Tipping in Italy
Tipping in Italy is a bit different than what we are used to here in the U.S. Below are a few guidelines you might find helpful. When we were recently traveling to Cinque Terre with some dear, Italian friends of ours, I was lovingly reprimanded by my Italian "Dad" for tipping the waiter at a local restaurant. Here's why:
When dining out in restaurants and cafes, Italians usually don't tip. The exception to this is if you feel the service went above and beyond, and then leaving a euro or two on the table is considered a nice gesture - but again, not required.
The reason tipping isn't necessarily practiced by the Italians is because the "tip" is more than covered by the service charge "servizio" and a cover charge "coperto" that is added to the price of food and drink.
Usually, a 15% service charge is added to the total. Even so, we Americans can't get past the idea of NOT tipping, so if you want, give the waiter an additional 5%-10%, again, depending on the service and on the quality of the meal.
For taxi rides, the best way to handle payment is to round up the amount to the nearest euro. For example, if the fare is 6,57€ then give the driver 7,00€.
If you have hired a guide or some other type of service provider, a small tip is considered appropriate if you feel the guide did more than was required and you want to show your appreciation.
It's recommended that for a half-day guide, to tip absolutely no more than 20 euro - in fact, if you are part of a smaller group, a good rule of thumb is to tip 1 euro per person or a little more if you feel they've done a wonderful job.
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