José Rosales,  Saturday, 23 February 2019

 

In Spain, tipping is a gesture of friendliness rather than a mandatory practice. Should you find the service satisfactory, expressing your gratitude with a modest tip, known as a "propina" in Spanish, is customary. A few coins are sufficient to acknowledge good service, considering the modest wages in Spain and the minimal impact of such small amounts. It's worth noting that tipping in Spain is generally less compared to practices in the UK.

Taxi drivers in Spain don't expect tips, but they do appreciate it when passengers round up the fare, saving them the hassle of providing change. This practice is also common with hairdressers and attendants at gas stations.

For supermarket delivery staff who bring heavy groceries to your door, a token of a few euros is well-deserved. In theatres and cinemas, it's now uncommon to tip ushers, a marked change from the past when such tips were a significant part of their earnings.

In restaurants, it's rare for Spaniards to tip over five percent. More often, they simply round up the bill. Depending on the total, customers might add a few euros if they're particularly pleased with the service. A ten percent tip, while standard in the UK, is mostly seen from foreign tourists in Spain.

For smaller transactions, such as buying a beer, coffee, or ice cream, a small coin suffices as a tip.

In Spain, it's unusual to tip directly when settling the bill. Instead, people discreetly leave money on the table, which is typically shared among all staff.

Hotel housekeeping staff also appreciate a few euros left behind, especially if the room has been kept clean and tidy with a well-made bed. However, if the service isn't satisfactory, leaving a tip isn't expected.

If you're dining out and have driven there in your own or a rental car, it's customary to give a euro to the parking attendants, known as "aparcacoches", when you retrieve your keys. Hence, carrying some change is advisable, especially for those accustomed to credit card payments.

In many places like hair salons or bars, tips are pooled into a collective jar (the "bote") and later evenly distributed among the staff. In some bars, the act of adding coins to the jar is often accompanied by the shout of "bote," celebrating the contributor's generosity or gently reminding others of this pleasant custom.



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