Tipping in Venice : When and how much to tip? (2024)

FAQs

Tipping in Venice : When and how much to tip? ›

Plan to tip around 10-15% in Venice restaurants. However, the exact tip amount when eating out in Venice depends on the place, occasion, and order size. It's customary to give your waiter or waitress a slightly higher tip than you would a bartender, as they are likely sharing their tip with the kitchen staff.

Is tipping customary in Italy? Tipping isn't the norm in Italy like it may be in North America and some other countries in Europe, but it is still appreciated. Feel free to leave a small amount if the service has been particularly good.

It should only be given for good service or if you really enjoyed the experience, food, service, etc.. If you're concerned about only leaving a 10% tip or no tip at all, servers in Italy don't rely on tips in order to make a living wage.

(While not required or even expected, if your gondolier does the full 35 minutes and entertains you en route, a 5–10 percent tip is appreciated; if he's surly or rushes through the trip, skip it.)

Tip in the local currency

Whenever you tip during your trip to Italy it is important to use the local currency, that is - Euros. Otherwise you'll leave your service providers with cash they can't use without paying high fees on currency exchange.

In Venice, like many popular travel destinations, tips and gratuities are discretionary and dependent on the service quality you've received. Sometimes it's appropriate to tip simply because it's customary - for example in a restaurant, hotel or cab.

Tipping the housekeeping staff one euro per night is the custom in Italy. Leaving a tip every day ensures the gratuity gets to the person responsible for making the bed and bringing clean towels that day.

In Italy, a good rule of thumb is to consider the duration of your tour. If you spent half a day or less on a tour, you might consider tipping your guide between five and 10 euro. If your experience was close to a day in length, a tip of 10 euro or so would be gratefully received.

A 15–20% tip is a good rule of thumb for someone who braved the store, shopped for the best produce, waited in line, fought traffic, and brought groceries right to your front door so you didn't have to do any of that. The same goes for stores like Walmart and Kroger that offer in-house delivery services.

However, if you're buying a ticket on the spot, you will have to pay in euros. Gondoliers do not take any other form of payment except cash. 5. What are gondola rides ticket prices for kids?

Do you tip after a gondola ride? ›

A gratuity is already included in the price of your gondola ride in Venice, so don't feel obligated to tip your gondolier further. That said, you may have a gondolier who goes above and beyond your expectations.

- Please bring cash on the day to cover the gondola ride, as they do not take credit cards. - Alternatively, during busy times (afternoons and weekends) , you may purchase tickets in advance from the official agency websites to avoid needing to wait for an available Gondola , which is included in your shoot time.

In general, leave a tip in Euros. Exceptions to this rule: Tip in local currency in Russia, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.

As mentioned above, waitstaff in Italy get paid a living wage and there's no cultural expectation of tipping. However, if you're so inclined to leave a little thank you for a job well done, no one is going to stop you. In fact, the cash will be appreciated.

What you do need cash for will be: most taxis, markets, cafés, and small convenience stores. Bear in mind that many of these outlets have problems in breaking large bills (€50s or even sometimes €20s), so preferably carry as many small notes (€10s and €5s) and as much loose change with you as you can.

No, tipping isn't considered rude in Italy. While not expected, a small tip shows appreciation for exceptional service and is generally well-received.

Venetians see tipping as optional. Most people consider good service a standard and leave a tip only if the service is exceptional. Unlike in other countries, like the United States, there is no need to calculate the appropriate percentage from the bill. Tipping should come from the heart as a gesture of appreciation.

There is no need to tip anywhere in Italy. Maybe round up the fare to some convenient amount. We tipped a few euros, I think the taxi we took was 85 euros split between 2 couples so we each gave him 45 euros, it was just easier.

Venetian merchants prefer MasterCard and Visa, but American Express is usually accepted in popular tourist destinations. Credit cards aren't accepted everywhere, though; if you want to pay with a credit card in a small shop, hotel, or restaurant, it's a good idea to make your intentions known early on.