Tipping in tavernas and restaurants in Greece is quite common but not expected in general
Tipping in Greece, in general, is not expected or required, but it is very much welcomed everywhere, especially if you are paying by cash. As a Greek, I know exactly the culture and how much the employees in the tourism sector appreciate tipping in Greece, so I will give you my tips (pun intended!).
As a rule of thumb, everyone in Greece will be happy with a 10-15% tip. In taxis, it is not generally expected, but you could round the amount of money the meter says. In restaurants and cafes, a 10-15% tip should be ok, but your service won’t be affected and you won’t have any issues, even if you don’t tip at all. Overall, tipping is highly recommended when you are paying by cash, as it’s guaranteed it goes directly to the hard working people of the “tourism industry” in Greece, who are extremely underpaid.
Pavlos Inglesis
(Greek, Travelled in almost all of Greece)
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Tipping in Greece
So, here is my advice on tips in Greece but at the ned of the day it’s really up to you:
Tipping a Taxi in Greece
A taxi driver in Greece is never expecting to tip him or her, but in general, it is a good idea to round the amount of money you are told to pay. If for example, the taxi meter says 18.5 euros it is a good idea to just pay 20 euros. As of now, taxis in Greece, are not required to have a card machine (POS – but this is changing in 2024 with a new law), so you cannot pay them by card anyways. Cash is king in a taxi.
Tipping at a restaurant or cafe in Greece
Tipping in cafes and restaurants in Greece is highly advisable and recommended, but it is not expected like it is in the US, to be honest. I am always tipping 10-15% of the total bill, especially if I am paying by cash, as I know for sure this money will go to the waiter or waitress. People who work in the hospitality sector in Greece are extremely underpaid, and even if they get the minimum wage, it is usually not enough. Moreover, they usually work incredibly long hours and days and, in many cases, in poor conditions, as the heavy industry of Greece (that is, tourism) is very poorly regulated. So, go ahead and tip as much as you can. You will make someone’s day.
Tipping a tour guide in Greece
Tipping your tour guide with a small amount, such as 2 or 5 euros per person is highly advisable, but not required or expected. However, if you are on a free tour you should definitely tip as the person giving the tour has probably spent many hours preparing the tour.
Tipping at your Hotel in Greece
Tipping in your hotel in Greece in generally not expected, but it really depends, to be honest. If you are staying in a small family-run boutique hotel, then you wouldn’t tip the owners (by all means go for it if you feel like tipping them, though!), but if we are talking about a larger hotel with hard-working employees dedicated to a task and you get excellent service, attitude and help from someone, then I would highly recommend tipping a 5 or 10 euros as it’s really helping them in this tough industry.
To conclude, I advise everyone to tip as much as possible while in Greece, especially if you are paying by cash. Tipping by card through the POS basically goes to the owner’s pocket and not to the hard-working employee who basically does the job.
