Stop tipping so much in Italy & some reminders about entry requirements & processes in the EU/UK

Ciao Reader,

Spring is in full swing, and travel season is upon us. If you’re traveling this year, we want to tell you about tipping in Italy, when you should, and why you shouldn’t in some cases. We’ve also got some reminders for anyone coming to Europe or the UK.

Round-up of our latest Lucca Recommendations

This is a short list because we've mostly been at home working this month, but we did get out a couple of times.

• ​Osteria St. Bartholomeo Lucca - We had a nice easter lunch here. Their menu changes regularly, and we always enjoy the food and the atmosphere. Easter lunch was an asparagus 'flan,' tagliatelle noodles with a white ragù (rabbit), lamb costolette with herbed mashed potatoes, and pana cotta with a red berry compote for dessert. We enjoyed it with a bottle of Franciacorta, similar to prosecco, but not prosecco.
• ​Sughero La Vineria - A new favorite wine bar that is located just outside the walls of the city center. At Sughero, you can enjoy a glass or bottle of wine; they also sell wine to go by the bottle or in bulk, bottled on the spot (a cost-effective way to get something you can drink anytime). We enjoyed some wine, crostini, a tagliere (board with sliced meats, cheeses, and accoutrements), and a platter of roasted veggies.
• ​Ghianda Vineria - Yes, another new favorite wine bar. This one is inside the walls of the city center and not far from Porta San Pietro. Ghianda has a welcoming atmosphere, the owners are nice, and we enjoy the music. Last time we were there, it felt like a soundtrack from Dirty Dancing and Pulp Fiction. Their focus is on the apperitivo tradition; snacks and wine. Order wine by the glass or bottle, get a top-shelf cocktail, or buy wine to go from their shop.

Stop tipping in Italy the same way you do at home!

Okay, this is a bit long, but it deserves attention since it’s becoming a problem in Italy. We know it’s hard, maybe you’re a good tipper, and that’s a sense of pride for you, but you have to stop tipping in Italy like you do when you’re at home. The truth is, it’s really important to stick to the local customs wherever you are going. Let’s get into why and what the tipping customs are in Italy.

Look, in the United States, servers don’t make a lot before tips; in fact, for many servers, most of their paycheck is eaten up by taxes, and all that they are left with is their tips. This is why it is so important to tip and to tip well in the U.S. This is not the case in Italy. In Italy, servers are paid a living wage. But this alone isn’t the reason that you shouldn’t tip them 20-25% on your restaurant bill. It goes much deeper than that; it’s a system that took centuries to build.

Dining culture in Italy is different; In Italy, families go out to dinner regularly, even on weeknights. Grandparents will take their grandchildren to their regular spot (typically a trattoria). Italians spend more than 2 hours enjoying each other's company and a meal that costs as little as €30-€40 for a small family. Middle-class families can afford to do this because the bill (il conto) IS the bill. They don’t have to do extra math to see if they can actually afford the meal. They don’t have to add tax or tips to the prices that they see on the menu.

An Italian family will go out to dinner, leave the server nothing, not feel bad about it, and the server won’t resent them for it either. This is normal, and for centuries the tip wasn’t expected - remember they make a living wage. If the server is left a tip of €1-€2, the server isn’t insulted; it means their service was appreciated, that’s all.

When tourists come to Italy and overtip, it starts to change the norm and price families out of their most enjoyed pastime. If you overtip, you won’t single-handedly change the system, but you will contribute to the problem without realizing that you are. This tipping behavior sets a new standard for restaurants and puts pressure on locals to match this shift in what was once a straightforward system for them. By now, you’ve probably heard the term overtourism; this is another form of it. By masses of tourists repeatedly doing the same thing over and over, it starts to change the culture. I’m not trying to single Americans out here; it’s only that Americans are used to tipping a lot, enough that servers in major tourist destinations start to expect this, particularly from Americans, and eventually everyone.

Okay, let’s get into what is appropriate in Italy, starting with the coperto. What’s the difference between a coperto and ‘servizio incluso’ on the menu? A coperto is essentially a cover charge; it pays for the bread, use of the space, the table, the linens, etc. The coperto usually ranges from €2-€3 per person and is always printed on the menu; it’s legally required to be there. You might also see ‘servizio incluso’ as an item on the bill, which means that a service charge has already been added to the bill. The service charge is usually about 10-15%, and that is your tip. You should never tip on a bill that already has a service charge on it.

I know what you’re thinking, “but what if they do a really good job and there isn’t a 'servizio inclusio’?” Yes, you can tip them something, but it just shouldn’t be 20%.

Here’s the breakdown of tipping norms in Italy, so you can do as the locals do:

🍝 At a restaurant, check the bill first, remember if there is a ‘servizio incluso,’ you aren’t tipping anything. If there isn’t a ‘servizio incluso’, you still don’t have to leave a tip.

• If you received exceptional service and want to tip, just round up. If the bill is €41, you might leave €45, or if it’s €44, you might leave €50.
• Italians tend to pay at the register on the way out. If you are also doing this, you don’t want to leave the tip with the person at the register. You should always tip with cash on the table, otherwise your server probably won’t get the tip.
• If you don’t have any cash, you will want to tell the server to run your card for more than the bill. You need to do this before they run your card. We should point out that there isn’t a standard ‘add tip’ button on the machine or line on the credit card slip. In all honesty, though, the server probably won’t get that money. It’s always better to just leave a few euros on the table.
• In summary, even if it’s a nice place and the service was genuinely over the top, you shouldn’t leave more than €5-€10 in cash

☕️ At a cafe or coffee bar: drink your espresso/coffee and leave. No tip.

🚕 Taxis: Round up to the nearest euro. If the ride was €8.50, pay €9.

🤵‍♀️ Private driver: No tip, Italians wouldn’t tip them, and you shouldn’t either.

🛏️ Hotel: You’re not required to leave anything for housekeeping; if you feel compelled to, leave €1 per day. If you’re in a rural town where the owner is probably cleaning the room, don’t leave a tip - that’s weird!

🥾 Tour guides are the exception: ALWAYS TIP YOUR TOUR GUIDE. This is especially true if you are on a free walking tour. Your tour guide probably doesn’t own the company or make very much money. If you think about it, your tour guide will probably give you lots of great tips and put up with you and all of your questions for a few hours, all with a smile on their face. The best way to thank them is with a tip. €10-€15 per person at the end of the tour is appreciated, understood, and appropriate. If you paid for a private half-day tour, and it’s only your group on the tour, €10-€15 per person is a tad generous.

🛥️ Skippers who take you on a boat tour: TIP THEM WELL, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW. Many have not increased their prices but are absorbing the nearly 40% jump in fuel prices due to current economic conditions. Keep that in mind. You don’t need to tip 40%, the fee you paid includes more than fuel, consider €15-€20 per person (for a full day boat tour).

When you travel, you really should leave a place the same way you found it. Appreciate it for what it is (all the reasons that you wanted to visit in the first place); don’t try to fix it, it’s not broken! In this case, that means not tipping when locals wouldn’t and not tipping more than a local would. A quick search on your favorite search engine will tell you all you need to know about tipping customs in any destination that you are traveling to. If you consider how often you dine out on vacation and your typical ~20% tip back home, this tip just saved you a ton of money, you’re welcome!

Did we leave something out? Do you have a tip about tipping that we didn't mention? Reply to this email and share what you know! We'd love to hear from you.
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Reminder about entry requirements & border processes in the UK & EU Venice, Italy, has an access fee from April through July. The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has already begun in the UK. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) doesn’t start until the last quarter of 2026. The new Entry/Exit System (EES) has been rolled out throughout the EU. The system is causing massive delays at some airports in Europe.

✈ Venice, Italy, has an access fee from April through July. Pay the entry fee or apply for the exemption here. To read more details about the measure, go here.

✈ The Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) has already begun in the UK. Complete yours before you travel to the UK. Learn more here and read about what you can expect at border control here.

✈ The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) doesn’t start until the last quarter of 2026, and an official date has not been announced yet. Get more information about the system and check to see when it will begin here.

✈ The new Entry/Exit System (EES) has been rolled out throughout the EU. To be honest, the rollout has been a disaster with much longer wait times than anticipated. This will affect you when you first enter the EU and when you exit the EU. You should not have to go through this when you move from one country to another within the EU (ex: France to Italy). At customs, you will scan your passport, have your fingerprints scanned, and have a photo taken (take off your glasses and hats for this).

✈ The EES process will be relatively smooth, eventually. Since the process is new, many of the major airports are finding it to overwhelm the customs lines. Machines can have glitches, and humans are still getting used to the process. Some airports don't have enough staff to assist travelers at all of the kiosks. Right now, people are reporting delays in customs, some of which have been as long as 4 hours! The biggest problems are going to be during peak season, and if you're traveling in the off-season, you may not be severely affected by this. Keep in mind that although summer might be the biggest peak season, April saw massive delays.

✈ Some tips to help you plan ahead for the EES:

• Give yourself a little extra time to get out of the airport when you first arrive in Europe. Depending on the airport, you may only need an extra hour, but as mentioned, some waits have been 4 hours long.
• If you're connecting in the EU before your final destination, avoid tight connections. Make sure you're booking flights with long enough connections to allow you to get through customs before boarding your connection.
• Consider getting to the airport early before you fly home. Although you will be registered since you already entered through the system, some of the people in line ahead of you may not have done it yet. We just read about customs lines in Rome going outside of the terminal buildings!
• Monitor the situation at the airports that you will pass through. As we mentioned, some are worse than others. The airline advocacy group Airlines for Europe is calling the launch of the EES "a systemic failure." Airlines for Europe has called on the European Commission to allow for a full or partial suspension of the EES until the end of summer - this is a developing situation, so watch it closely. Instead of a blanket suspension by the EU, it is more likely that individual member states may suspend the process. You'll want to search for airport-specific information.
• Have a plan in case you miss your flight or connecting flight.
• Currently, the UK does not have this digital entry system, but they are moving toward one. However, if you are flying from the EU and through the UK to get home, you want to make sure you don't miss your flight in the UK by missing your flight in the EU.

We want to hear from you. If you have any questions about travel, please send us an email or reply directly to this newsletter. We’re happy to help.

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