos tells what it was like for travel writer Mike Gerrard to work in a Greek restaurant, the Mantalena in Alykanas.

  • Greek Architecture

    This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.

  • Greece for Beginners

    Greece for beginners is an introduction to Greece and the Greek islands by way of a memoir by travel writer Mike Gerrard about discovering Greek kindness.

  • Greece At A Glance: Currency, Weather and Other Useful Information

    Greece at a glance is a potted guide to the Greek currency, language, weather, health requirements and other information to help you plan a trip to Greece.

  • Luxury Weddings in Greece

    Luxury Weddings in Greece, including venues such as a boutique hotel with deluxe spa on Santorini, can be booked through Ionian Weddings.

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