UPDATED: 20 June 2025
Along with mealtimes in Spain, tipping and gratuities are among the topics our clients ask about most frequently. As a Spain-based travel agency specialising in custom travel to Spain & Portugal since 2000, Totally Spain has put together 15 clear examples to help you understand when you should (or shouldn’t) tip in Spain. These guidelines are based on one or two people—if you’re in a larger group, simply adjust the amounts accordingly.
How to Understand Gratuities and Tipping in Spain – Just When Do You Tip in Spain?
Tipping can be a tricky subject. While Spaniards are not typically generous tippers, the tipping culture has gradually made its way to Spain. That said, gratuities are not always expected, and tipping is certainly not a legal requirement. Most people working in hospitality in Spain are full-time employees who receive a salary for their work. Private guides, however, are usually self-employed and should be treated differently. If you want to follow local custom, think small change for bars and taxis, a euro or two for everyday meals, and around 5–10% for more elaborate dining experiences. For private guides, see our specific recommendation below. Read on for 15 detailed examples of when—and how much—you might consider tipping in Spain.
1 Gratuities for Private Guides in Spain
We do recommend tipping anyone who is self-employed—especially when they’ve gone above and beyond. Take the example of a private guide. What constitutes ‘above and beyond’ can vary, but it might include delivering a truly engaging tour, offering a warm, personal welcome, or showing a real awareness of where you’ve come from and what you’ve already experienced. It can also be practical—taking group photos for you or suggesting great photo spots. We particularly appreciate when guides take us off the beaten path to places that are meaningful to them. These personal touches can’t be found in any guidebook—and in our view, they certainly merit a generous tip. (You can read about the benefits of hiring a private guide or driver in Spain.)
For half-day tours with a private guide, tipping is entirely at your discretion, but we suggest a minimum of €15 per couple as a gesture of appreciation—more if you were especially pleased. This recommendation applies to the private sector; for example, we wouldn’t normally tip a state-employed guide at the Prado Museum, but we would tip a privately contracted guide leading a tour of the Prado. For a full-day tour with a guide you’re happy with, we recommend a minimum of €25 per couple.
Whether or not you choose to tip, do remember that when a guide or driver offers personal recommendations—such as places to visit or eat—and you enjoy their suggestion, it’s a kind gesture to let the owner know you were sent by them. This is especially appreciated in lesser-known, off-the-beaten-track spots and helps support the local connections that make your trip more special.
Just as currencies vary from place to place – so too do the tipping customs. Photo credit: pfala via photopin cc
2 Tipping for a Coffee in Spain
You can leave some small change as a tip for coffees but it’s not necessary. Photo credit: marfis75 via photopin cc
If you order a coffee at the bar, there’s no need to tip—although we sometimes do, especially if we’ve made full use of the facilities, such as reading a few magazines or making several toilet trips with the kids. (You’ll never be charged to use the toilet in a bar in Spain, as long as you’re consuming something on the premises.) If you’re seated at a table, tipping isn’t expected either, but if the service is particularly friendly or helpful, leaving a few coins as a gesture of thanks is always appreciated.
3 Tips for Wines, Beers & Tapas in Spain
As per coffees, we might leave small change especially if given free olives, cheese or jamon etc or if given help selecting a wine etc. If the tapas experience is more of a sit-down affair, we would always tip. To learn more about tapas in Spain, read our guide to the Unwritten Rules of Tapas.
4 Tips for Simple Sit-Down Meals
If you have a simple meal such as a set-price ‘menu del dia’, you can tip the small change. For example, if a lunch for two people plus coffees comes to 30 euro, leave 2 or 3 euros if you were happy with the experience. Tipping more than 1 euro per person for a simple meal would be unusual. Unless you were given a lot of extras…
If you get great service, free coffees or liqueurs, help with translating the menu or special meals prepared, we would recommend a 5-10 percent tip. Photo credit: McPrior via photopin cc
5 Gratuities for Eating Alone, Special Dietary Requirements & Large Groups and Evening Meals
We recommend tipping a little more when dining alone—especially if the place is busy. In those cases, we’ll often leave an extra euro or two, though it’s certainly not expected. It’s also a nice gesture to leave a gratuity if you’re offered something complimentary, such as a digestif after your meal or coffees on the house. When staff go the extra mile—translating a menu, entertaining your child, or providing thoughtful attention to dietary needs such as kosher-style, vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free meals—we suggest tipping a percentage of the bill rather than just a coin or two. And if you’re out with a large family group and the staff are especially accommodating, a tip of 5–10% is appropriate. Perhaps because dinners tend to be more elaborate, we often find ourselves tipping more generously in the evening.
6 Tips When High Dining in Spain
Tipping at top-class or Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain tends to follow more international standards, as the level of service is exceptionally high. If you’re pleased with your experience, a minimum gratuity of around 10–15% is appropriate—and more if you feel you’ve received particularly good value for money, which, in our experience, is almost always the case.
7 Reading the Restaurant Bill in Spain – Have You Been Charged a Tip Already?
On your receipt, you may notice a charge that looks like a service fee per person. Often labelled ‘pan’ (bread), this can be up to €2.50 per person. It’s essentially a cover charge applied by many restaurants to ensure a minimum spend per diner—understandable in a country like Spain where dishes are commonly shared, though not something we especially applaud. This is not a gratuity, and it should not be treated as such.
You may also see a line near the end of the bill marked IVA—this is Spain’s VAT (value-added tax) and, again, it is not a service charge.
You won’t find a tip included on one of these in Spain. It’s an optional extra. photo credit: hollywoodsmile310 via photopin cc
8 Paying the Tip in Cash
As with anywhere else, if you want the tip to go to the person who gave the good service – seek them out or refer to them when leaving the tip. Never ask for the gratuity to be added to the meal total and charged on your credit card. This may be commonplace in many countries but is not in Spain. Cash is king when it comes to tipping.
9 Tipping in Bars/Late Night drinking
If you are ordering a few beers or wines at a bar in the evening, you don’t need to tip. If you are getting table service and are happy with it, you could leave small change or a few euro coins especially if you are ordering the more expensive drinks such as cocktails and spirits which can be beautifully prepared and are very labour-intensive. If you are having a wine in a small neighbourhood bar and are grateful for a friendly smile, you could leave a small tip at the end when paying. If you’re in a late night bar without table service, you would never leave a tip.
You’re better off with a wheelie case in Spain as porterage often isn’t available. Photo credit: Ben Husmann via photopin cc
10 Tipping in Spain’s Hotels
Porterage doesn’t really exist in Spain in the way it does in Anglo-Saxon countries. Unless you are in a five-star hotel you usually won’t find anybody designated to help with your bags. If somebody does take your bags from your car or lobby to your room – they should be tipped – usually a euro or two per bag up to a total of 5 euro. For room service – you can tip the person who delivers your meal or drinks – 1 – 2 euros for drinks is plenty and 3 euros for something more elaborate. For chambermaids – we sometimes leave a few euro coins at the end of our stay – but it isn’t expected and only really when you have had a stay of 3 or more days.
11 Tips for Taxis in Spain
For taxis, it’s common practice to simply round up the fare. For instance, if your journey costs €9 and the driver was pleasant and the ride comfortable, you might leave the extra euro. If not, there’s no obligation—just take the change. If the fare is €9.75 and you were happy with the service, you might choose to leave the small change. If the driver helps you with your luggage—especially taking bags to the door of your hotel or airport terminal—consider tipping a little more. We’ve often found that when you do tip, drivers will wait to see you safely inside your accommodation, which is a thoughtful gesture when arriving late in an unfamiliar city.
This euro coin is your best friend when unsure about tipping in Spain. Photo credit: alf.melin via photopin cc
12 Tips for Porterage in Spain
If you’ve arranged a service for assistance at a train station, you may choose to tip 2 or 3 euros, although it’s not expected. Assistance at bus or train stations is not generally available unless booked in advance. The same applies at airports—you won’t typically find staff available to help with luggage unless you’ve pre-arranged such a service. If you require special assistance, such as a wheelchair upon arrival, it’s essential to organise this ahead of time.
13 Tips for Private Transfers in Spain
For private drivers, we recommend tipping at the end of the journey, day, or contract period—particularly when they’ve provided additional services. If your driver carries your bags, helps with translation, or goes out of their way to assist you, a gratuity is a kind gesture. Remember, knowledge is time—and even with research, nothing quite compares to a local’s personal recommendations. As a general guideline, we suggest €15–€20 per day. Of course, tipping is never expected, and you will never be made to feel obliged—please base your decision on the quality of service you’ve received. (Read all about about the different types of private drivers in Spain.)
Tipping at hairdressing, beauticians and spa treatments – one or two euro – again small change is fine but tips aren’t expected. Photo credit: estelabelleza via photopin cc
14 Tips for Hairdressers in Spain
At the hairdresser, if you’re having a quick trim or blow-dry, you might leave a €1 or €2 tip. If the service is exceptional, such as a stylist making a real effort to understand you despite a language barrier, leaving €2 – €3 would be a generous gesture. The same applies to beauticians and spa treatments: tipping €1 or €2 is entirely optional and certainly not expected, but always appreciated if the service feels especially attentive.
15 Tips for Deliveries in Spain
For deliveries – you could tip a two or three euros if you have you shopping delivered to your hotel or self-catering apartment – especially if you are in a particularly awkward location or if the building doesn’t have a lift. If you are staying in a self-catering apartment and need to get somebody to call out for example a locksmith or plumber, you could tip 5 euro for the callout.
16 Handy Phrases for Tipping in Spain
- una propina = a tip
- Asi esta bien = that’s fine (tranlates as ” that’s fine, keep the change”)
- Quiero dejar una propina para nuestro camarero/conductor/guia = I want to leave a tip for our waiter/driver/guide
- Muchas gracias por la ayuda = Thanks for your help (say it when handing over a tip)
Did you find this guide to Tipping in Spain useful? Why not check out more of our Useful Info, Insider Guides or Popular Posts? And our guide to tipping in Portugal!