This Italy tipping guide and calculator reflects how tipping actually works in Italy: it is modest and optional. Many restaurants already add a coperto (a per-person cover charge) and sometimes a servizio (service charge), so leaving extra is a genuine courtesy rather than an obligation. This tool suggests sensible amounts by service type and splits the total per person — with Italy’s round-up habit built in.
How it works
Pick a service type and a tip level. The calculator applies a percentage appropriate to Italian norms (much lower than the US):
- Restaurant (table service): 0% is fine; 5–10% is generous for great service.
- Bar / cafe: leave small change or round up to the nearest euro.
- Hotel: a couple of euros for housekeeping or a porter, if you wish.
- Taxi: round the fare up; no percentage expected.
It computes tip = bill × rate, then total = bill + tip, then divides by the number of people. A “round up” option instead lifts the total to the nearest convenient euro — the most common Italian behaviour. You can also add the coperto so the per-person split reflects the real bill.
Example
A €84 restaurant bill split between two people, with a generous 10% mancia, gives an €8.40 tip, a €92.40 total, and €46.20 each. Choosing “round up” instead would lift the bill to €85 — a 16-cent gesture that most Italians consider perfectly courteous.
Notes
Watch the bill for a coperto (per-person cover) and a servizio (service charge) already printed on it. Neither is a tip — the coperto and any service charge go to the restaurant. Any mancia you add on top is genuinely extra and entirely your choice.