Do I need to tip in Rome?

Understanding when and how much to tip in Rome, as in whole Italy, can be tricky and not very clear for tourists, Rometriptips wants to help you to do the appropriate move in every situation.

Let's see the different situations.

In a restaurant

-You never have to tip. Trust us. Just observe the locals. Some tip and some do not. -If the word “servizio” appears on your bill, you don’t need to leave anything else. You are already being charged extra for service. -Leaving a euro or two per person is customary amongst local tippers. This is appropriate in most situations. If you go to a super nice expensive place like La Pergola, feel free to leave a little bit more, but don’t go overboard. €20 on a €500 check at La Pergola is considered generous. -Forget about percentages.

Tips are not expected in restaurants in Italy. However, a service charge is often added, in a way that can often cause confusion for the visitor. If the word “servizio” appears on your bill, you don’t need to leave anything else. You are already being charged extra for service.

This is not to say that exceptional service shouldn’t be rewarded, and won’t be gratefully received, but the payment structure for restaurant workers in Italy means that staff are not reliant on tips to survive. Most Italians may leave change of a few coins after a meal or when buying a coffee, but they certainly don’t work to a 20% structure.

We understand that if one has grown up in a tipping culture, the feelings of guilt at not tipping may be overwhelming, but here’s how you can alleviate it: on the other side many visitors become outraged when they look at their ‘conto’ (the check) and find that the small basket of dry bread they’ve been nibbling on during the meal has been charged at €4 or €5.

We do not want in any way to discourage you from being generous, but before you dispute that bread charge, or complain that the bottle of water should be free, remember that the money you don’t tip is being made up by the table charge for basics.

In a bar

(‘bar’ in Italy usually means café – they do serve alcohol but that’s not their primary purpose and many bars don’t stay open late) there’s a difference in price between a coffee drunk while standing at the bar, and one taken sitting down, or at an outside table. This, too, is a service charge: theoretically it supplements the salary of the person bringing the drink to the table. Many locals Tips €0.05–€0.10 for whatever they drink standing up at a coffee bar, placing it on the receipt, €0.25 or more for table service in a café. At a hotel bar, tipping €1 and up for a round or two of cocktails it is very generous, more in the grander hotels. We suggest you to take a look even at our post “How to order a coffee in Rome”.

On sightseeing tours

tip guides about €1.50 per person for a half-day group tour, more if they're very good. In museums and other places of interest where admission is free, a contribution is expected; give anything from €0.50 to €1 for one or two people, more if the guardian has been especially helpful. Service station attendants are tipped only for special services.

In Taxi

Taxi drivers don’t expect a tip but it is generous and very appreciated if you leave around 1 euro.

Even the NCC (the car with the driver that you rent from the airport or to the airport) doesn’t expect a tip but 2 to 5 euros it will be a nice gesture if you will give it to the driver.

In hotel

for two people in a double room, leave the chambermaid about €1 per day, or about €4–€6 a week, in a moderately priced hotel; tip a minimum of €1 for valet or room service. Increase these amounts by one half in an expensive hotel, and double them in a very expensive hotel. In very expensive hotels, tip doormen €0.50 for calling a cab and €1 for carrying bags to the check-in desk, bellhops €1.50–€2.50 for carrying your bags to the room, and €2–€2.50 for room service.

Recap: In the restaurants you never have to tip. Trust us. Just observe the locals. Some tip and some do not.

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