Your guide to tipping in Greece

One of the first things I like to introduce to my groups in my initial trip meetings, is tipping in Greece. Large percentages of the groups we see in Contiki, and Greece are from Australia or New Zealand, so tipping is a bit of a foreign concept for them and some can’t really understand why and how to do it.

When travelling in Greece, keep this as a rule of thumb: “Tipping in Greece is not mandatory, but is definitely appreciated.”

Is tipping expected in Greece?

Tipping in Greeceis not mandatory, but is definitely appreciated. In Greece to stay competitive, they keep the wages low. The average monthly wage of a person working in food, hospitality, tourism and catering in Greece is 830 euro,  below the average within the European Union. Wages in Greece have been very slow to recover following the financial crisis in 2008, and wage growth has been limited by high inflation and economic instability.  

We usually say the recommended amount is 10-15% of the bill, or just round it up a couple of euros, depending on the total amount of the bill.

Seasonal tourism

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the tourism industry supports 20% of total employment in Greece. That is 1 in every 5 jobs, is within tourism and hospitality. In tourist-heavy regions, like the Cycladic and Ionian islands, this percentage increases to over 50%.

The Greeks I know personally work really long hours, 6-7 days a week during the summer, to support themselves during the winter, when it’s quieter, a trend shared with the majority of the Greeks. They are hard working, and they offer great service and they do rely on tips. It does baffle me how they can stay so kind and lovely, despite working so hard and long all summer.

Impact of COVID

It would be naive to think that the world closing down for 2 years wouldn’t have a substantial impact on Greece, a country so reliant on the tourism industry. So we need to talk about it. The number of tourists dropped dramatically, from 34 million in 2019. to 7.4 million in 2020 and the decrease of visitors resulted in forced closures, limited operations and significant job losses.

The government did offer financial aid to try and help these businesses, but the recovery remained slow and modest. The reduced operations forced businesses to cut wages and reduce working hours, especially with seasonal workers.

In 2021 and 2022 tourism started to pick up again, however businesses were still wary of the future, so wages remained low, and job security was uncertain. With the cost of living creeping up, this only created additional pressure for both employers and employees. The tourism industry’s ability to return to pre covid wage levels, will depend on global travel trends, and a future that is clear of any other pandemics and crisis.

How can we help? Easy! Continue to visit the wonderful country of Greece! Check out our article on the best time to visit Greece to find out the best time of the year to visit the islands.

Tipping in restaurants

Once again, we can follow the rule of thumb here “tipping is not mandatory but appreciated”. The recommended amount for tipping is 5-10% of the bill. With cash, it is as easy as rounding to the nearest euro. With a card, as previously mentioned, the card machine will often give you the option of tipping with a guided percentage. For example, for a bill that comes to a total of 8-9 euro, you could pay 10 euro, and let them know to keep the change. If you experienced incredible service, then you are of course welcome and encouraged to tip more.

Fine dining

In more fine dining, and upscale restaurants, you can expect the quality of service and food to be more refined and higher. It is common with fine dining, that the server will offer more of a personalised experience, going out of their way to provide exceptional service. Therefore, a more generous tip is considered appropriate. For a guide, 10-15% of the bill would reflect their service, and show your appreciation. With these finer restaurants, cash tips are preferred to be handed directly to the server.

Is it customary to tip tour guides in Greece?

To become a tour guide in Greece you must complete at least 2.5 years of study through the National School of Tourist Guides. We like to use local guides      
on our trips, to provide travellers with an opportunity to learn from a local expert, and to provide a platform for those curious travellers who crave more, to ask questions that Trip Managers may not know the answers to. It also allows us to support the locals of smaller communities all over Greece.

For paid tours, it is recommended to tip 10-20% of the price of the tour, but
for free tours, I it’s more down to your own prerogative, however if you enjoyed your time and learnt something new, why not float a €20 note their way? A rough guide would be €5-€10 per person for a half-day tour, and €10-€20 per person for a full-day tour.

Transfer drivers

In recent years, there has been a change with tipping drivers, as tour companies are now tipping them on their clients’ behalf, however, not all do, so confirm with your tour operator. If you’ve ever been on the Greek Islands and experienced the windy and narrow roads, you will understand the importance of using local drivers.

There is this windy road up a cliff that is the only way to and from the port of Santorini, one of the most popular island destinations in Greece. I wouldn’t be surprised if they offer special training just for that road. Not only this, but the drivers often load and unload luggage, so if you feel inclined, they wouldn’t turn down an extra little gratuity.

Do you tip taxi drivers in Greece?

Taxi drivers are again down to your own prerogative, but if you follow the rule of thumb that “tipping is not mandatory, but is highly recommended and appreciated” then ideally you would be tipping your taxi driver. I once got a ride from the airport, to my apartment in Athens, which is usually a 40 minute drive. He got me there in 25 minutes, and after a long flight, in the early hours, it was much appreciated and absolutely earnt.

Tipping taxi drivers in Greece is not expected, but rounding up the fare to the nearest euro is easy enough to do, and at the end of the day, adds up for the driver. Using the UBER or FREENOW apps are a very easy and convenient way to order taxis around most areas of Greece. It is important to note that the app works as a booking function for yellow taxis, and you should never get into an unmarked car when using the app. At the end of your ride, the app will ask you if you would like to tip, and even give you recommended amounts; it’s as easy as clicking a button on a screen.

Tipping in hotels

In Greece hotel staff will typically earn around 10 320 a year.

For porterage, 1-2 euros per bag is appropriate, and similar for housekeepers, per day of your stay. This is also dependent on the level of service you received from the staff, but having lived and worked in Greece for 4 years on and off, it is rare to receive poor service in any hotel or restaurant.

Tipping hotel staff may seem a little unusual, as with Contiki trips, the accommodation is booked for you, and reception doesn’t usually have a tip box there, but once again, it is always appreciated.

Cash vs. Credit card

Cash is still very prominent in European countries, and especially Greece. We use the saying “Cash is King” here, as a way for our travellers to remember to try and use cash as much as they can. TIpping in cash is as simple as rounding to the nearest euro. With a card, the service staff will show you the eftpos machine, and it is up to you to select the tip.

In early 2023, Greece introduced a new obligatory 5-step process for the connection of cash registers to another device. This means that it takes longer to process payments, and harder to split bills, which when dining in large groups, we love to do. Cash payments are more efficient and makes the process of settling the bill a lot less stressful for all parties involved.

Receipts

If you’ve ever been to Greece, you would have noticed that they give receipts for everything!  Greece has some funky tax laws. One of them is that they have to by law give receipts for all transactions. This is done to help try and combat tax evasion.

In Greece, Value Added Tax (VAT) is applied to most goods and services and are shown on the receipts. VAT is a consumption tax that is added to the price of goods and services at each stage of production and distribution. The standard rate is 24%, applied to items like electronics, clothing, alcohol and dining. Reduced rate of 13% applies to food products and hotel accommodations. This is not a tip included, nor a service fee added to the total cost.

Why tip?

Travellers often ask “Why should I tip? I don’t tip at home and the meal is the same price, if not more expensive than I would pay at home”. And I must admit, before I myself worked in the hospitality industry in Greece, I thought the same.

It is important to remember, that we have chosen to travel and to visit new places and try new things, and with these new experiences, are different lifestyles and different expectations and customs.

Tipping shows that you appreciate the service you received, and can be a way to reward and encourage good service. It is also a way you can build a good rapport with locals, and give thanks, which can then provide a more personal experience. Long story short, Greeks rely on tips to help close that gap on their low wage, they are not mandatory, but they are recommended, appreciated, and in most cases earnt.

So, when you are budgeting for your trip in Greece, or really anywhere, have a quick look at the tipping culture, and factor it into your budget plan.

Thanks for coming and I hope to see you in Greece real soon!